The disturbing Halloween-style MASKS that show how smoking ages the skin and causes horrifying cancers

# The masks show the horrors of mouth and throat cancers, macular degeneration and periodontal disease, plus premature ageing of the skin 

 # They were inspired by health warnings on cigarette packets and are part of Health Express' Stop Smoking campaign this month 

 # Actors wearing the masks will be out and about in cities known to be home to many smokers to highlight the dangers of the addict

As well as highlighting the horrors of mouth and throat cancers, macular degeneration and periodontal disease, the masks (pictured) show premature ageing of the skin and early greying of the hair, as part of a new campaign

The man's grey hair is the result of added stress on his body, while crows feet around his eyes are brought on by squinting to protect his eyes from smoke fumes. 

His eyes have irregularities and lumpy tissue on the white of the eye due to irritation from the smoke, while the hardening of the carotid artery makes a stroke six times as likely compared to a man who does not smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day.
The final mask is of a 30-year-old female who has skin damage to her lips, which is a visual symptom of mouth cancer.

The girl's teeth and gums have been damaged by tobacco products, which deplete gum tissue and expose tooth roots to periodontal disease, while there is nicotine staining on her imperfect teeth. 
As well as highlighting the horrors of mouth and throat cancers, macular degeneration and periodontal disease, the masks (pictured) show premature ageing of the skin and early greying of the hair, as part of a new campaign

He has ear let him hear 

The mask also shows premature ageing of the skin as she has excessive wrinkles and crows feet around her eyes, caused by a significant loss of collagen thanks to smoking, which causes her skin to sag and wrinkle early as the connective tissue beneath the skin that keeps it firm and elastic has been damaged.

Two masks show the effects of long-term smoking on 40-year-old men. The first  has a scary hole in its neck, which represents the result of a tracheostomy that might be required for throat, neck or head cancers, while the second is a victim of throat cancer, which has invaded deeper tissues, including muscle and the trachea

DISEASES THE MASKS HIGHLIGHT

• Mouth and throat cancers
• Macular degeneration including age-related cataracts
• Periodontal disease with damaged gums and exposed tooth roots and more cosmetic matters such as...
• Premature ageing of the skin due to a loss of collagen leading to wrinkly skin and deep crows feet
• Early thinning and greying of the hair caused by stress to the body and damage to DNA of hair follicles

To coincide with the NHS' 'Stoptober' month, HealthExpress commissioned the Halloween-style masks used for their campaign in a bid to communicate with around 10 million smokers in the UK.

The masks were produced in consultation with a medical team lead by Dr Hilary Jones, with each design demonstrating the visually damaging, sometimes painful and potentially fatal diseases associated with long-term smoking.

A team of prosthetics experts took two months to create what they have said are true depictions of the medical conditions by carving solid heads, building up features with clay and plaster work, adding layers of liquid latex and intricate and detailed paintwork.
Two masks were crafted to show the effects of long-term smoking on 40-year-old men.

The first mask has a scary hole in its neck, which represents the result of a tracheostomy that might be required for throat, neck or head cancers as well as treatment of severe pneumonia, of which smokers face a high risk of getting.
It also shows the increased risk of age-related cataracts - the leading cause of blindness in the world - as well as excessive wrinkles and crows feet around eyes.
Another mask shows a victim of throat cancer, which has invaded deeper tissues, including muscle and the trachea. An enlarged tumour is compressing the trachea and causing breathing difficulties.

The final mask is of a 30-year-olf female who has skin damage to her lips, which is a visual symptom of mouth cancer

Her hair is shown to be thinning and grey as the result of damage to the DNA of the hair follicles, as well as a reduced supply of blood to the follicles.

They might look like part of a Halloween costume, but a series of shocking masks have been designed to demonstrate the real and frightening health risks associated with smoking.
As well as highlighting the horrors of mouth and throat cancers, macular degeneration and periodontal disease, the masks show premature ageing of the skin and early greying of the hair, as part of a new campaign.
The masks were inspired by health warnings on cigarette packets and are designed to educate and shock smokers into giving up cigarettes.