Are you interested in undergoing a facelift surgery – but not so sure if you should quit smoking before the procedure?
It’s worth giving up the habit before your procedure because it can definitely affect the results of your facelift surgery. Read on to find out how!
How Smoking Affects Your Facelift Results
There’s plenty of evidence out there to suggest that smoking can be incredibly detrimental to the results of your facelift. For example, studies have shown that smoking shrinks blood vessels, which could potentially lead to tissue death during your plastic surgery procedure. Other ways that smoking could affect your facelift results include:
- Blood clots (which may be fatal)
- Delayed healing from wounds
- Permanent damage to facial blood vessels
- Increased pain sensations
In addition to these side effects, smoking can lead to life-threatening complications during your facelift procedure.
Smoking and Plastic Surgery
It’s not just the facelift that could be impacted by smoking; in fact, even a “minor” procedure like getting anti-aging injections could be undermined by a frequent smoking habit. Smoking makes it tougher for the body to heal properly, which means that your blood could have trouble clotting after injections or surgery. That means it may take a lot longer for you to recover – and more people may notice that you’ve had something done.
No matter what surgical or cosmetic procedure you want to undergo, we recommend quitting smoking at least three weeks before your treatment. This gives your body enough time to be healthy enough to withstand surgery. You’ll also be asked to refrain from smoking for 6-8 weeks after surgery to ensure that your healing isn’t detrimentally impacted.
All in all, expect to quit smoking for at least 12 weeks for your plastic surgery procedure.
Take the Next Step
Want to learn more about how smoking affects your facelift results? Schedule a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Scott A. Greenberg at Winter Park Plastic Surgery & Laser Center in Winter Park, FL (serving the Central Florida area). (407) 499-8603
