Considering Plastic Surgery? Kick the Nicotine Habit

There are so many reasons why it would be a good idea to quit smoking. You can breathe better, your clothes don’t smell and romantic partners won’t be reluctant to kiss you.

If you’re considering any kind of plastic surgery procedure, the reasons why smoking is bad for you expand exponentially. To paint a clearer picture, here are a few of the concerns and risks associated with smoking and plastic surgery.

Concerns

You may be wondering why your Des Moines plastic surgeon is asking you to drop the pack. You probably think he or she is being overbearing and a couple smokes here and there won’t kill you. You may be thinking that you can opt for a vaporizer or tobacco chew and you’ll be in the clear. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Smoking traditional cigarettes, using vaporizers and chewing tobacco can all negatively impact the outcome of your surgery.

Regardless of where it came from, nicotine in your system makes any kind of surgery more dangerous. Nicotine increases your heart rate and your blood pressure. It also makes your blood vessels narrow. Combine that with the increased pressure from a fast beating heart and you are asking for trouble. You can have a heart attack or cause a serious blood clot.

The constricted blood vessels also mean that the body won’t get enough oxygen. Oxygen is a critical part of the healing process, which is why parents tell children to let a wound “breathe”. Oxygen is what makes you scab and build new tissues.

Risks

Quitting nicotine is no easy task. Choosing not to, however, puts you at risk. That risk increases when you add plastic surgery to the equation.

There is a significant increase in risk for all of these diseases:

• Pneumonia

• Heart attack

• Stroke

• Infection

• Incision Separation

• Delayed Wound Healing

As if this list weren’t enough, statistics say that smokers tend to deal with a lot more post surgery pain than non-smokers.

Thankfully, there are ways for you to reduce your risk. Quiting altogether will be the most effective and longest lasting solution to this problem. If that seems to be too difficult, reducing your intake can also help. Cut back on smoking, vaping and chewing tobacco for at least four weeks for best results.

Naturally, your Des Moines plastic surgeon will give you exact recommendations based on the procedure you plan to get. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Franks to discuss the right course of action for you. For more information about plastic surgery in Des Moines, contact 515.421.4299.