WHILE vaping isn’t as detrimental to your health as smoking, that’s not to say it doesn’t come with its own risks.
Experts have linked the habit to heart and lung disease and even tooth decay.
And while it’s no secret that the tobacco in traditional cigarettes can make your skin prematurely age and sag, now dermatologists have warned that e-ciggs could also be damaging your skin.
It comes as vape prices are expected to rise, with chancellor Jeremy Hunt announcing plans to impose a tax on imported e-cigs and manufacturers.
His announcement followed a ban on disposable vapes to try and clamp down on youngsters picking up the habit.
While vapers may tell themselves their habit is healthy, Rupesh Shah, an aesthetic practitioner at the London Lip Clinic, warned there’s no smoke without fire.
From sapping your face skin of moisture, to causing redness, wrinkles and skin condition flare-ups, here’s all the ways puffing on vapes could be destroying your skin.
1. It robs your skin of moisture and deepens wrinkles
Rupesh said: “Vaping is the fastest way to rob the skin of moisture, paving the way to dehydration.”
Though vapes don’t contain tobacco, the liquid in them is still laced with nicotine, a substance that has countless side effects on the skin alone, according to the aesthetic practitioner.
Your skin is comprised of multiple layers.
The epidermis is the top layer, the second layer is the dermis – the thickest layer that provides strength and flexibility, and home to blood vessels and nerves – and then there is the subcutaneous layer, made of fat and tissue.
Nicotine can leach its way to the dermis and activate metalloproteinase – a group of enzymes that breaks down collagen – while breaking down elastin and proteoglycans.
These are proteins that play an instrumental role in the hydration of your skin.
Dehydration can have long-term effects on your skin, leading to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles around the face.
It can also make your face look sunken, as its contours appear pronounced, Rupesh said.
2. It causes redness
Wrinkles aren’t the only side effect of puffing on vapes.
According to Rupesh: “Vaping sparks vasoconstriction, a process that sees the blood vessels in the face contract and narrow, restricting blood flow and at times stopping it altogether.
“This causes redness in the face that is difficult to control if vaping continues.”
If that wasn’t bad enough, your e-cig habit could also give your skin a yellowish hue, the aesthetic practitioner warned.
“As well as reducing the amount of blood that is able to reach the skin’s surface, vaping also restricts its vital nutrients, leading the skin to appear yellow in tone,” Rupesh explained.
3. It can delay skin healing
Vaping may hamper skin healing, which could lead to scars.
Rupesh said: “There is significant evidence to suggest that vaping impairs the regeneration of the skins tissue just as much as cigarettes.”
If you get a wound or scrape, a flow of fresh oxygen and blood in vital to helping it heal, he explained.
But if you’re a vaper and you get a skin abrasion, vaping can restrict the amount of oxygen able to make it to the wound in order for it to heal, Rupesh warned.
He said: “Research shows that the speed in which a wound heals may be halved in vapers.
“As well as depriving the wound of oxygen, vaping causes the bloods platelets to stick together, leading it to thicken, making it difficult to move through the small blood vessels in the body.”
4. It can worsen skin conditions
If you have a pre-existing skin condition, your vaping habit might exacerbate it.
As Rupesh explained: “The liquid found in e-cigarettes contains a synthetic substance called propylene glycol.
“Several studies have shown that the ingestion of propylene glycol can cause contact dermatitis, which manifests as dry, cracked, itchy patches of skin.”
Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterised by itchiness, redness and a rash.
Rupesh added: “What’s more, vapes hold several different flavourings and additives that can cause flare ups for those that suffer from the likes of eczema and psoriasis.
“The severity of the skin conditions may rapidly increase as the skin struggles to heal itself.”
How can I protect my skin?
If you want to protect your skin from the harms of vaping, the best you can do is quit the habit.
According to Rupesh: “Stopping the use of e-cigarettes altogether is the fastest way to safeguard your skin from its influence.
“If you wish to restore your skin further drinking plenty of water is a must.”
Using products with hyaluronic acid to the rebuild the skin’s elasticity and volume can also help.
UK vaping law plans
MINISTERS have pledged to crackdown on poorly regulated vapes and e-cigarettes following an explosion in the number of teenagers who use them.
New rules for manufacturers and shopkeepers are expected to come into force in late 2024 or early 2025.
They are set to include:
- Higher tax rates paid on vapes to increase the price and make it harder for children to afford them
- A ban on single-use vapes in favour of devices that can be recharged
- A ban on colourful and cartoonish packaging that may appeal to youngsters
- Tighter controls on flavourings and a ban on unnecessarily sweet or child-friendly ones like bubblegum and candy
- More regulation on how and where they are displayed in shops, potentially putting them out of sight
- Harsher penalties for shops caught selling them to under-18s
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced plans to impose a tax on on imported e-cigs and manufacturers, making vapes more expensive.
The duty will apply to the liquid in vapes, with higher levels for products with more nicotine.