Before and after quitting smoking: what happens to your body

Did you know that the benefits of quitting smoking kick in after just 20 minutes?

According to the NHS, smoking increases your risk of developing a large number of serious health conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, lung damage, erectile dysfunction, and respiratory illness.¹

When you quit, the body has a remarkable ability to repair itself, reversing some of the damage done to vital organs.¹ Here's what happens to your lungs, skin, heart, and more.

What happens to your body when you quit smoking: a timeline

The changes happen faster than most people expect. This is how your body adapts after quitting smoking.^1-3

What happens to your lungs when you quit smoking

Before

Smoking is notorious for its damage to your lungs. It causes an increase in mucus and, over time, deteriorates the lung tissue, making you more susceptible to infection. This destruction of the lung tissue also affects your airflow, reducing the amount of oxygen delivered to vital organs.³

There are microscopic hair-like structures called cilia on the lining of the lungs that work to clear mucus and dirt from the airways. Smoking a cigarette hinders this process by paralysing the cilia and sometimes reducing the number of cilia in the lungs. This can lead to a chronic cough - also known as ‘smoker's cough’, or chronic bronchitis.³

Smokers are more likely to suffer from emphysema, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).³

After

Breathing should ease after just a few weeks of quitting and after a few months, there’ll be a noticeable improvement in lung function. This is particularly important for people with COPD, who are likely to notice a marked improvement in lung function after 6 weeks.⁴

Quitting smoking allows cilia to flourish. After a few months, this function will have had time to replenish and clear airways.

The risk of lung cancer is halved after 10 years of quitting smoking.¹

Graphic of lungs before and after quitting smoking:

Smoking, erectile dysfunction, and fertility

Before

Smoking has been linked to erectile dysfunction.⁵ This is likely because cigarette smoke affects the activity of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a key molecule for getting an erection as it widens blood vessels, allowing more blood flow to the penis. If erectile dysfunction is a problem for you, you may need medication such as sildenafil, Tadalafil Daily, or Viagra Connect.

Smoking can reduce fertility with the volume of semen, sperm count, and percentage of motile sperm found to be lower in men who smoke compared to men who don’t smoke.⁵ The NHS recommends quitting smoking if you’re trying for a baby.

After

It’s thought that smoking results in oxidative stress, which has a devastating impact on male fertility.⁶ Quitting smoking reduces these effects, encouraging healthy semen and sperm production.⁶

For the majority of men, quitting smoking improves erectile dysfunction.⁷ If erectile dysfunction persists, it’s important to screen for underlying causes with a blood test, as it may signal a serious underlying health issue.

What smoking does to your stomach and gut

Before

Smoking can exacerbate acid reflux because tobacco relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to travel up into the oesophagus.⁸

After

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a chronic condition that results in persistent acid reflux. A study on the long-term effects of quitting smoking and GORD found that reflux symptoms significantly decreased.⁹

If you have persistent acid reflux you should speak to your GP for a diagnosis as it may be a sign of an underlying health condition. You might benefit from treatment or an acid reflux diet plan. 

Smoking and hair loss: before and after

Before

Due to its effects on circulation, smoking reduces the amount of nutrient-rich blood delivered to the scalp, which is important for healthy hair growth. The hair follicles are starved of nutrients and oxygen, which shortens the growth stage of the hair cycle. A study on 1,000 healthy men found that smokers were much more likely to experience hair loss than non-smokers.¹⁰ Studies have also found a link between smoking and the onset of grey hair.¹¹

After

Quitting smoking prevents further signs of premature ageing, reducing the risk of grey hair and hair loss.^1,11 If you're experiencing hair loss and it bothers you, it's a good idea to seek treatment to prevent further hair loss and thicken your hair.

What smoking does to your teeth and gums 

Before

It’s fairly well-known that smoking can cause a yellow discolouration on your teeth, but it doesn’t stop there. The habit can also impair your sense of smell and taste and make you more susceptible to mouth sores and diseases. A large US study reports that smokers are twice as likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers.¹²

Smoking supports the build-up of plaque and tartar, which can eventually lead to tooth decay and cause tooth loss.³ With frequent exposure to harmful chemicals, smoking can even lead to oral cancer.

After

Quitting smoking will reduce the likelihood of gum disease¹³ and tooth loss. The extra plaque and tartar build-up from smoking will reduce, giving you healthier-looking teeth.

Graphic of teeth before and after quitting smoking:

Skin and face before and after quitting smoking

Before

Smoking starves your skin of oxygen and important nutrients.³ This is because the toxic chemicals in tobacco interfere with circulation, reducing blood flow to the lower layer of the skin (the dermis) which can cause a pale or grey discolouration.³

Smoking increases the activity of an enzyme that breaks down collagen, accelerating skin ageing.¹⁴ Collagen is an essential structural protein for the elasticity of the skin and a lack of collagen leads to wrinkles and sagging skin. This, combined with frequent pursing of the lips, means smokers often have wrinkles around the lips and crow's feet (wrinkles around the eyes).

Smoking can also be damaging to a range of skin conditions such as psoriasis.¹⁴

Your risk of skin cancer is also increased, and your body’s ability to heal wounds is impaired.¹⁵

Smoking can also cause yellow stains on hands and fingers.

After

Your face is often where the effects of smoking are most visible, and where the recovery shows first. Improved circulation means more colour returns to the skin within weeks. The greyish, uneven complexion common in smokers is largely driven by reduced blood flow to the dermis; once circulation improves, so does your complexion.

Although signs of ageing can’t be reversed, quitting smoking prevents any further premature ageing.

The yellow stains on your hands and fingers will fade after you quit.

What happens to your blood when you quit smoking

Before

When you smoke, the heart pumps chemicals through the blood vessels around the body. This puts you at risk of all sorts of health problems such as hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, aneurysms, and peripheral artery disease.

After

After quitting smoking, the harmful chemicals, such as carbon monoxide, will soon begin to clear from your blood, allowing more oxygen to reach vital organs. Within 5-10 years, your risk of a stroke significantly decreases.² If you want to know more about what's in your blood, take a blood test and screen for cholesterol, vitamins, liver function, and kidney function.

Smoking and heart disease: the recovery timeline

Before

When you breathe in air, oxygen is delivered to your heart, which pumps the oxygen-rich blood around the body. If you smoke, toxic chemicals are pumped into the blood. This is extremely harmful to the heart and surrounding blood vessels, and can cause coronary heart disease or a heart attack.

Smoking also increases your heart rate¹⁶, which can reduce life expectancy.¹⁷

After

Just 20 minutes after you quit smoking, your resting heart rate should drop to normal levels.¹

The risk of cardiovascular disease also plummets dramatically after quitting smoking.¹⁸

After 1 to 2 years, your risk of a heart attack drops, and after 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease is close to that of a non-smoker.²

Smoking and bone health: what quitting changes

Before

As circulation is compromised, less oxygen is delivered to the bones and you’re more likely to suffer from a condition called osteoporosis, which makes you more susceptible to bone fractures.

After

The effects of smoking on bone health can, in part, be reversed by quitting, with a lower risk of fractures and a reduction in bone loss.¹⁹

The numan take

Smoking causes a multitude of health issues in almost all parts of the body. Your lungs, skin, teeth, hair, blood, heart, bones, stomach, and reproductive health are all put at particularly high risk. Some damage can't be undone, but quitting gives your body the best possible chance to recover, and the benefits start within minutes.

References

^{1 NHS. (2026, April 7). Quit smoking. NHS Better Health. https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/}

^{2 Health benefits of quitting smoking over time. Cancer.org. [accessed 28 July 2026] Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking/benefits-of-quitting-smoking-over-time.html}

^{3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US); Office on Smoking and Health (US). (2010). How tobacco smoke causes disease: The biology and behavioral basis for smoking-attributable disease: A report of the Surgeon General (Chapter 6: Cardiovascular diseases). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53012/}

^{4 Dhariwal J, Tennant RC, Hansell DM, Westwick J, Walker C, Ward SP, et al. Smoking cessation in COPD causes a transient improvement in spirometry and decreases micronodules on high-resolution CT imaging. Chest. 2014;145(5):1006–15.}

^{5 Kovac JR, Labbate C, Ramasamy R, Tang D, Lipshultz LI. Effects of cigarette smoking on erectile dysfunction. Andrologia. 2015;47(10):1087–92.}

^{6 Harlev A, Agarwal A, Gunes SO, Shetty A, du Plessis SS. Smoking and male infertility: An evidence-based review. World J Mens Health. 2015;33(3):143–60.}

^{7 Pourmand G, Alidaee MR, Rasuli S, Maleki A, Mehrsai A. Do cigarette smokers with erectile dysfunction benefit from stopping?: a prospective study. BJU Int. 2004;94(9):1310–3.}

^{8 Kahrilas PJ, Gupta RR. Mechanisms of acid reflux associated with cigarette smoking. Gut. 1990;31(1):4–10}

^{9 Kohata Y, Fujiwara Y, Watanabe T, Kobayashi M, Takemoto Y, Kamata N, et al. Long-term benefits of smoking cessation on gastroesophageal reflux disease and health-related quality of life. PLoS One. 2016;11(2):e0147860.}

^{10 Salem AS, Ibrahim HS, Abdelaziz HH, Elsaie ML. Implications of cigarette smoking on early-onset androgenetic alopecia: A cross-sectional Study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021;20(4):1318–24.}

^{11 Babadjouni A, Pouldar Foulad D, Hedayati B, Evron E, Mesinkovska N. The effects of smoking on hair health: A systematic review. Skin Appendage Disord. 2021;7(4):251–64.}

^{12 Eke PI, Dye BA, Wei L, Thornton-Evans GO, Genco RJ, CDC Periodontal Disease Surveillance workgroup: James Beck (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA), Gordon Douglass (Past President, American Academy of Periodontology), Roy Page (University of Washin. Prevalence of periodontitis in adults in the United States: 2009 and 2010. J Dent Res. 2012;91(10):914–20.}

^{13 Leite FRM, Nascimento GG, Baake S, Pedersen LD, Scheutz F, López R. Impact of smoking cessation on periodontitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective longitudinal observational and interventional studies. Nicotine Tob Res. 2019;21(12):1600–8.}

^{14 Lahmann C, Bergemann J, Harrison G, Young AR. Matrix metalloproteinase-1 and skin ageing in smokers. Lancet. 2001;357(9260):935–6.}

^{15 Sørensen LT. Wound healing and infection in surgery. The clinical impact of smoking and smoking cessation: a systematic review and meta-analysis: The clinical impact of smoking and smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Surg. 2012;147(4):373–83.}

^{16 Papathanasiou G, Georgakopoulos D, Papageorgiou E, Zerva E, Michalis L, Kalfakakou V, et al. Effects of smoking on heart rate at rest and during exercise, and on heart rate recovery, in young adults. Hellenic J Cardiol. 2013;54(3):168–77.}

^{17 Gaye B, Valentin E, Xanthakis V, Perier M-C, Celermajer DS, Shipley M, et al. Association between change in heart rate over years and life span in the Paris Prospective 1, the Whitehall 1, and Framingham studies. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):20052.}

^{18 Gallucci G, Tartarone A, Lerose R, Lalinga AV, Capobianco AM. Cardiovascular risk of smoking and benefits of smoking cessation. J Thorac Dis. 2020;12(7):3866–76.}

^{19 Kanis JA, Johnell O, Oden A, Johansson H, De Laet C, Eisman JA, et al. Smoking and fracture risk: a meta-analysis. Osteoporos Int. 2005;16(2):155–62.}