Are Smokers Candidates for Lifestyle Lifts?

asked 1 year ago by Knoxville5637 in Knoxville, TN
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 916 times
Tags: candidate, smoking

9 answers to Are Smokers Candidates for Lifestyle Lifts?

Facelifts in Smokers - which procedure is safest

The good news is that it is possible to have a successful result by a lifting procedure if you are a smoker. The bad news is that your risk of a problem is greatly accelerated. If you are truly unable to stop smoking and all nicotine products then to minimize your risk of a problem, choose the procedure that is the least invasive (i.e. less undermining). I have perfomed several successful procedures using a mini-facelift approach that focuses on rejeuvenating the deeper tissues (SMAS) with... more

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

drnichter.com

Smoking can Result in Serious Complications with ALL Facelifts

Smoking is the single greatest booster of doctors' and undertakers' income. Nicotine (either smoked, chewed or taken in any other way) causes a long standing narrowing of skin circulation. This is associated with a rise in blood pressure and the blood being forced to the muscles away from the skin. As a result, healing from any operation which diminishes blood flow in the skin such as Facelift Tummy Tuck etc is put at great risk. The skin areas at the greatest distance from a... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Smoking and facelifting

I have performed a large number of face-neck lifting procedures on patients with a past or current history of smoking and tobacco use. I tell all such patients that ideally, they would cut down drastically or stop completely at least two weeks before the procedure in order to decrease the chances of slower healing. The problem with nicotine is that it shrinks the blood vessels to your face. After a Lifestyle-like lift procedure, your body needs as much blood flow as possible to help with the... more

Gregory J. Vipond, MD
Pasadena Facial Plastic Surgeon

LIfestyle lift and smoking

A lifelstyle lift is a named facelift procedure and should be avoided in smokers because of the increased risks of complications.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Smoking and Surgery

As the other Surgeons have correctly noted, smoking is bad for virtually every organ system in the body. More specifically, smoking causes a constriction of the peripheral blood vessels that supply the skin. The skin relies on these blood vessels to provide oxygenation in the healing phase after a Facelift. Secondly, most smokers have a more significant degree of carbon monoxide in their bloodstream, leading to more further impairment in blood supply and oxygenation... more

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

Are Smokers Candidates for Lifestyle Lifts?

Smoking can cause excessive bleeding, delayed healing, scarring, just to name a few reasons why smokers can have a significant increase in surgical complications. But I'm sure you have read here on REALSELF that only 45% out of 304 reviews are happy with the LSLift operation - SCARY!!! Seek only boarded plastic surgeons to discuss mini facelifts and smoking, not slick advertising firms, offering the world but only delivering 45% of the time. Be careful out there! From MIAMI Dr.... more

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Facelift and Smoking

Most plastic surgeons regard smoking as a significant risk factor for facelift complication and will not do the procedure. Modified lifts such as short flap, mini-lift and lifestyle lift type procedures do carry a smaller risk and you may find some surgeons willing to do these. Your best bet is to quit smoking entirely. I would caution you about the Lifestyle lift as patient satisfaction is extremely poor and reputable surgeons refuse to be involved.

Joseph Campanelli, MD
Minneapolis Facial Plastic Surgeon

Smokers and facelifts

A smoker is not a candidate for a facelift until they have been away from all nicotine for at least a month. Then there is the choice of facelift technique. Please carefully read the reviews of the LS lift and you will find a great number of unhappy people. Not so with real facelifts done by real plastic surgeons.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Smoking can cause serious complications with any type of facelift

Smoking compromises circulation. Patients who smoke are at greatly increased risk of bleeding complications during and after the surgery as well as scarring after surgery. It's possible that patients who smoke can have skin necrosis as well which occurs when the skin actually dies as a result of a lack of adequate blood flow. This can result in permanent scarring and healing delays that can take months to resolve. A lifestyle lift is subject to the same smoking risk as other facelift... more