How Smoking Can Sabotage Your Plastic Surgery

Most plastic surgery procedures, whether it be a tummy tuck, breast reduction or facelift, involve a change in skin and tissues. When skin and tissues get placed differently or removed, there is an inevitable change in blood supply. Adequate circulation and oxygen in your blood supply is vital to ensure your skin and tissues get what they need to heal properly.

How Does Smoking Compromise Good Plastic Surgery?

The nicotine in your cigarette can affect your skin in many ways. Along with premature skin aging, smoking can also delay wound healing, including those from surgery. Smoking causes the following in your skin when it comes to your plastic surgery recovery:

• Vasoconstriction – lack of oxygen reaching skin cells
• Decreased collagen synthesis
• Delayed growth of new blood vessels within the wound
• Increased risk for infection, graft failure and blot clots

In essence, nicotine can restrict adequate blood supply to the areas of skin and tissues that your plastic surgeon has so precisely altered to improve your appearance. Before you schedule a body or facial contouring procedure, strongly consider putting down the cigarettes first. Your plastic surgeon can advise you on just how long you need to have remained nicotine-free for the best possible plastic surgery results.