Most experts agree that smoking can actually speed up the aging process. Now, researchers from the Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio looked at identical twins, in which one twin in each pair smokes and the other one doesn’t, and found that smoking speeds up aging indeed.
Researchers took close-up photos of the participants, and asked them to complete questionnaires about their medical history and lifestyle. Findings revealed that twins who smoked had significantly higher scores on most measures for 
facial aging. Specifically, they demonstrated more bags under the eyes and in lower eyelids, sagging jowls, more wrinkles, and more pronounced lines between the nose and the mouth compared to twins who didn’t smoke.
Don’t feel bad if you are a smoker. Let’s look at the brighter side. The good news is that you can actually reverse the beauty-defying effects of smoking by quitting today. Plus, you will experience the following benefits!
You’ll have vibrant and younger looking skin
Your lifestyle and choice of food reflects on your skin. Heavy smokers usually have wrinkled skin, stained nails, discolored-yellowish teeth, receding gums, and dull hair – which in effect, make them look older compared to non-smokers. When you smoke, the blood vessels in your skin constrict, depriving it with oxygen. As a result, your skin looks duller and wrinkles start to appear. Smoking also affects the collagen production in your skin – the substance which keeps your skin from sagging. Quitting smoking now will help your skin look younger and more vibrant.
You’ll have brighter eyes.
Continuous exposure to cigarette smoke makes your eyes look dull and tired. What’s more, the chemicals in burning tobacco can cause eye irritation, which makes cigarette smoke harmful for people with dry eyes and other allergic eye conditions. Kicking the habit of smoking and eating antioxidant-rich foods can help prevent and lessen the symptoms of these eye problems.
You’ll have whiter teeth.
Heavy smoking stains your teeth overtime and may cause gum infection. Tar, one of the most notorious byproduct of burning tobacco, gives your teeth the waxy yellow color which is very unattractive. If you quit smoking now, you’ll have to visit your dentist less often and you’ll also have a fresher breath.
You’ll have more energy to do the things you like.
Smoking deprives your body of the oxygen it needs. As a result, you experience shortness of breath and you
Most experts agree that smoking can actually speed up the aging process. The good news is that you can actually reverse the beauty-defying effects of smoking by quitting
get easily tired. Days after you quit smoking your lungs start to improve and its capacity is increased by 10%. Thus, it will be easier for you to walk and run longer distances. With less than a year of quitting, you can again play your favorite sports.
You’ll have better and happier sex life.
Recent surveys reveal that non-smokers are 3 times more attractive to their opposite sex than smokers. People now prefer kissing non-smokers as they have fresher breath and nicer smell. Quitting smoking can increase your attractiveness.
Men, after quitting, may experience better and longer erections as their sensitivity is restored, now that there is no nicotine to restrict proper blood flow. Women may also experience better orgasm after quitting. It also enhances their fertility.
You can taste the foods better.
Smoking dulls your senses especially your sense of taste and smell. Quitting smoking now will help you regain your senses and help you enjoy the taste of your food better.
You’ll be less stress.
Stress is a leading risk factor for premature aging. Contrary to the beliefs that smoking help you relax, smoking can actually stress you. You may not know it, but between cigarettes your body craves for nicotine, this alone stresses your body. Also, smoking affects your immune system, making it easier for viruses and other diseases to suppress your body. Quitting smoking will help you cope with stress better.
Smoking does not only affect the way you look, it also affects your health and how you feel about yourself. Quitting smoking now is one way to improve your overall appearance and health.
