SMAS Facelift: Q&A
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SMAS Facelift Side Effect True for Smokers?
I keep reading that SMAS Facelift is bad for smokers--it has something to do about the skin dying. Is this true? Should I not have one, as I do smoke? Please advise.
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18 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
Tonweather
in Oklahoma
+2
The SMAS facelift is actually ideal for smokers
When you do a SMAS facelift, you are elevating the layers of the face in a deeper plane which allows you to preserve a thicker skin flap. The added vascularity that is associated with a thicker flap is actually safer for smokers. This approach is what I use for people with a significant history of smoking.
One thing that you should do is to go to someone with a lot of experience with performing facelifts. You also want someone that is going to take his time.
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SMAS facelift in Smokers
Smokers are at higher risk for a number of post-operative complications, ranging from skin slough of the facial skin, oxygenation issues before-during-and postoperatively, etc.
Nicotine, either in the form of primary or second hand smoke, nicotine patches or any form of nicotine delivery system, causes the small blood vessels in the skin to constrict and reduces blood flow to the flaps of skin elevated during the facelift surgery. The thinner the flaps, the higher the risk of compromise...
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Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+2
Either way, you should not smoke 2 weeks before and after any facelift.
All smokers need to stop smoking before a facelift of any type. The more the skin is separated from its blood supply as in a full SMAS lift, the greater the risk of the skin dying. In 30 years of doing facelifts, I feel a more conservative lift is warranted in smokers.
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Smokers and face lifts - a bad combination
Smoking interferes with blood flow, and active smokers are at much higher risk for complications (ie: wide scars, slow healing, and even skin death with significant scarring) with any surgery. Surgery that requires wide undermining of a skin flap (such as certain face lift techniques, tummy tucks, or large breast lifts) are high risk for patients who smoke. Most surgeons will require that smokers abstain for at least 3-4 weeks before and after the procedure (although this does not lower...
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SMAS & Smoking
This is very true. If you are a heavy smoker, you should avoid surgery or laser resurfacing. Depending on what you are looking to have done, there are several non-invasive skin-tightening procedures that you may be a good candidate for.
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SMAS Facelift and Smoking
There is no question that smoking has deleterious effects on wound healing and facelift flaps. The elements in cigarette smoke make it much more likely that the elevated skin may die. It is still possible to perform a SMAS facelift on a smoker if careful attention is paid to elevating the flaps. The best thing for you to do is stop smoking around the period where you are having the facelift performed.
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Smoking and a SMAS Facelift
When one smokes, or uses tobacco, there is vascular constriction. Good wound healing is all about getting enough blood supply to the area. In a facelift operation the thickness of the flaps are thin, making the bloodflow even more important. The incision will also be put on some tension. Tension is the enemy of good wound healing, and coupled with decreased blood flow in smokers, finds the patient at higher risk of wound problems. The SMAS technique is...
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SMAS Facelift in Smokers - Making it Safer
You are right to be worried if you are a smoker because of increase risk of complications including having some skin that may not survive. Most important is that the surgeon should have experience operating on surgeons and use a technique that has minimal undermining of the skin flaps whether or not a SMAS technique is utilized.
The good news is that it is possible to have a successful result by a face lift procedure if you are a smoker. The bad news is that your risk of a problem is...
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Facelifts for smokers
Facelifts is general have greater risks for smokers although some physicians believe that a deep plane facelift helps maintain circulation to the skin by requiring less skin undermining. Stopping several weeks before facelift can help but still cannot negate the vascular effects of years of nicotine in your system. I would certainly recommend that you stop smoking for a variety of reasons and to be smoke free for as long as possible before surgery.
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Smokers and facelift
Smoking in general is a NO NO with surgery. It increases the complication rate significantly. I tell my patients to stop at least 3-4 weeks prior to surgery.
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