​Does Weed Age You Faster, or Does it Make You Look Younger?

Does Weed Age You Faster, or Does it Make You Look Younger?

 

Does consuming pot prematurely age you? 

It's one of the significant discussions in the cannabis world. 

While some studies on cannabis have found that it ages people, others have found the opposite. 

This contradiction makes it challenging to make the right decisions regarding weed and maintaining that youthful look. 

If you're worried about whether your decision to take cannabis is causing you to age prematurely, read on as we've compiled a collection of evidence to help you understand the issue. 

This guide answers the big questions, "Does marijuana make you age?" And "How does marijuana affect your appearance?"

 

Does marijuana affect your appearance?

Various studies have been conducted on marijuana's effects on aging. The University of Western Australia conducted a study in 2016 which found that smoking cannabis caused a hardening of the arteries, making participants look 11% older. 

A more recent study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence was carried out over 17 years and followed 154 participants who underwent yearly epigenetic aging tests. 

They concluded that inhaling hydrocarbons from cannabis smoke is responsible for premature aging of the face and body.

Analyzing both studies, it would appear that everything we've heard about marijuana making you look younger is wrong. But this assessment fails to account for the complexity of the two studies.

For one thing, neither study explicitly states that marijuana use had a causal effect on aging. 

Moreover, none of these studies account for the different ways marijuana is consumed. So do marijuana users age faster? 

If you solely smoke marijuana, then you may well age prematurely. Comparing photos of cannabis smokers' faces over several years will give you plenty of evidence. We also know that smoking tobacco has long been cited as being bad for the skin.

 

Why is smoking bad for your skin?

According to a study in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal, smokers are likely to have sagging, droopy eyelids and sunken jowls. They are also more likely to have uneven skin tone and more wrinkles.

This is because smoking reduces blood circulation, which reduces oxygen flow to the skin. Over time, as collagen breaks down, people who smoke regularly may develop more wrinkles. In addition, smoking with pursed lips can cause fine lines to appear in that area of the face.

Regardless of whether it's from tobacco or cannabis, smoking has a negative effect on the skin. 

This is what most of these studies focus on. 

So far, no studies have looked into how other consumption methods of cannabis, such as edibles, vaping, or tinctures, affect aging.

 

Does marijuana make you look younger or older?

Before you quit cannabis altogether because you think it will make you look older, there is plenty of scientific evidence that cannabis products can also be used to fight the aging process.

For example, the University of Bonn in Germany explains that while cognitive abilities decline with age, cannabis has been used to successfully reverse this effect. In this animal study, the team succeeded in slowing down the aging process. 

In another study from 2021, the team behind it found that cannabinoids can alleviate a variety of chronic conditions associated with advanced age, including arthritis, anxiety, insomnia, and pain. 

These studies provide important evidence that cannabis can have many beneficial effects for people concerned about the effects of aging. Unfortunately, there is a lack of active funding for scientific research in this area. There is only limited evidence in either direction. 

But does marijuana make you look older? For many people, despite the huge health benefits of cannabis, they worry that their smoking habit may cause them to look older than they really are. While smoking has a negative impact, overall other consumption methods may help slow aging. 

 

Does marijuana automatically make you look old?

The cannabinoids CBD and THC both have positive effects on your body, including providing antioxidant effects. The problem is that these effects are invisible to the naked eye. Does marijuana make you age Faster? The answer is not as simple as it sounds. 

Everyone will age differently. The human body is not a standardized machine. There are a variety of factors that can affect your age, including:

Genetics -- Your genetics plays one of the most important roles in the physical composition of your skin. Everything from skin color to gender to ethnicity can affect how you age. 

Nutrition -- A healthy diet has long been the key to improving aging. For decades, reducing the amount of unsaturated fat in the diet while increasing vegetable intake has been associated with fewer wrinkles. 

Environment -- Do you live in a metropolitan area? Are you exposed to a lot of sunlight on a regular basis? Where you live has a huge impact on the aging process. Factors include exposure to traffic fumes, other pollution and the density of the ozone layer.

You may have two regular smokers that age differently. The research on aging doesn't take these factors into account, which is why the idea that marijuana will automatically make you look old is wrong.

 

So does THC make you age faster, or is it because of smoking?

All forms of smoke damage the skin. Your skin can't tell where the smoke is coming from. Whether you smoke tobacco or cannabis or are regularly exposed to smoke as part of your job, it will cause you to age prematurely. 

Regardless, separate studies of the two main active cannabinoids in cannabis, THC and CBD, have found that they have anti-aging effects.

Does smoking weed make age you? 

Smoking will most likely age you faster. 

However, many of the compounds in cannabis have been shown to benefit skin health. So to be precise, it's the smoking that's harmful and not the cannabis. 

In fact, in recent years, cosmetics companies have been researching and adding cannabinoids to their products. There are several face creams with cannabis extracts that are specifically sold as anti-aging creams. 

Cannabinoids have anti-inflammatory properties. For example, studies have shown that cannabinoids can treat acne-related swelling and redness caused by other skin conditions.

In addition, cannabinoids support your body in achieving a healthy balance between the growth of new skin cells and the shedding of old skin cells. It is this phenomenon that makes cannabinoids a viable psoriasis treatment.

The cannabinoid CBD has been shown to combat dry skin and can also reduce scaly, stiff skin tone. It does this by acting as a barrier to water loss from the skin, which is why CBD is often used in different moisturizers.

 

Is cannabis bad for your skin?

There is no evidence that cannabis is harmful to the skin. If anything, cannabinoids have shown themselves to support a healthy appearance. The problem is smoking. 

All forms of smoking affect the skin in a number of ways, including:

• Oxidative stress is generated by free radicals. 
• Reduces the formation of new collagen. 
• Destroy existing collagen stores. 
• Destroy elastin, which makes the skin elastic. 
• Promotes skin cancer.

Smoking tobacco is even worse because the ingredients in tobacco naturally contain free radicals. Every time you smoke, you directly cause oxidative stress, which will show up in your appearance. 

Does smoking pot make you older? Yes, but weed doesn't contain the harmful ingredients found in tobacco. It will still cause skin damage, but this effect is unrelated to the ingredients in cannabis.

 

Does smoking marijuana cause wrinkles?

Does marijuana make you age Faster? While CBD and THC can help slow aging due to their natural properties, smoking will cause dagame to your skin and visible signs of aging. 

So far, there are many potential explanations for how smoke affects the skin. While there is still some disagreement about exactly how smoking causes premature aging, there is almost unanimous agreement that smoking reduces the elasticity of the skin. 

Smokers also have distinctive wrinkles on their faces. For example, smokers almost always have wrinkles around their mouths due to pursed lips. They also develop crow's feet around their eyes because smokers squint when smoke rises to their eyes.

In general, smoking causes vasoconstriction. Because blood vessels constrict when you smoke, it weakens the blood supply to your face, which means your skin absorbs less nutrients and oxygen. 

The aging appearance of smokers is universal, which is why smoking marijuana can cause wrinkles.

The answer lies in the smoke, not in the substance.

 

Does marijuana make your face puffy?

Now we have answered the questions "Is smoking weed bad for your skin?" and "Does smoking pot make you older?" But Does smoking cause "puffy" face? 

Facial puffiness is caused by dehydration and constriction of blood vessels. The puffiness comes about due to the dehydration of the skin caused by smoking. This can cause the body to react by attempting to retain more fluids and leave your face looking puffy, especially around the eyes. 

 

How to prevent premature aging

Smoking anything can have an adverse effect on your appearance. If you consume marijuana regularly, then consider these simple tips to improve your skin health while still partaking. 

Choose other types of weed for consumption rather than smoking. Edibles, tinctures, and vapes will help to mitigate the effects of smoking. 

Drink plenty of water and make sure you're always hydrated. 

Have a healthy diet and reduce your intake of fatty and greasy foods. 

Use cannabis-related skin care products to harness the healing powers of cannabinoids. 

Wear sunscreen and limit UV exposure.