A recent research in Ohio has studied the physical differences between the faces of nonsmokers and their twins who smoked and found some disturbing results, that smokers age faster than nonsmokers.
This was after the researchers at the Department of Plastic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University, looked at 79 sets of twins between the ages of 18 and 78 at the annual August gathering of twins in Twinsburg, Ohio. Each person had his or her picture taken by a professional photographer. And it was clear that they aged faster. The research took into account two scenarios where in one, 45 sets of twins had one smoker and another who didn’t smoke, while the remaining had twins who both smoked but where one had smoked at least five years longer than the other. The photos were then accessed by two doctors and medical students who assigned marks to the facial features.

The twin on the right is a smoker and the one on the right is a non-smoker. Notice the aging around the eyes and lips.

View photos here.
After the research, the findings which were published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, it emerged that in the group with one smoker and a non-smoker, the judges said that they appeared to be 57% older than their non-smoking twins. And for the second twin, the longer smokers appeared to be 63% older than their twins who smoked less.
In order to determine specific areas of facial aging that may be affected by smoking, judges who are specialized in monitoring the signs of aging analyzed the twins' facial features from the photographs without knowing details of their smoking history. This include facial features that may be affected by aging including the presence bags under the eyes and lower eyelid skin discoloration. Smokers had more sagging of the upper eyelids and more bags of the lower eyelids and under the eyes. They also scored highly on facial wrinkles, which was more evident in the upper and lower lips coupled with sagging jowls and more pronounced lines between the nose and mouth.
"This study confirms some of what was believed in the most scientific way possible, with longer follow-up, we believe that every smoking twin might have exhibited a difference in aging." "said Dr. Bahman Guyuron, who led the research.
However the research did not address the twin’s living environment or diet. They however did look at other aging factors including alcohol consumption, stress and sunscreen use which they found to have similar effects in these sets of twins.
Smoking has the effect of reducing the collagen formation which in turn leads to a reduction in the skin circulation. "Smoking reduces the collagen formation, results in collagen degradation and reduces the skin circulation," Guyuron said. "Additionally, nicotine reduces the skin thickness. All of these reduce skin elasticity and (cause) premature aging."
The study is a clear indicator of the effects of smoking and what it can do to the skin. Another reason to quit smoking.

Other effects of smoking