It is an addictive habit that is associated strongly with serious internal diseases such as cancer, lung disease, and cardiovascular disease.
Smoking also has external or cutaneous manifestations.
Knowledge of the cutaneous manifestations of smoking can be an important tool for physicians attempting to educate and motivate individuals to quit. This chapter reviews skin conditions associated with or influenced by smoking. In 1977, Mosely and Finseth demonstrated the detrimental effect of smoking on healing hand wounds. Many studies have since confirmed that smoking is harmful to a healing wound. The mechanism of these harmful effects likely is multifactorial.