Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : June 14, 2022 4:43 PM IST
Smoking can damage almost every organ of your body, including the skin. Cigarette smoking is known to cause premature aging of skin, contributing to the development of wrinkles, pigmentation, other skin-related concerns. But did you know exposure to thirdhand smoke can also cause harm to your skin?
A new study has revealed that exposure to thirdhand smoke (THS) and electronic cigarette spills may also damage the skin. Nicotine found in thirdhand smoke may impair wound healing, increase susceptibility to infections due to a decrease in immune response, and cause oxidative stress in skin cells, said the researchers from the University of California. The study results appeared in the journal, Atmosphere.
As described by the researchers from the University of California, Riverside, THS are the residues left behind by smoking and it is created when exhaled smoke and smoke emanating from the burning cigarettes settles on surfaces such as clothing, hair, furniture, and cars. Nicotine is a major component of thirdhand smoke. Electronic cigarette spills are e-liquid spills that may occur due to leaky electronic cigarette products or while mixing e-liquids for refillable electronic cigarettes.
Giovanna Pozuelos, one of the researchers, cautioned that toddlers and infants, who tend to crawl on contaminated surfaces or have frequent contact with indoor surfaces, are particularly susceptible to high dermal exposure to thirdhand smoke.
Other high-risk individuals include employers who work in heavily THS-contaminated environments, such as casinos, as well as vendors and consumers who handle or use electronic cigarettes, according to Pozuelos.
The expert noted that dermal contact with nicotine residue is especially harmful for people with skin conditions such as diabetic-related ulcers or arterial ulcers. This may impair wound healing of such skin lesions and increase susceptibility to pathogenic skin infections, she stated.
Coauthor Prue Talbot, a professor of cell biology, said that even a relatively short exposure to nicotine -- 24 hours in the study -- is sufficient to cause skin damage. But he also noted the changes caused by such short exposure to nicotine are reversible, and the skin may recover if further exposure to THS and electronic cigarette spills is avoided.
Highlighting that the severity of skin damage depends on both exposure duration and nicotine concentration, Pozuelos has advised consumers and vendors dealing with electronic cigarettes to minimize dermal contact. They can do so by wearing adequate protective gear and properly cleaning contaminated areas, she stated.
In addition, she stressed the need to impose restrictions on indoor smoking and vaping, and implement policies for remediating contaminated environments.
