Most of us are pretty clued-up on the dangers of smoking when it comes to our health, but did you know that the habit could also play havoc with your looks?

Johnson&Johnson Online Journalism award-winner Rebecca Barnes investigates.

'It may be hard, but the best thing you can do for a beautiful, glowing complexion is to stop smoking. Smoking both dehydrates and deprives your skin of oxygen, so you will see real benefits - skin will become smoother and more radiant.' Sarah Monzani, make-up artist to Madonna

Smoking ages you
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.

Cut it out!
Take action against lines and wrinkles with antioxidants, which fight the free-radicals that are causing your skin to age prematurely; try Farmacia Antioxidants, £21.95. According to Christian Dior, the first signs of ageing are not always liked to age - 75 per cent are caused by other factors, including smoking. Christian Dior Capture First Action (from £28; available from 26th January 2004), is a new range of products targeted to work on fine lines, dull, tired skin and dark circles, resulting in smoother, stronger, more relaxed skin. Address the beauty blight of a grey, ashen complexion with Molton Brown Skinboost Nourishing Tonic, £29, which is packed with vitamins and minerals, to recharge skin and boost radiance.

Smoking depletes the collagen in your skin
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 toxins, many of which are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and are taken by the blood into the skin's structure. Smoking also causes the blood vessels in the top layers of the skin to constrict, so thickening and reducing the oxygen levels in the blood. This also reduces the levels of collagen in the skin.

Cut it out!
Oxygen and collagen-boosting products and salon treatments will help to optimise your skin 's oxygen and collagen levels, albeit on a temporary basis - unless you have the cash to splash out on regular trips to the beauty salon. Nivea Visage Age Reversal Intense Rejuvenating Cream, £14.99 for 40ml, contains pure Vitamin C, which can activate the skin 's own restructuring process by stimulating the collagen synthesis. We also like Cellfood, £19.99 for 30ml (0800 328 0977 or www.heavenearth.co.uk), an oxygen mineral supplement in liquid form - take eight drops three times a day.

Smoking thins the skin
'A smoker's skin is normally thinner due to poor circulation, and there are visible signs of premature ageing, with lines and wrinkles more established,' says Laser Aesthetics skin specialist Jane Marsh. In addition, a recent twins study (at St Thomas's hospital) took 25 pairs of identical twins, where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. Using an ultrasound technique to gauge inner arm skin thickness, some very revealing results surfaced - the smoker's skin was a quarter thinner than that of the non-smoker's, and in a few cases there were differences of up to 40 per cent.

Cut it out!
Imedeen Time Perfection, from £37.50 for a month's supply, defends by neutralising skin-degrading free-radicals and creating a shield, thus helping to reduce the visible signs of ageing from within. Skin Wisdom Extra Care Line Minimiser, £8 for 30ml, contains Retinol (also known as Vitamin A), which helps to increase the thickness and elasticity of the epidermis. Jane Marsh also recommends salon treatments and home-use products containing glycolic which dissolves dead layers of skin and stimulates collagen and elastin.

Smoking can alter your body shape
As if maintaining an enviable figure wasn't tough enough already - smoking can create an imbalance in women's hormone levels, which can lead to changes in body shape. You may have heard the saying that smokers tend to be thinner than non-smokers. However, smoking actually affects the endocrinal system - the glands that secrete hormones - and changes body shape, increasing the waist-to-hip ratio. Therefore, despite possibly weighing less, smokers tend to be pot-bellied with spindly legs, probably due to smoking upsetting the hormone levels, thus causing smokers to store the normal amount of fat in an abnormal way, which gives rise to the 'apple' shape.

Cut it out! Finding it hard to give up? Dan Kalincevic, medical hypnotherapist at the Eden Medical Centre, has an astounding success rate and charges £110 for an hour session. Call 020 7881 5800 or www.edenmedicalcentre.com