Understanding the relationship between smoking and cellulite

Over the last fifty years there has been a major increase in the awareness of the dangers that cigarette smoking poses to our health. This increased knowledge has resulted in significant reductions in the acceptance of smoking in public places in the developed world, and the number of women smoking has also significantly declined.

While a great deal of attention has focused on the relationship between smoking and the development of fatal lung diseases, the connection between smoking and cellulite has received much less attention.

Cellulite, for those unfamiliar with the term, is used to describe a build-up of fat that appears on the lower half of the body. It creates a waffled appearance on the skin and it is especially associated with pregnancy although cellulite is not exclusive to women.

While medical professionals do not accept cellulite as being any different from other fat build-ups associated with a lack of diet and unhealthy eating, some natural health specialists claim that there is a clear link between cellulite and an excess of toxins in the body. Considering the well-known toxic content of tobacco smoke, it is a small step to proceed and propose a connection between smoking and cellulite. Among the toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke are such infamous poisons as cyanide and acetylene. Obviously if overdoes of these poisonous substances can prove fatal, it should come as no surprise that they are capable of causing a great deal of harm to your skin.

Smoking encourages the generation of the harmful bodily compounds called free radicals. If the free radicals succeed in overwhelming the antioxidant chemicals defending body tissue against their attacks, serious damage can result. Researchers have found a clear connection between smoking and a quickening of the skin aging process. Cigarette smoke can break up the collagen chemical which has a crucial role in preserving the stretched tight and firm look that characterizes young skin.

Smoking can also damage the skin by affecting the body’s natural production of hyaluronic acid — this compound assists body cells in maintaining a moist and juvenile appearance. Thus, it may be beneficial for those women concerned about the effects of smoking and cellulite to take antioxidant supplements, or drink antioxidant rich teas.

Healthy skin is better able to cover over cellulite build up than skin weakened by many years of smoking, and therefore while smoking may not create these fats, it certainly exacerbates their negative impact on your appearance. The older you are the harder the task to reverse this damage, but the good news is that if you stop smoking at a young age the harm you have caused yourself can quickly be rectified.