Nicotine hinders healing from plastic surgery

Nicotine hinders healing from plastic surgery

January 25, 2017

If you’re getting plastic surgery, it’s important that you stay away from nicotine. Not just smoking, but nicotine gum, patches, snuff, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, pipes, cigars or e-cigarettes.

That’s because nicotine shrinks the small blood vessels close to the surface of your skin. That means your cells receive less oxygen, which is important for the healing process. With less oxygen, your skin has a harder time healing.

Plastic surgeons recommend that you quit smoking three to six weeks before surgery. If you’ve made it three to six weeks without nicotine, it might be a good time to make a clean break. Don’t start again.

Here’s a list from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, of what else nicotine can do to plastic surgery patients.:

  • Loss of cheek skin, nipples or tummy skin after a facelift, breast lift, breast reduction, or tummy tuck surgery
  • Infections
  • Death of fat cells (fat necrosis), causing hard lumps
  • Delayed wound healing
  • Thick, wide scars
  • Blood clots, which can be fatal
  • Increased pain
  • Permanent small vessel damage adding risk even if you quit
  • Loss of breast implants
  • Life threatening complications like stroke, heart attack, blood clots, and pneumonia.