Getting a Face Lift? It's Time To Quit Smoking

There are a million reasons why quitting smoking can benefit your health. There's no need to list them all-if you're a smoker, you've likely heard the list more times than you can count. However, if you're a smoker and you're planning to get a face lift, there's something else you should know. Cigarettes and the nicotine delivered through them restricts blood vessels. That means your organs don't get all the blood that they should (which is just one of the reasons why smoking is hazardous to your health). Because of this, it can greatly interfere with the healing process after a cosmetic operation.

Why is it so important to quit smoking before a face lift? Because of the decreased blood flow due to the habit, approximately 10 percent of smokers will experience some degree of necrosis along the incision following the procedure. What is necrosis? Well, it is nothing less than the death of the skin tissue. It dies because it does not receive the oxygen it needs from the blood when it is undergoing the healing process. This can cause the incision sites to redden and then turn completely black. If you've ever seen the results of a brown recluse spider bite, they are similar to what's going on here. Skin grafts may be the only way to heal such an incident.

There are enough risks involved with a surgery as delicate as a face lift without introducing more trouble into the mix. That's why it is important to quit smoking at least a month before your surgery and continue to not smoke for at least a month afterward. If you wish to pick the habit back up at that time, it's your choice, though the other myriad health issues that smoking can cause still apply.

If you're having trouble quitting, there are a number of therapies available to help. These include nicotine gum and lozenges, which are available at most drug stores and many big box stores such as Wal-Mart. There are also continuous delivery systems such as patches that can help you overcome the craving to smoke. It should be noted, however, that these replacements cannot be used before or after the surgery either, so plan ahead when it comes to quitting.

Having any form of plastic surgery, a face lift included, means making some difficult choices. It's worth considering, however, that smoking is one of the primary causes of the appearance of wrinkles and other signs of premature aging. If you're going to have a cosmetic procedure done, you may as well do everything you can to protect your investment.

If you're looking for a face lift in Newport News, do your research before you decide. For more information, visit http://www.pschr.com.

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