Why Vaping in Your 20s Could Be Silently Wrecking Your Health—Experts Reveal the Shocking Truth

So, you’ve heard vaping isn’t exactly a walk in the park for your health—but did you ever stop to wonder what sneaky things it’s doing behind the scenes? Sure, it’s pegged as a “healthier” alternative to cigarettes, but let’s be honest—healthier doesn’t mean healthy. Some folks are puffing away like it’s their full-time job, and it’s wrecking more than just their lungs. Think of it as a slow-motion disaster movie inside your body, where damage like ‘popcorn lung’ shows up as a permanent, no-return ticket to irritation town. And hey, it’s not just your chest taking the hit—experts are waving red flags about vaping’s effect on your brain, especially if you’re in your 20s or younger when your grey matter is still doing its developmental homework. Nicotine’s addictive grip messes with your mood, focus, and self-control—talk about a triple threat! The good news? Quitting can start turning the tide almost immediately, though your mind might need a little more time to recover from the circus. Intrigued? Let’s unpack what vaping’s really doing to your body and brain—because some damage is way more than skin deep. LEARN MORE.

At this point you know vaping is bad for you, but there are some things it’s doing to you that you might not have considered.

While it is meant to be a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes, healthier does not mean healthy and the rate at which some people huff and puff on their vapes is doing a lot of damage to them.

The lungs are the most obviously affected part of the body, and the damage done by vaping has left some people in critical condition and requiring swift medical attention.

There is no cure for the dreaded ‘popcorn lung’, the damage is permanent, and there are other parts of the body which are impacted by vaping as well.

It’s not just your body that is affected by vaping, as an expert has warned that those in their 20s and younger who vape are risking their minds as well.

All that vaping impacts your mind as well as your body (Getty Stock Photo)

Dr Francesco Versace warned that since vaping fluid is packed full of highly addictive nicotine, it has an effect on your brain, and since your brain is still developing into your 20s then the impacts may be more pronounced.

They explained that consuming addictive substances such as nicotine impacts the reward centres and executive function of your brain, and a brain that isn’t fully developed could be more vulnerable.

The doctor said: “The human brain continues to mature until a person is in their mid-20s. The prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain responsible for functions like impulse control – develops significantly during adolescence and young adulthood.

“Using nicotine while the brain is still developing can have long-lasting effects because it dysregulates activity in the brain’s neuronal circuits.”

It can muck with your mood, ability to pay attention to things and control your impulses, and if you take pile addictive substances into a developing brain then you could run the risk of mental health problems.

Your brain is still developing in your early 20s, and the impacts on a developing brain could have greater consequences (Getty Stock Photo)

The benefits of quitting vaping are apparent, ditching it is good for your mind and body.

One bloke who quit and went cold turkey said he really doesn’t miss vaping, and realised after he dropped the habit that he no longer had ‘phlegm choking me in the morning‘ when he woke up.

It will take time for your body to fully recover, but the positive benefits from quitting will show themselves within minutes.

The most immediate impacts on the body are soon undone with time, but the changes to the mind take longer.

It can take about a month for the nicotine to be completely flushed from your system, but it’s a worthwhile goal.