Unfortunately,
The Aging Process Slows Down
When you stop smoking, vitamin C and collagen production returns to normal within months. Shallow, dynamic wrinkles may repair themselves. Skin coloration and a healthy glow returns, as improved circulation delivers oxygen and nutrients.
Superficial smoker's lines can easily—and instantly—be smoothed out with a hyaluronic acid-based filler such as Juvéderm Volbella or Restylane Silk. These injectables are the thinnest in their respective families, which makes them ideal for fine lines and areas with thin skin.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to reduce smokers' lines is with an injectable lip filler treatment. Lip fillers restore volume and smooth out wrinkles around the mouth and upper lip area.
Nicotine, other chemicals in cigarettes, smoking behaviors and other factors may contribute to wrinkles and premature aging of the skin: Nicotine causes blood vessels to narrow, reducing oxygen flow and nutrients to skin cells.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.
Ultraviolet radiation, which speeds the natural aging process, is the primary cause of early wrinkling. Exposure to UV light breaks down your skin's connective tissue — collagen and elastin fibers, which lie in the deeper layer of skin (dermis).
Nicotine inhibits collagen synthesis and alkaline phosphatase activity, but stimulates DNA synthesis in osteoblast-like cells.
Smoking over a longer period of time can influence your appearance heavily. Chemicals in cigarettes age and dry out your skin and cause wrinkles that can make you look 10 years older or more!
Smoking can cause deeper wrinkles on the face, particularly between the eyebrows, around the eyes, and around the mouth and lips. People who smoke have fewer elastin and collagen fibers in the skin compared to those who don't smoke. Without enough of these fibers, the skin becomes harder and less elastic.
“Smoking reduces the collagen formation, results in collagen degradation and reduces the skin circulation,” Guyuron said. “Additionally, nicotine reduces the skin thickness. All of these reduce skin elasticity and (cause) premature aging.” The study was published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Smoking increases MMP levels, which leads to the degradation of collagen, elastic fibers, and proteoglycans, suggesting an imbalance between biosynthesis and degradation in dermal connective tissue metabolism.
When your body makes collagen, it combines amino acids — nutrients you get from eating protein-rich foods, like beef, chicken, fish, beans, eggs and dairy products. The process also requires vitamin C, zinc and copper. You can get vitamin C by eating citrus fruits, red and green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and greens.
Your skin recovers its elasticity when you stop smoking. It will also be smoother, making it more pleasant to look at and touch. Your skin complexion will become visibly brighter in the first few weeks after you stop smoking. After six months, your skin will regain its original vitality.
Using a retinol or retinoid cream can help, too. "Retinol slowly thickens the deeper layers of the skin, while thinning out the superficial layers," says Levine. "This softens fine marionette lines, making the skin look more youthful."
I use a brand called Azzalure™; Botox® is another brand that you may have heard of too. This prescription medicine can be used as an anti-wrinkle treatment for crow's feet, frown lines, forehead lines, bunny lines around the nose, and smoker's lines around the mouth.
Regular use of coconut oil can help stimulate collagen production in the body thus reducing wrinkles. Research has shown that coconut oil has positive antioxidants that can help slow down the appearance of wrinkles and delay the aging process.