What Can Vaping Really Do to Your Skin?

Vaping is the proven culprit of skyrocketing rates of respiratory conditions and injuries, and now, new research shows that the trend also has detrimental side effects on the skin.

In a study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers examined all previous studies of skin conditions linked to e-cigarettes, including contact dermatitis, burns, and oral lesions. Their findings concluded that there’s been an uptick in contact dermatitis cases connected to e-cigarette use. The battery-operated heating coil transmits nickel, which can irritate the skin. The researchers also discovered that between 2015 and 2017, an estimated 2,035 patients were admitted to emergency rooms with “explosion and burn injuries from e-cigarettes,” a number 40 times greater than what the Food and Drug Administration reported between 2009 and 2015.

Dermatologists are also making anecdotal observations of accelerated aging due to vaping. “Every time you light up a cigarette, you're decreasing the oxygen supply to your face. Every time you vape, you're also decreasing the oxygen supply to your face,” said dermatologist Jeanine Downie, MD, for Allure. The lack of oxygen decreases skin’s elasticity and leads to fine lines and wrinkles. The nicotine nestles in the face and can cause splotches and blockages. Dr. Downie also notes that vapers might also experience sagging of the skin because they’re losing elasticity.

The consequences of vaping are only just emerging, and as we learn more, e-smokers will have to decide the future of their skin on their own.