Facelift And Smoking
Nicotine affects the body’s ability to heal after surgery by constricting blood vessels and reducing blood supply to the skin.
Smoking also causes damage to the small blood vessels, which also compromises blood flow and thus your ability to heal after surgery. Smoking increases the risk of complications after surgery including necrosis, or death, of skin near the incisions.
In addition to your actual recovery from surgery, smoking complicates anesthesia. I personally am very conservative, and recommend no smoking at all 6-8 weeks before facelift and 6-8 weeks after. Of course, really, I recommend you quit all together! (Dara Liotta, MD, New York Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Nicotine damages the small vessels that provide blood supply to the skin. When a facelift is performed, the skin is lifted away from the deeper tissues and underlying blood supply for variable lengths, depending on technique.
Facelift No Smoking
Therefore, during the early postoperative period, survival of the elevated skin is dependent on the small vessels to maintain adequate blood flow from the areas where the skin is still attached. Due to to poor small vessel circulation in smokers, there is an increased risk of poor wound healing and skin necrosis (skin death).
It is advisable to stop smoking and use of all nicotine products for at least 4 weeks preop and 2 weeks postop. However, there are more conservative short skin flap facelift procedures that can be performed in smokers that minimize the risk of complications and skin necrosis while still achieving good aesthetic results.
It is still strongly recommended that you quit smoking. Some surgeons will not perform facelifts on anyone who continues to smoke. I would advise you to seek a consultation with a board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon and allow them to assess your anatomy, concerns, and goals in order to determine the best treatment plan for you. (Michael Boggess, MD, Nashville Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Safety Should Always Be The Primary Concern In Facelift
I prefer my patients to be off cigarettes and all other nicotine products for one full month prior to surgery. I also require refraining from the same until completely healed after the surgery.
Having said that, you should obviosly follow whatever recommendations your own surgeon has provided. (Jeffrey K. Scott, MD, Sarasota Plastic Surgeon)
NO SMOKING BEFORE AND AFTER FACELIFT
I make adjustments for how long the patient has smoked, how much they have smoked, as well as many other factors. For most patients who have smoked a pack a day for 5 years or more, I require a minimum smoking cessation of 3 weeks before and 4 weeks after.
That means no tobacco products of any kind. But I allow nicotine patches or gum up to a few days before. I may also adjust my technique during the surgery as I analyze the affects of the surgery on the skin. (R. Scott Yarish, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking Causes The Blood Vessels
Nicotine abstinence varies between 4-6 weeks, preop and postop
Most PS recommend stopping cigarettes and/or Nicotine patches, 4-6 weeks, preop and postop for the following reasons:
- Mucus production and coughing increases as the inhibitory effect of inhaled tar and nicotine regresses.
- General anesthesia may be more difficult with reactive airways.
- The chance of delayed wound healing, skin slough behind the ears, is significantly higher because of the vasoconstrictive (blood limiting) effects.
- The systemic effects of cigarettes include dull complexion, fine lines, premature aging, including fat loss and bone resorption.
Twin studies documenting facial aging of smoker and nonsmoker siblings, clearly support preservation of attractiveness without cigarettes. Save money, avoid cardiopulmonary disease and enhance your facelift results. (Lavinia K. Chong, MD, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)
When to stop smoking before facelift?
It is best to stop 6 weeks before. The longer you are tobacco & nicotine free the better. Different time points improve different aspects of your recovery. (Karol A. Gutowski, MD, FACS, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking Increase The Incidence Of Serious Complications After Facelift Surgery
Smoking and Face lift Don’t Mix
A month before and after at a minimum is wise to minimize complications and that includes all forms of nicotine. There are less. (Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)
The generally agreed on rules here are quit for 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after. That includes not using nicotine replacement products. There is some research showing the deep plane facelift is less likely to suffer damage from smokers.
Also – of course – this is a GREAT opportunity to quite and not restart! It will help preserve your result and make it last much longer. (Benjamin C. Marcus, MD, Madison Facial Plastic Surgeon)
When to quit smoking
I suggest you quit smoking a minimum of 4 weeks prior to surgery and 4 weeks after surgery. However, longer is encouraged for optimal results. This also includes avoiding other forms of nicotine such as nicotine patches and gums as nicotine can cause constriction of blood vessels which can cause slow or poor wound healing. (Adam Bryce Weinfeld, MD, Austin Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking Should Be Completely Stopped Before Facelift
At least 4 weeks without nicotine prior to facelift
I request my patients refrain from any nicotine for at least 4 weeks prior to surgery and 4 weeks following surgery. If it is possible to refrain from nicotine products earlier than 4 weeks it is absolutely recommended as nicotine is a vaso-constrictor which has the potential to lead to a problematic recovery.
I test for nicotine routinely prior to surgery in order to insure that there is no nicotine present in the system at the time of surgery. I suggest following the guidelines set by your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon as he/she may have a different time/table they follow. (Patrick Viscardi, MD, South Bend Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking Cessation Before Facelifts
In general, I would recommend 6-8 weeks prior to surgery. Some plastic surgeons may not even offer surgery, especially elective cosmetic surgery. Basically, adequate blood supply is necessary for wounds to heal and nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict, thereby decreasing blood flow to wounds.
Stop Smoking 6 Weeks Preoperatively And Never Again Resume Smoking
Every surgeon has their own criteria. I check nicotine levels on all cosmetic patients before surgery. In areas such as the face, wound complications can be devastating and all controllable factors must be addressed. As a patient, it is important that you are honest with your surgeon so that he or she can formulate the best possible plan.
Some times the plan may be not to operate due to the risk. (Nicholas Jones, MD, Atlanta General Surgeon)
My recommendation is to stop smoking at least 6 weeks prior to surgery through well into the recovery process. The longer out from the last cigarette the better, as the nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict and really impair wound healing.
Every surgeon may have slightly different recommendations in terms of wound healing but I would recommend at a minimum six weeks prior to surgery. (Keshav Magge, MD, Bethesda Plastic Surgeon)
Stop Smoking Before Having A Facelift
I ask my patients to stop smoking at least one month prior to surgery and 2 weeks following surgery. Those who follow these directions tend to have less complications relating to healing of skin flaps and incision lines. (Mark Been, MD, Barrington Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking and having a facelift: when to stop
Smoking increases wound healing complications in two ways: it constricts the blood vessels, thus decreasing blood supply, and it reduces the amount of oxygen carried by the blood. The first effect wears off quickly when you stop smoking (2-7 days), but the second persists for weeks.
There is not any good research on how long you should quit before a procedure such as a facelift, but most conservative physicians would say the minimum is 4 weeks. This is based on the 28 day half-life of the oxygen-carrying red blood cells that are poisoned by the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke. (Daniel Greenwald, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)
Stop Smoking In Order To Have A Facelift
To reduce your face lift risks, stopping 6 weeks before surgery is ideal.
The minimum is 2 weeks. Years ago, we did lots of face lifts with smokers – Most heal well in the end of poorer scars and areas of delayed healing were common and serious complications more likely. (Elizabeth Morgan, MD, PhD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)
When to stop smoking before a facelift?
I advise my patients to stop smoking 3-4 weeks before a facelift and then remain smoke free for another 2 weeks after the surgery. If you don’t think that you can stop smoking for at least this length of time, then a facelift is not the right procedure for you. (John Zavell, MD, FACS, Toledo Plastic Surgeon)
Stop smoking cigarettes before face lift surgery
It’s important to stop smoking 2-3 weeks before the surgery and 2-3 weeks after the surgery to ensure optimum healing and help try to prevent skin necrosis/ Infection. Always best to check with your operative surgeon. (William Portuese, MD, Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Stop The Smoking For A Significant Period Of Time Before Facelift
Facelift and smoking
This is a very controversial question and you will get significantly different answers depending on who you ask. Some surgeons say 1 month, while others don’t even require stopping. Risks of smoking are dependent on many factors (patient gender, surgical technique e.g. Deep plane vs SMAS flap, etc).
The bottom line is that you should discuss this with your surgeon and understand the unique considerations for your case to give you the best chance at a great result. (Justin Cohen, MD, Washington DC Otolaryngologist)
You should stop at least three weeks before a facelift and at least three weeks after the procedure to have the best chance to reduce any wound healing problems. (Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD, Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon)
A month before with no nicotine substitutes and one month after is standard. Now with nicotine free vapor devices it seems more patients are able to do this easily! (Gregory T. Lynam, MD, Richmond Plastic Surgeon)
The Incidence Of Serious Complications After Facelift Surgery
Smoking is my biggest enemy with facelift surgery. Not only does smoking increase the risk of bleeding and hematomas, it also increases the risk of skin necrosis and smoking. I recommend stopping smoking a full month before and one month after.
This includes any e-cigarettes that include nicotine and nicotine products. It is critical to avoid smoking and any nicotine products before and after smoking. (Mark Hamilton, MD, Indianapolis Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking and surgery, some advices
I recommend to stop smoking at least one month before the procedure and continue without smoking for at least 2 months post the procedure. (Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking is bad for wound healing and can increase the complication rate quite a bit. I advise patients to avoid smoking for about 3-4 weeks prior to surgery and stay off of it for several weeks after. (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)
Wound Healing Depends On Blood Supply
Stopping smoking does not eliminate the risks as the micro vascular network in your skin has changed. Cessation of smoking for 2 weeks post surgery is recommended. (Trevor M. Born, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)
When to stop smoking before facelift or eyelid/facial surgery?
I would suggest a month minimum. I would use this opportunity to quit permanently for your overall health. It can take a month or so for the small vessels to be working better, so the longer the better when it comes to avoiding your wounds healing poorly or coming apart unexpectedly. (John R. Burroughs, MD, Colorado Springs Oculoplastic Surgeon)
When to stop smoking before facelift?
When it comes to stopping smoking the sooner the better. But since that ins’t always a realistic goal for many people, the key is to not have nicotine in your blood at the time of surgery.
Smoking Cause Further Reduction In Blood Supply
That includes both cigarettes, e-cigarettes, patches, lozenges, etc. The reason is that nicotine causes the blood vessels to shrink instead of open up more which can affect healing. Having nicotine in your blood at the time of surgery increases the risk of losing skin by a factor of 17.
So that is very important to consider when you are deciding when to stop. I tell my patients ideally one week before and 2 weeks after but at least not have nicotine the day of surgery and the week after. (William Marshall Guy, MD, The Woodlands Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking and facelift
You should stop smoking before a facelift if possible. 1 month minimum to help your lungs heal but preferably 3-6 months to let your blood vessels in the face heal. Continuing to abstain after surgery for a month is also critical. (Richard W. Westreich, MD, Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Stop Smoking For At Least Two Weeks Before A Facelift
Ideally, you should stop forever, good for your face, lungs heart and life in general! At least stop smoke 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after facelift, as it greatly affects healing and scarring. You are investing money and time into your facelift, do all you can to get the best result! (Robert M. Tornambe, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)
When to stop smoking before facelift?
Smoking can cause very serious complications after facelift. I ask my patients to stop all forms of nicotine for 8 weeks prior to a facelift. I also do a blood test to check for nicotine metabolites in the blood before surgery. (Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS, Boston Plastic Surgeon)
Smoking before facelift is risky
I have added a link that might be helpful… Hi Mo-Mo. The longer the interval between your surgery and when you quit smoking the more likely you are to not have any areas of delayed healing, trouble with anesthesia, etc.
Smoking Can Lead To Skin Dying And Poor Scarring
There is no definite period of time that assures you complete safety as this is tied into how long and how much you have smoked. Three to six weeks is a reasonable estimate.
Over time, smoking causes general inflammation in the body (swelling), deprives tissue of oxygen, damages blood vessels that leads to decreased blood flow, etc and everything combined can prolong your swelling, bruising, etc.
Since skin is duller in smokers, the surgical outcome is not optimized-good skin can take years off your appearance…there are many incentives to stop as you can see.
Disclose your smoking status to your PS so that they can be prepared and proactive-you might consider using hyperbaric oxygen therapy. (Vaishali B. Doolabh, MD, FACS, Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon)
When to stop smoking before a facelift
If you are contemplating surgery, you should stop smoking now. The optimum time to stop smoking is at least two months before surgery. Some may advocate that anytime before surgery is a good time. There is concern that if you stop less than two weeks before surgery that there may be a paradoxical increase in pulmonary and cardiac complications.
Therefore, it is wise to get medical clearance from your primary physician prior to surgery. Smoking is associated with poor wound healing and increased complication rates when compared with non-smokers.
There are some surgeons who will never perform a facelift on a smoker and other surgeons who will only perform a certain technique such as a deep plane facelift to reduce the risk on the skin flap.
Remember that it is just as important to discontinue smoking for at least two months after surgery for the same reasons. (Mario S. Yco, MD, FACS, Encinitas Facial Plastic Surgeon)