E-cigarettes were only invented 20 years ago – so in the grand scheme of science, they have simply not been around long enough for us to know exactly how vaping impacts our health, wellbeing and even our appearance. That said, while we know they’re not as harmful as cigarettes, inhaling nicotine and whatever else is in those fruity vape juices will likely have an effect on you in some way or another – after all, anything that can artificially manipulate chemicals in the brain like dopamine has the power to impact other parts of your make-up, be it hair, skin, or even your sex drive.
Interested to know the effects your favourite vape could be having? We asked some straight-talking medical professionals to tell us what they know about the impact of vaping so far.
What vaping does to your skin
While e-cigarettes and vapes don’t contain as much nicotine as cigarettes, most of them still contain some. “There are some vapes that are non-nicotine based and include more natural extracts, but the majority contain nicotine which restricts the blood vessels and shrinks them slightly – which results in less blood getting into your skin,” explains GP and aesthetician, Dr Ahmed El Muntasar. “This means the skin is less likely to repair, less likely to heal and less likely to have that natural glow to it. It can then become dull, red and inflamed and in some cases, develop hyper-pigmentation.”
Without adequate oxygen and nutrients from the blood, it can also lead to collagen degradation and premature ageing – as flagged by Victoria Evans, Education Manager at Dermalogica. “The focus of research for vaping is primarily around the impact on your lungs, but the inhalation of toxic chemicals negatively impacts skin health – increasing likelihood of sensitivity, perioral dermatitis and breakouts.”
There’s also the vaping ‘actions’ to consider. “The repeated muscle movements involved in sucking on a cigarette or vape leads to characteristic smoker’s wrinkles. These are vertical lines that radiate from the lips after years of smoking. Vapers also often crinkle up their eyes too which can lead to exaggerated crows feet over time,” warns dermatologist Dr Cristina Psomadakis.
What vaping does to your hair
Just like restricting the blood flow to your skin cells can have a negative impact, it can affect the hair follicles too. “While no specific studies have been completed on hair loss and vaping, many of the ingredients that are in cigarettes are also contained in vapes and we do know that every time you inhale nicotine, or a nicotine substitute, the blood vessels constrict. Hair follicles need a good blood supply to enable growth – so starving the dermal papilla (where hair is made in the scalp) of blood leads to cell death and therefore hair loss,” explains Mark Blake, a leading trichologist and spokesperson for NIOXIN.
He goes on to add: “According to one study by the University of Southern California, vaping may be a cause of hair loss as it found that nicotine may lead to increased Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH blood levels). In turn, as well as affecting hair, this could lower sex drive and cause changes in weight.”
What vaping does to your teeth and gums
You might be able to avoid a smoker’s smile (think yellow teeth) but there is evidence that shows a clear link between e-cigarettes and poor gum and oral health. “The negative effects are likely to be dose dependent, as they are with tobacco smoking – for example how much you vape and the amount of nicotine contained within the vape – but either way, nicotine limits the blood flow to the gums and can cause damage,” says Dr Reena Wadia, a Harley Street gum specialist.
“Other chemicals contained in the vape vapour (including formaldehyde, propylene glycol and benzene) may aggressively increase the damage to the mouth, starting with a progressive destruction of the gums and bone, leading to irreversible gum disease,” she warns. “Vaping may also potentially cause infections around dental implants, bad breath, a discoloured hairy tongue, tooth decay as well as mouth/throat infection.”
What vaping does to your fertility
It’s suggested that vaping can affect both men and women’s fertility – as like smoking, it has been linked to a decreased ovarian reserve and delayed egg production and fertilisation. According to Melanie Brown, nutritionist and spokesperson for The IVF Network, men should wise up too. “Although vapes do not contain the same chemicals as cigarettes, like tar for example, research is suggesting that both the nicotine and the flavours in vapes affect male fertility.”
In fact, researchers at UCL studying vaping and fertility found that specific vape ‘flavours’ had different effects on sperm – and while bubblegum flavour killed off cells in the testicles, cinnamon flavours negatively impacted sperm motility (how it moves and swims).
What vaping does to your sex drive
If you’ve found yourself a little less turned on since you started vaping, it might not be coincidence – because as with all the discoveries so far, in the same way nicotine in cigarettes can impact and lower sex drive, so can vaping. “A number of studies have shown it can be linked with erectile dysfunction in men, and in women nicotine has been associated with decreased lubrication and difficulty to achieve orgasm,” confirms Dr Sohere Roked, GP and functional medicine and hormone doctor.
What vaping does to your menstrual cycle
Nicotine can also play havoc with your periods as it has the ability to shorten the cycle and make periods more painful. “A review of 13 studies showed smoking and vaping can worsen PMS and PMDD. This is because nicotine can affect the part of the brain that handles stress (the HPA axis) which then can increase cortisol and can make aches and pains worse and affect mood,” continues Dr Sohere.
What vaping does to your appetite
Nicotine acts as an appetite suppressant so if you choose a vape that contains it, you might not feel as hungry as you usually do. For some people it can sometimes trigger nausea, too, putting them off their food. Either way, they shouldn’t be used as a weight loss method full stop.
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