Tremendous attention has been paid to the detrimental effects of e-cigarettes on lung tissue, but less is known about how e-cigarette use affects the skin.
To find out more, researchers culled the literature to better define the dermatological burden of e-cigarettes and vaping.
Here’s what they found:
Vaping and AD: What’s the link?
Smoking is known to increase the risk of developing atopic dermatitis (AD), even in adolescents. There are no extensive studies on the link between e-cigarettes and allergic diseases, but the available literature states that e-cigarette users do develop more asthmatic symptoms than non-smokers. “Furthermore, adolescents who use e-cigarettes are at increased risk of developing the “atopic march” consisting of the triad of asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic and allergic rhinitis compared to non-smokers,” the study authors write. Exactly how vaping and AD are linked isn’t fully understood but it is likely a result of sensitizing cutaneous T cells.
Vaping and Allergic Contact Dermatitis: What’s the link?
Allergic contact dermatitis related to e-cigarettes is likely due to nickel, with polyethylene glycol and other cosmetic fragrances playing a more minor role, according to study authors Peter A. Lio, MD, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a partner at Medical Dermatology Associates of Chicago and Kripa Ahuja, MS, a medical student at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA.
E-cigarettes and vape products can also cause various burns likely from the short-circuiting of the smoking apparatus either because the lithium battery overheats or if the device comes into contact with other metal products in pants.
The study also found that e-cigarettes are highly associated with palmoplantar psoriasis through diverse cellular processes.
E-cigarettes also significantly impair wound healing and lead to several mucosal disorders, including:
- Nicotine stomatitis
- Hyperplastic candidiasis
- Lichenoid reactions
- Black hairy tongue
The Dermatologist’s Role in Counseling Teens on Vaping Risk
E-cigarette use among U.S middle and high school students has increased exponentially n the past decade. Dermatologists routinely see adolescents for pubertal acne, which puts them in a prime position to help educate youth on the damaging health repercussions of e-cigarettes and to promote smoking cessation.
The study is published in the Journal of Integrative Dermatology.
