Cigarettes restrict blood flow which can decrease healing, increase the risk of infection, skin loss and blood flow circulation. The nicotine causes vascular constriction, and can delay wound healing, by not allowing the proper circulation to the tissue.

You MUST stop smoking at LEAST 28 days prior to surgery and 28 days post-surgery, to give your body the BEST chance of healing and a clean incision line, the Plastic Surgeons recommends stopping for 1 – 2 months before and 1 – 2 months post-surgery. It takes that amount of time for the nicotine to be excreted, and for your tissue to recover to a reasonable vascularity to make the procedure safe, and give the best result.

Just remember, you are doing this to improve your looks and self-confidence!! If you have a complication and a part of your tissue dies, the resulting problem will be difficult, if not impossible to repair. When the tissue starts to die, that is called Necrosis, which is a form of cell injury that results in the premature death of cells.