How long must I stop smoking before a mommy makeover?

The standard answer to that question is 4 to 6 weeks.  Cigarettes can cause the blood vessels to go into spasm and this gets less likely at 4 weeks and then there is the direct affect of decreasing oxygen to the tissue when you smoke shortly after surgery.  As an former smoker, I would say if you have made it four weeks then you should never start again. There are some difficult urges to smoke for a year but they are less frequent and last for only short periods of time.

You should stop smoking at least two weeks (preferably four weeks) before any type of body contouring plastic surgery. Discuss this in more detail with your surgeon.Best wishes,Dr.Bruno

Smoking cigarettes (and the nicotine found in some gum) can cause serious healing issues.The blood supply to the nipples/areolas as well as to the skin around and below the navel is reduced because of the nicotine.With a reduced blood supply, the skin of these regions can actually die once an incision is made with either a mastopexy (breast lift) or abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).  I ask my patients to stop smoking all cigarettes and discontinue any nicotine gum for one month prior to their procedures.