Cigarettes and surgery a bad combo

In the past, most cosmetic surgeons wouldn’t blink an eye if one of their patients admitted to being a smoker while scheduling a surgical procedure. Now, many refuse to perform surgery that requires skin to be shifted — for example, a face lift, tummy tuck or breast lift — on a smoker.

“Nicotine causes the tiny blood vessels in the skin to clamp down or constrict, which reduces blood supply to the skin,” said Dr. Darshan Shah, a plastic surgeon in Bakersfield, California. The lack of blood supply can cause poor healing, infection, bruising and scarring.

If you’re planning on Botox-type injectables or lip enhancement with a wrinkle filler, smoking is also not in your best interest.  According to San Francisco plastic surgeon Sirish Maddali, smoking is not just unhealthy, it “also causes lip lines and will certainly decrease the amount of time Juvéderm will last in the lips.”

If you are interested in cosmetic surgery, Dr. Samaha is a qualified plastic surgeon in Boston. During your consultation, he will discuss your medical history. If you are a smoker, check out this government website that provides tips on how to quit smoking.