If you smoke a cigarette -- or even if you're in a room with people who smoke -- your skin is directly exposed to cigarette smoke in the environment. Substances in the smoke can irritate your skin, in much the same way that they irritate your eyes. This kind of irritation happens right away, and it only lasts for a little while. But if it happens often -- as it does when a person smokes cigarettes several times each day -- it may play a role in long-lasting skin problems.