This is what actually happens to your body when you finally quit vaping

New year, new you, no vape? Welcome to the club (Vanessa Hudgens is also a member) of people who’ve finally had enough of extreme coughs and their pillow stinking of Peach Ice and Strawberry Cheesecake after a night out.

Yup, as everyone enters their January resolution era, you might be determined that now is the time you’re finally going to bin your Juul/Elf Bar/Lost Mary fruit-flavoured device— and not scuttle off to the shop for a replacement half an hour later.

But, in case you’re wondering what symptoms the withdrawal side effects could have on your body, here’s everything you need to know about giving up for good:

Your heart rate goes back to normal within 20 minutes

The first half an hour of abstinence is looking peachy according to the experts that chatted to The Healthy. Your heart rate returns to a normal rate, your blood pressure goes down and your circulation normalises. Win, win, win.

Your nicotine withdrawal will kick in within a few hours

Then come the (temporary) symptoms. After between four and 24 hours of quitting, you’ll get moody, anxious, and distracted. “The side effects of nicotine withdrawal can be uncomfortable and the more you vape, the worse and more intense they will be,” GP Dr. Hana Patel, tells The Tab. 

“People who stop vaping will experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as feeling irritable, restless, or jittery. They may experience headaches, have sweating symptoms, feel anxious, sad or down, feel tired, have trouble thinking clearly or concentrating, have trouble sleeping, may feel hungry and experience intense cravings to vape again.” 

All in all, you’ll be a 10/10 delight to be around.

Your risk of heart disease drops in a day

According to Nikola Djordjevic, project manager of Med Alert Help, a day after dropping your Juul, your risk of heart disease will have significantly lessens in as little as 24 hours thanks to your blood pressure going down and your oxygen levels rising. Additionally, your cholesterol levels decreasing will mean you’ve got less chance of a blood clot.

Your senses start to improve after a couple of days

After two days without vaping you may notice your sense of smell and taste are back to optimum levels. Basically, vaping can lead to dehydration, which makes your mouth dry so it’s harder to taste. It can also cause a really attractive stuffed up nose, which stops you being able to smell as well.

Nicotine has entirely left your body by the third day vape free

Day three and you’re nearly out of the fruity smoke’s grasp but this, according to experts, is also when withdrawal levels peak: “People usually report that the first week, especially…the third to the fifth day after giving up vaping is the worst that they experience these withdrawal symptoms,” confirmed Dr Patel.

So, make sure you’re prepared for those headaches, cramps and cravings way before they arrive. This is the danger zone.

Your lung capacity improves after a month

If you manage to making it through the cravings clawing you back into the chokehold of your Elf Bar, after one month you’ll notice your lung capacity starts to get way better. Meaning, you can breathe easier, experience less coughing and won’t feel on the brink of collapse every time you run for the bus. Finally.

Your lung health improves after nine months

If you manage to keep your sanity in the smoking area on a Saturday night for a whole nine months, then your body will actually be able to fight lung infections again by month nine. And, according to Dr. Patel after 20 years vape free “the risk of death from smoking-related causes, including both lung disease and cancer, drops to the level of a person who has never smoked in their life.”

So, how long does it actually take to quit vaping?

As already mentioned, your vape withdrawal could start anywhere between four and 24 hours after chucking out your emotional support stick. But, after that horrendous peak on day three, the symptoms will gradually go down until you’re in the clear in around three to four weeks. So, if you start now, you could be in the clear before they’ve crowned the winner of winter Love Island.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• ‘I didn’t even smoke beforehand’: How Elf Bars took over uni campuses across the country

• It’s time to admit that your Elf Bar habit is killing the planet

• Two thirds of students have felt loneliness at uni. These are their stories