Quitting smoking is an important thing you can do for your health, but if you are undergoing plastic or cosmetic surgery, it is a must. If you are having a facelift, it is best that you have quit smoking for at least one month prior to the time of your face lift surgery.
When you smoke, blood flow is reduced in many areas, including your face. If you continue to smoke before and after facial cosmetic surgery and your facelift, you run a 10% chance of developing tissue necrosis at the incision site. One in ten smokers who have a facelift will develop this failure to heal syndrome.
Tissue necrosis is skin and cell death. Treatment for tissue necrosis requires skin grafting, and long hospitalizations with IV antibiotics. Several surgeries are usually required to repair the damage caused by tissue necrosis, and even then, scarring is likely.
Signs of tissue necrosis are black wound beds, and scars that look like they are coming ‘apart at the seams’.
If you are a smoker and are considering or have scheduled a facelift, discuss with your surgeon when you should stop smoking. There are ways to help minimize the cravings associated with nicotine withdrawal, but remember that patches or gum that contains nicotine can also cause tissue necrosis so should not be used before or after surgery. Your surgeon can also prescribe some medications that may help relieve the anxiety associated with stopping smoking, so be open and honest when discussing your smoking history.
To determine if you are a candidate for a facelift, please contact your local facial plastic surgeon for a consultation.