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Smoking Cessation: The 7 Sneaky Ways Smoking Steals a Woman's Beauty
The physical effects of this bad habit aren't limited to your internal organs -- see how smoking also destroys women's hair, skin and nails (and why you should quit)
Smoking destroys your mouth
Sure, smoking gives you stinky breath. But did you know that, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), nearly half of all smokers will suffer from gum disease and that the preponderance of them will lose teeth by the time they're 65? It's true.Oh, and have you heard that according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), 90 percent of all the people who suffer from oral cancers (mouth, lips, tongue, throat) are smokers?
While both of those effects may take a while to manifest, the yellowing of your teeth becomes readily apparent. Here's why. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that the 4,000 toxic chemicals found in tar deposit a "sticky residue" on the surface of your teeth. Couple that with the fact that the same chemicals coat your teeth with plaque and your (formerly) pearly whites don't stand a chance.
Yeah, but surely those stains can be easily removed, right? Not completely. According to the ADA, the discoloration caused by tar and other chemicals in the tobacco are harder to remove than other stains because the smoke actually penetrates the tooth enamel.
If the fear of yellow (or no) teeth doesn't propel you to quit, how about a hairy tongue? (That's not a typo.) Hairy tongue or black tongue is a condition that arises in heavy smokers when the cells on their tongue stop their normal shedding patterns. It results in an overgrowth of bacteria and the appearance of dark hair-like growths that are a combination of fungi and old skin cells. Enough said.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Smoking darkens your lips -- not in a good way
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