Scientists from the University of California Riverside found that dermal exposure to nicotine concentrations found in thirdhand smoke, or THS, and electronic cigarette spills may damage the skin.
The research is published in Atmosphere and was conducted by Giovanna Pozuelos et al.
THS, of which nicotine is a major component, is created when exhaled smoke and smoke emanating from the tip of burning cigarettes settles on surfaces such as clothing, hair, furniture, and cars.
Not strictly smoking, THS refers to the residues left behind by smoking.
Electronic cigarette spills are e-liquid spills that may occur by leaky electronic cigarette products or when consumers and vendors mix e-liquids for refillable electronic cigarettes.
In the study, the team used EpiDermTM, a 3D model of the outermost layer of human skin.
They exposed EpiDermTM for 24 hours to different nicotine concentrations typically found in THS environments and electronic cigarette spills.
The researchers found contact with nicotine may impair wound healing, increase susceptibility to skin infections due to a decrease in immune response, and cause oxidative stress in skin cells.
According to the team, the most susceptible people include those with skin conditions such as diabetic-related ulcers or arterial ulcers.
Toddlers and infants, who tend to crawl on contaminated surfaces or have frequent contact with indoor surfaces, are particularly susceptible to high dermal exposure.
Employers who work in heavily THS-contaminated environments, such as casinos where indoor smoking is permitted, can be exposed for months or even years.
Fortunately, the changes in human skin caused by nicotine are reversible.
The team says skin may recover by avoiding continual dermal exposure to THS-contaminated environments and properly handling electronic cigarettes e-liquid.
It’s important to note that a relatively short exposure – 24 hours in this study — is sufficient to cause skin damage.
The team stressed that the severity of skin damage depends on both exposure duration and nicotine concentration.
If you care about smoking, please read studies that quitting smoking sooner could save your life, and cause of weight gain after smoking cessation.
For more information about smoking, please see recent studies about smoking linked to depression, and results showing scientists find silent sleep danger for smokers
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