According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), approximately 42 million adults in the United States are current smokers. This represents almost 18 percent of the population. Furthermore, smokers can spend anywhere from approximately $1,500 to more than $3,000 per year on cigarettes, depending on the price in different states. However, there are other costs to consider when it comes to smoking. The CDC also states that tobacco smoking costs the United States more than $289 billion per year, including approximately $133 billion in direct medical costs and another $156 billion in lost productivity.

Combine this information on smoking with the popularity of facelift procedures (133,000 performed in 2013, making it the fifth most popular cosmetic surgical procedure for that year), and it should not be surprising that Dr. Paul Pin sees a fair number of patients who are smokers and are interested in a facelift procedure. In fact, quitting smoking may actually be an incentive for prospective facelift patients.

Facelift Procedure

Before discussing how smoking can affect the outcome of facial surgery, it is important to understand what is involved in a facelift procedure. A facelift involves the creation of incisions just in front of the hairline and behind the ear. Through the incisions, the skin and underlying tissue and muscle are gently lifted, pulled tight, and sutured back into place.

Smoking and Facial Skin

It is also important to understand how smoking affects the facial skin in general. Collagen is a protein that the body naturally produces. It fills out the skin and underlying tissue over the skeletal framework. The body can lose collagen for a number of reasons, including the natural effects of aging and excess sun exposure. Smoking can also lead to excessive collagen loss as it can dry out the skin and reduce the supply of blood by causing small blood vessels to constrict. This collagen loss due to smoking is most evident right around the mouth, where fine lines (called smoker's lines) will form. This collagen loss due to smoking can make the facial skin look dull and wrinkled, as well as more hollowed out.

Smoking may have other undesirable effects upon the facial skin when it comes to a facelift procedure. Other complications can include a greater risk for excessive bleeding, and bruising, along with poor wound healing. The latter can also lead to excessive scarring.

Kicking the Habit

Dr. Pin recommends that patients stop smoking starting a minimum of two weeks prior to the surgical procedure. Hypnotherapy, nicotine gum (Nicorette) or patches (Nicodermcq), and anti-smoking medications such as Chantix can all help patients kick the habit. Of course, quitting for good is the most optimal situation for facelift patients to have the best possible outcome. Dr. Pin will work with facelift patients before their procedure to help them quit smoking in a safe, effective manner so that they can proudly show off their new features to family and friends, as well as be on the road to a healthy, smoke-free lifestyle.