Does Smoking Limit or Shorten the Effects of Restylane?

I don't think we'll know the answer to this question for sure until it is studied and tested.  Our inclination is that over the the time period (approximately 6 months) that Restylane normally takes to degrade, there would not be an appreciable difference between a smoker and non-smoker.

Hi K,
Smoking is very bad for the skin in many ways, resulting in acceleration of the aging of the skin. In addition, smoke degrades hyaluronic acid.
So you have a two fold problem with smoking; you need more product to fill the damaged skin, and then the product disappears more rapidly.
Good luck with giving up the bad habit.
Dr. P

I have not seen that this filler lasts less long in smokers when injected in cheeks and areas other than the lips. There is less duration typically, of any temporary filler, when it is injected into the upper lip lines of smokers because of the pursing that is done to hold the cigarette in the mouth. This activity of the lip’s muscles increases the body’s clearing effect as there is greater circulation of blood flow related to the muscle motion.

It is unlikely that smoking will affect the longevity of the filler product whether it is restylane or another HA.

Restylane is a very popular and effective hyaluronic acid-base dermal filler. It has been used widely throughout the face for the correction of deep lines and wrinkles.
Although smoking will not directly affect the behavior of Restylane, it will affect the characteristics of your skin and make your overall skin treatment regimen less effective. If you are receiving Restylane and other skin treatments, do yourself a favor and stop smoking to optimize the appearance of your skin.
 

Free radicals found in cigarette smoke has been shown to degrade hyaluronic acid which is the main component of restylane. Whether smoking causes restylane that has been injected to degrade faster -- well, I think we could only speculate. Smoking certainly speeds the aging process, besides being a huge risk factor for lung cancer. I'll save the lecture, however, for my own patients.