How Nicotine Use Sabotages Plastic Surgery
If you’re contemplating getting plastic surgery, there are a few health factors that you’ll need to consider before undergoing the procedure. One of these key factors is nicotine use. Nicotine use sabotages plastic surgery results and can severely hinder the flow of blood and oxygen to your skin tissue.
Here, we’ll delve into the details of how nicotine impacts plastic surgery. For those considering a cosmetic procedure, schedule a consultation at The Julian Institute of Plastic Surgery to get all of the details on preparing for the surgery.
How Nicotine Impacts Circulation
When you take in nicotine, whether by smoking a cigarette or using any other type of nicotine product, it causes your blood vessels to constrict. This minimizes circulation to all of your organs. This includes the body’s largest organ: your skin! If you use nicotine regularly over a prolonged period, it can narrow and stiffen your blood vessels.
Nicotine and Plastic Surgery
Many smokers heal normally after medical surgical procedures. But, nicotine is particularly detrimental to plastic surgery procedures. In many elective procedures, the surgeon cuts through only the top layer of the skin, then lifts it up to reshape and sculpt the area. This is different from the process for medical surgical procedures, which involves cutting down into the skin and flesh.
Since the skin is lifted up and separated from the flesh in plastic surgery, a lack of circulation is a serious issue. If the blood vessels in the lifted skin are constricted from nicotine use, the skin won’t receive ample oxygen. Skin tissue requires oxygen to survive, so combining nicotine with plastic surgery could cause the tissue that is manipulated in the procedure to die.
Other Complications
There are several other complications that can result from nicotine use and plastic surgery, including:
- Slower healing process
- Higher risk of infection
- Fat necrosis (fat cell death)
- Larger scars
- More pain from the procedure
- Higher risk of life-threatening complications, such as heart attack and stroke
If you smoke or use other nicotine products and are considering plastic surgery, you should completely quit three to six weeks before the procedure. You should also keep abstaining from nicotine at least three to six weeks after the procedure, although quitting for good is ideal.
For more information about preparing for plastic surgery, visit The Julian Institute of Plastic Surgery for a personalized treatment plan today!