Does a Smoking Habit Stand in the Way of Your Cosmetic Surgery Procedure?

Cosmetic surgery has gone mainstream over the last few years. It's now more affordable and acceptable by society's social standards. Perhaps you've been thinking of taking the plunge and undergoing rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, liposuction, or a face lift (or maybe all four procedures).

An important consideration you and your doctor need to factor in is your health. Being in peak physical condition will increase your cosmetic surgery success. Some health problems, such as kidney disease, are more difficult to deal with and may require medical assistance before your cosmetic surgery can be performed.

However, there is a big health risk that you can control. It is your smoking habit. Nicotine can cause serious complications during and after your surgery. Thankfully, just quitting or reducing your smoking habit temporarily is enough to reverse those negative complications.

Your surgery will go smoother and you will recover faster by being in tip-top shape. Read on to discover why your smoking habit is a dangerous interference to that cosmetic surgery you've been dreaming of. And find out what you need to do in order to reverse (or, at the very least, lessen) the negative effects of a smoking habit.

SMOKING CAUSES CIRCULATION PROBLEMS Smoking causes a host of problems. The nicotine in cigarettes squeezes blood vessels, creating an increased risk of breathing and heart problems. The poor circulation in smokers also poses a serious problem for the cosmetic surgery candidate. Many cosmetic surgeries depend on the patient having good skin circulation.

SMOKERS NEED NOT APPLY Be forewarned: there are plastic surgeons that will not accept patients who smoke-especially if the procedure being done is a facelift. This is because the typical smoker has a limited amount of blood flow. Blood that does not flow easily during surgery may cause a loss of skin. That's right: your skin will actually die. Try posting that piece of scary information on your last pack of cigarettes-if anything, it'll help to keep your nicotine cravings at bay.

WHAT'S A SMOKER TO DO? You don't need to quit smoking forever, but you should refrain from smoking for a minimum of three weeks before your scheduled surgery (and a few months would be better). If quitting is not a reasonable option for you, then maybe just cutting back on smoking will be enough to get the green light from your surgeon. And forget about replacing your cigarettes with nicotine patches and gums-nicotine is nicotine, no matter how it enters your body.