What Does Vaping Do to Your Skin?

We all know what smoking does to skin. For a really long time, lines in the skin above the top lip were referred to as “smokers lines”. That was caused by the repeated lip “pursing” movements on top of the effects of the chemicals on skin resilience. Do you know there are over 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke? These weaken skin and make it saggy and less elastic. They destroy collagen and elastin. They also affect the growth factors in skin. (We will never do PRP treatments on smokers because of these factors – its just a waste.)

SO – how does vaping compare?

Well John Hopkins University studied vape clouds of popular brands and found nearly 2000 chemicals, many of which were unidentified! However, alot of them were the same chemicals as in regular cigarettes. We know that the nicotine addiction is just as real with vapes, but what about the skin effects?
Let’s consider acne. Nicotine itself causes inflammation but vapes cause a surge of oil production too, that can lead to congested pores, and persistent acne spots.
Then there’s rosacea. All the same stuff exacerbated redness, inflammation and the prickly discomfort of this skin condition.
But then we get back to ageing of skin. Vaping does the same damage as regular cigarettes – sabotaging collagen and elastin – say goodbye to firm, springy resilient skin. Hello premature ageing.
SO – quitting vaping isn’t only about breaking a habit – It’s also about reclaiming control over your skin health and well-being.

– Dr Kathryn Holmes