According to a Research Study conducted at the Pennsylvania State University, cigarette smoke is found to cause darkness of skin. The research reports that two chemical components – Melanin in our skin and Nicotine in the cigarette smoke are related.
Knowledge Gained from the Research: Melanin bind with the nicotine tightly. It directly means that dependence in smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked affects the skin color. This component is present in the vital organs of the body too like the heart, lungs, liver and the brain. The researchers suppose that the nicotine easily reaches these vital organs due to its tight bondage with melanin, increasing the risks associated with these organs and smoking. When nicotine reaches the brain, it increases the craving for smoking. This indirectly fastens the process of skin damage.
What is Melanin?
- It is the chemical component in our body responsible for our skin color.
- It protects our skin color from all the factors that cause skin damage.
- The Sun’s Ultra-violet rays are primarily responsible for our skin damage.
- Melanin absorbs 99.9% of these harmful rays and convert the energy in them into harmless heat.
Significance of this Research Study: The production of Melanin in our body should remain in check always. Excess production of this component leads to deep marks in our skin called Tan. There are several factors which can cause excess production of this component. This research study now suggests nicotine present in the cigarette smoke to one such factor. African Americans find it more difficult to quit smoking. The rate of tobacco-related diseases is also high in them. This research finding will help in further understanding the relation between biology of the human skin and the habit of Smoking.
