Quit Smoking Painlessly Now!

Women from 27 to 44 years who smoke are twice as likely to develop pre-menstrual syndrome (PM) over the next 2 years, especially hormonally related symptoms like backaches, bloating, breast tenderness and acne.

According to Dr Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and her colleagues, smoking increases the risk of moderate to severe PMS and provides another reason for women especially adolescents and young women, not to smoke.

Smoking has been shown to affect levels of several different hormones and the handful of studies looking into PMS and smoking have suggested that women with the syndrome are more likely to be smokers.

These researchers looked at a subset of women who were PMS-free during the first 2 years of the study, comparing 1057 who did go on to develop PMS to 1968 who did not.

The women who were current smokers were 2.1 times more likely than non smokers to report PMS within 2 -4 years. Women who picked up smoking at a tender age had their risk increases.  Dr Bertone- Johnson said,

“Previous studies suggested that smoking may alter levels of oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and other hormones, many of which may be involved in the development of PMS.”

“Some studies have found that smokers have shorter and more irregular menstrual cycles than non-smokers”

“Smoking may also lower levels of vitamin D in the body, which also may increase a woman’s risk of developing PMS”.

Additional Reading: Quit Smoking Painlessly Now.

Smoking causes

• premature aging of the skin and ruins your complexion.
• Loss of skin glow and vitality.
• premature facial wrinkling and leathery skin.
• crow’s feet.
• varicose veins.
• poor healing abilities.
• skin cancer.
• psoriasis.

Smoking reduces the amount of blood flowing to the skin and dries it out. It constructs the tiny capillaries that nourish the skin.

Smoking prevents oxygen and nutrients from getting to the skin . Over time, this means the skin loses elasticity and gets more wrinkled. The appearance of wrinkled, pale and grayish skin is four to five times more frequent in smokers than non-smokers. In 1971 an extensive study showed that the facial skin of long-term smokers was so terribly wrinkled that they looked as if they were 20 years older!

Quitting smoking improves the blood supply to the skin and gives previously pale skin a more ‘natural’ appearance. A smoker’s skin is more apt to wrinkle because the skin’s vitamin A content is low compared with that for a non-smoker. Vitamin A protects the skin against strong chemical substances that may damage or destroy it. Smoking also gets in the way of absorption of vitamin C - a vital antioxidant for skin protection and health By quitting, you will improve your skin tone and colour. You are less likely to get wrinkles around your eyes and mouth from squinting when smoke gets in your eyes and puckering up when you draw on a cigarette.

(extracted fromLarry Kunkel’s “Quit Smoking and Improve Your Looks” article)

Any woman who cherish her look should know about this: Smoking creates an imbalance in women’s hormone levels, which can lead to big changes in her body shape. Her hour glass body shape can give away to, say, an “apple” shape.

Smoking affects the endocrinal system - the glands that secrete hormones - and changes body shape, increasing the waist-to-hip ratio. So, despite the fact that many smokers are weighing less than non-smokers, smokers tend to have pot-belly with spindly legs. Smoking  upsets the hormone levels. This, in turn, resulted in smokers storing normal amount of fat in an abnormal way. So smokers tend to acquire an ‘apple’ shape.

When you quit smoking, it will means your body has a chance to get back to normal and recover from the abuses of smoking. If you are a woman-smoker who wants to look young should start puffing out that last stick o cigarette. That is more helpful than buying cosmetics and lotions and piling on your face and body!

Additional Read: Hypnosis To Change Your Life by Steve G Jones.