A staggering 20% of Americans smoke, and since smoking speeds up the aging process, we hear a lot of variations of this question from people who could benefit from a facelift. Many smokers who pursue a facelift in Los Angeles have heard that very few surgeons will perform a facelift on a smoker, so they may ask questions like, What if I am a light smoker? What if I don’t smoke for a couple of weeks before my facelift surgery? What if I haven’t been smoking very long? I know I shouldn’t smoke, but what does that have to do with facial cosmetic surgery?
Facelift Before and After
Smoking and aging skin go hand in hand, so one of the best ways to improve your appearance is to kick the habit. No, it’s not easy, but smoking causes all kinds of medical problems beyond the age showing up in your face and the dwindling quality of your skin. Most people know that smoking can kill at worst, and at best have many negative health consequences, but they put off quitting because it’s difficult. Since smoking shows up in your face, you may wonder if a facelift will help, but this does not address your core problem, nor is it safe.
Smoking and Facelift Recovery
When your facial cosmetic surgeon says you must quit smoking before your facelift, he or she isn’t simply trying to motivate you by suggesting you reward yourself when you’ve quit. Electing to have an optional cosmetic surgery as a smoker is actually dangerous, because your tissue’s ability to heal is compromised by smoking. After your facelift, you’ll need a healthy supply of blood and oxygen to the site of surgery to ensure smooth healing, but the nicotine and carbon monoxide inhaled by smokers can cause scarring, infections, and even necrosis – skin death, which turns your skin black.
Any qualified doctor will advise you to quit smoking for your health, wellbeing, and beauty. Because of these additional problems with healing and complications induced by smoking, a respectable cosmetic surgeon will say that you need to quit smoking before your facelift or midface lift.
When and how long do I have to stop?
If you have smoked for more than 5 years, we recommend that you wait a full two years before having a full facelift. It may be possible to have certain types of modified facelift procedures if you have not smoked for at least 6 months. Why are such long time frames recommended? First, this time allows for a degree of vascular recovery. Additionally, it takes time for the lungs to recover after quitting smoking. You actually need to quit smoking a full eight to twelve weeks before surgery for the lungs to being to improve and recover from the insult of smoking. If you do it in less time than that, the problem that arises is an awakening of lung cilia, and you’ll bring up a lot of mucus from the lungs. This happens about three weeks after you quit, and you need your lungs to quiet down before you go under anesthesia for cosmetic surgery. With any luck, motivation to have cosmetic surgery will be the reason you give up smoking forever. That is certainly a lot better than deciding in the intensive care unit after a heart attack to stop smoking. We certainly won’t recommend that you pick up smoking again as soon as you have healed from your surgery. After all, if you’ve gone through the hardest part of quitting, why would you pick it up again?
Resources for Quitting
You probably already know why so many people persist in smoking despite how devastating it is to their health: smoking is incredibly addicting. That’s why, to quit, you’re going to need to push your limits and use your resources. There are a number of websites as well as doctors and therapists who can help you find a way to quit successfully. To help you realistically attain your goal, set a date by when you want to quit, and remember that it’s okay to feel awful for about three weeks. You may be irritable, stressed out, and even have physical symptoms like headaches, but these will get better in time, your health will improve, and in the end you and those who care about you will be relieved that you did this for yourself. Perhaps you can celebrate with the money you used to spend on cigarettes – you’ll have earned it! And when it is safe, you can think about further improving your life with a facelift.
When You Are Ready, Consult with an Expert
You may find a cosmetic surgeon willing to do your facelift while you still smoke, but this should be a red flag that the doctor does not have the highest possible standards. Yes, there are other procedures that can be safely done if you are a smoker, and Dr. Steinsapir can discuss these options with you during your consultation. Dr. Steinsapir specializes in facelifts, the midface lift, and other facial and oculofacial surgery, bringing you the experience and expertise you need for superior results. Contact us today to learn more about how a facelift after smoking cessation can revitalize your appearance.
