Smoking cigarettes not only harms the lungs but can be bad for the complexion, research shows.

Scott Blanke, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Skemp-Grandview-La Crosse Clinic, says smoking interferes with blood circulation that keeps skin healthy.

It is another reason to give up the habit during today's Great American Smokeout, he said.

"It's all in the blood supply," Blanke said. "The face is abundant with blood, with arteries on both sides."

Blood helps the face heal the trauma of wind, sun and cuts faster than some other parts of the body, he said.

"If you smoke enough, the blood supply to the vessels (is) diminished and you are not able to ward off the damage from elements such as the sun and wind," Blanke said. The result, he said, is premature aging of the face.

Blanke said he has seen the effect of smoking on the faces of long-time smokers.

"From smoking, your face gets fine wrinkles and there's a lot of sagging," he said. "There's that dry, leathery look to the face."

"The damage is in the cumulative effect," he said. "Smoking not only goofs up your insides, but it effects: the way you look."

The problem, Blanke said, is that no one knows how much smoking will cause the facial damage.

"It can affect anybody, but we really can't tell who will be affected," he said. "It's better if you just quit smoking so you don't have to worry about it."

He said teen-agers, who may not quit smoking despite cancer risks, may become more concerned about the effects of smoking on their looks.

"They're usually concerned about their looks," he said. "Maybe that will be another reason for them to quit."

A study a year ago suggested cigarette smoke caused facial damage, Blanke said.

Nicotine in the smoke causes the blood vessels to narrow, restricting blood flow to the face, he said.

"Smoking not only stains your teeth, but also stains your face," he said.