iVillage - Along with sun damage and hard living, nicotine can add years to your appearance. According to Dr. Nicholas Perricone, dermatologist and author of The Perricone Prescription (HarperCollins), the effects of smoking in terms of ageing are significant. When we inhale just one puff of cigarette smoke, more than a trillion free radicals are produced in our lungs, which then trigger an inflammatory response that circulates throughout the body. And if that wasn't enough to persuade you to kick the habit, in 1985 the term 'smoker's face' was added to the medical dictionary. The characteristics of a smoker's face, which tends to make people look older than they are, was defined as the following:

• Lines or wrinkles on the face, particularly radiating at right angles from the upper and lower lips or corners of the eyes, deep lines on the cheeks or numerous shallow lines on the cheeks and lower jaw.
• A subtle gauntness of the features, with prominence of the underlying bony contours.
• A grey skin palour.

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