How to Remove Smoker Wrinkles

Smoking causes the skin to age faster.

If you are a long-term smoker, you may have begun to notice the formation of wrinkles on your face, including the area around your lips and eyes. Deep facial wrinkles are one of the common side effects of smoking that, according to the Mayo Clinic, increases your skin's normal aging process.

Things You'll Need

• Vitamin A supplement
• Vitamin C supplement

Instructions

1. Stop smoking immediately. No treatment can effectively help improve your wrinkles until you have rid yourself of the reason for the wrinkles in the first place. Stay away from others who smoke to avoid second-hand smoke.

2. Have a botulinum toxin or botox injection. Botox is chemical that can be injected into your facial muscles and gives the appearance of smooth skin. It is commonly used to remove the wrinkles around the mouth that are caused by the act of smoking, as well as the wrinkles around the eyes that are caused by squinting as you smoke. The botox prevents the muscle from tightening by blocking the signal that causes the muscle to contract. When this occurs the skin flattens and appears less wrinkled. This procedure provides only short term results and must be repeated as often as every 3 to 4 months.

3. Ask your doctor about dermal fillers. These fillers can be fat, collagen or hyaluronic acids such as Restylane or Juvederm. They work well on the wrinkles of smokers as they are injected into the deeper wrinkles in order to plump and smooth them out. Dermal fillers can be used with Botox and also have a short term effect lasting between 3 to 4 months.

4. Have laser resurfacing to remove your wrinkles. Discuss the different types of laser resurfacing with your dermatologist and determine if you are a candidate and which method is best for your skin. Laser skin resurfacing works well in improving wrinkles caused by smoking because the laser not only smooths out the wrinkles, but it also stimulates the formation of new collagen in the skin.

5. Take daily vitamins A and C supplements. Eating a well balanced diet will also ensure you are getting the necessary nutrition your skin needs.

6. Drink plenty of water to ensure your skin remains hydrated. Eliminate dehydrating drinks that include caffeine and alcohol.

Tips & Warnings

• Exercise will help to improve your circulation and replenish your capillaries with oxygen.

• Smoking may cause delayed healing or scarring after certain procedures such as skin resurfacing (see "Resources")

References

• Mayo Clinic: Smoking Causes Wrinkles
• Health Central: Reverse Wrinkles Caused by Smoking
• Lumenis: Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• University of Michigan: Smoking, Secondary Smoke and Healing
• Smoke Free: Quit Smoking Today