Effects of Smoking on Plastic Surgery

Are you considering a little nip or tuck to improve your appearances? Well if you’re smoker, then you will be compromising the results of your cosmetic surgery. We talked with members and doctors on the plastic surgery message board PlasticSurgerySpot.com to find out the possible effects nicotine will have:
Poor Blood Circulation

In order for your face or body to heal properly following surgery (any surgery) the tissue needs to be supplied with the proper supply of oxygen. Unfortunately, nicotine restricts the amount of oxygen-rich blood available by closing off the blood vessels.
Increased Risk of Infection
Did you know the smoking drastically increases the odds of an infection? This is especially dangerous when it comes to plastic surgery recovery. For example, if the cartilage in your nose were to become infected following rhinoplasty, it could end up permanently damaged.
Accelerated Tissue Aging
Have you been smoking all or most of your life? Well that accelerates your aging.  Maybe you could have put off that face lift or eye lift for a few years if it weren’t for all the damage smoking did to your face. While you can’t change the past, what you can do is help prevent further damage from this point forward by quitting.

Slower Healing
Think you just can quit for a few weeks before and after your plastic surgery and you’ll be okay? Well think again! Did you know that full recovery from a rhinoplasty operation, for example, can take up to two years or more? Yes, that’s right… up to two full years! Even when there is minimal swelling with rhinoplasty, it will still usually last at least one year. So the only way to ensure the tissue functions properly now and in the future is to quit completely.

Increased Wrinkling
One of the most notorious effects of smoking on plastic surgery (as well as general aging) is increased wrinkling. After you spend a thousands of dollars on a face lift, the last thing you want is for those wrinkles to return faster than normal.
More Scarring
Whether it’s breast implants, a tummy tuck, rhinoplasty or something else… virtually any surgical procedure involves cutting of the skin. Unfortunately when the scar doesn’t heal properly, it can make even the best plastic surgery look horrible. Since nicotine restricts oxygen supply to your blood vessels, they’re not being supplied with the full amount of oxygen and nutrients they could be and in turn, this could contribute to scarring.

Conclusion?
If you’re not going to quit smoking for health reasons, then at least do it for vanity. The cold hard truth is that if you continue it will accelerate your aging. If you undergo cosmetic surgery, then you are jeopardizing the results. There are so many horror stories on the plastic surgery message boards of patients that ignored their surgeon’s advice and continued smoking… don’t let it happen to you, too. Quit today and not only will you be on the path to better health, but you’re also be on the path to looking better!