Facelifts and the Dangers of Smoking

Smoking is very for your cardiovascular and pulmonary health. It drastically increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and various cancers including cancer of the lung, throat and mouth. But if you won’t quit smoking for your health, quit for your vanity. If you want to have a facelift within the next few months, and you smoke cigarettes regularly, you absolutely must quit smoking. Most plastic surgeons refuse to operate on a patient who they know has been smoking. Because those who choose to have a facelift are middle-aged or older, the combination of age and nicotine can extend a patient’s healing time and increase the risk of complications. There are more risks involved with performing a facelift on a cigarette smoker when compared to a non-smoker.

Smoking and Delayed Wound Healing

Smoking cigarettes is counterproductive to your pursuit for smoother, tighter, more youthful skin. In addition, it makes it much harder for your face to heal after surgery. The nicotine in tobacco products, like cigars and cigarettes, causes blood vessels to constrict, which delays wound healing and can make the incision scars along your hairline raised and red, in some cases permanently.

Smoking and Necrosis

Another scary fact is that cigarette smokers are about 12 times more likely to suffer from necrosis than nonsmokers. For those of you who aren’t quite sure what necrosis is, it basically means that you skin is injured and the cells begin to die prematurely. Because the skin is not getting enough blood flow, tissue death can result.  

Smoking and Infections

Cigarette smokers can suffer from more bacterial infections due to poor healing and reduced circulation. Infection can cause fever, which makes the healing period more uncomfortable for patients. Infection can also make scarring more noticeable after surgery. If you have developed a fever, increased redness or swelling at the incision site, or increased pain, you may have an infection. Consult your surgeon if you develop the signs of an infection.

Tips to Quit Smoking

If you wish to undergo facelift surgery, but have not managed to quit smoking yet, there are resources to help you on your journey, including:

• You can try patches, e-cigarettes, or Nicoret® gum to wean you off nicotine at a manageable rate.
• Join in-person and online support groups.
• Try quitting cold-turkey.

Although it is difficult to quit smoking, it is well worth it. Quitting smoking offers a number of aesthetic and health benefits to patients.

For those who are unable to quit smoking completely, it is advisable to quit smoking for at least three weeks before surgery and at least four weeks after.

A Note on Marijuana Use and Facelift Surgery

Frequent cannabis users should also refrain from smoking prior to and after facelift surgery. While marijuana does not have quite the devastating effects that nicotine does on healing, it is important that your lungs are in good shape before going under anesthesia. Also, THC (The active ingredient in cannabis) is a psychotropic substance that may interact unfavorably with your brain chemistry during and after anesthesia.

To schedule a facelift consultation, contact Jefferson Plastic Surgery today.