No Smoking, Please: Facial Plastic Surgery and Smoking By Constance M. Barone, M.D. on August 10, 2015

If you are a smoker, then you surely have already heard many of the arguments as to why you should kick the habit. However, if you are a smoker who is currently considering facial plastic surgery, you may not know that smoking may preclude you from being a suitable candidate for whatever specific procedure in which you are interested. Furthermore, even if you are found to be a suitable candidate, smoking may interfere with your ability to achieve and maintain the best possible results.

If you are a smoker who would like to learn more about the adverse relationship between plastic surgery and smoking, we urge you to meet with San Antonio plastic surgeon Constance M. Barone at her practice for a confidential, one-on-one consultation at your earliest convenience. She can advise you of your options and help you decide whether you believe that optimal facial rejuvenation is worth giving up your smoking habit.

Why Smoking and Plastic Surgery Don’t Mix

The negative effects of smoking on your health are well known. However, its negative effects on your appearance can be equally profound. Smoking can cause:

Your facial skin to become prematurely wrinkled and dry: In particular, smoking is associated with the formation of the cracked vertical lines that appear above the lips, known colloquially as “smoker’s lines.” It can also contribute to frown lines and crow’s feet.
Your teeth to become discolored: Although plastic surgery doesn’t address the smile, discolored teeth can age an otherwise youthful face.
Skin discoloration: Smoking can cause your skin tone and color to become inconsistent and splotchy, making you appear years older than you actually are.
Hollow areas in your facial skin: Smoking can contribute to a loss of volume in the lower and upper face, leading to hollowed-out cheeks and the formation of dark circles under the eyes.

While plastic surgery can correct many of these issues, it does require that you commit yourself to a healthy post-surgical lifestyle, at least if you wish to achieve and maintain the best possible results. If you continue to smoke, you face the following risks:

Poor healing: Even if you decide to continue smoking after you recover from surgery, you will have to quit smoking during your healing period. Smoking can interfere with your body’s ability to heal itself and increase your risk of serious complications such as infection.
Results that don’t last as long as they should: The results of your plastic surgery can last for years as long as you lead a healthy lifestyle. However, if you resume the same habits that contributed to your facial aging in the first place, you will quickly undo the results of your plastic surgery.
Failure to achieve optimal results: Smoking can prevent you from achieving optimal facial rejuvenation after your surgery. Remember that you will not achieve the best possible results immediately after your procedure; these results will unfold over time. If you smoke, you may prevent the full effects of your surgery from becoming apparent.