It's no secret that some people go under the knife to keep that youthful appearance or just to enhance their assets. Doctors are now advising their patients going for a cosmetic procedure to stop smoking cigarettes and or e-cigarettes as it affects the healing of the skin after going under the knife.
In the cosmetic surgery industry, doctors are advising their patients to stop smoking cigarettes three to four weeks before their cosmetic procedure. Now, a similar advice will be given to the patients regarding the use of e-cigarettes or vapes.
Just like cigarettes, e-cigarettes contain nicotine that will prevent the proper healing of the skin after going under the knife. Nicotine in a process called vasoconstriction shrinks the blood capillaries thus reducing the flow of blood. The blood capillaries most affected by vasoconstriction are those on the skin.
If the skin fails to reattach together due to vasoconstriction, it will lead to complications regarding the patient's cosmetic procedure. Generally, people regardless if they are going for a cosmetic procedure or not are strongly advised to stop smoking for health reasons.
The warning against the use of e-cigarettes three to four weeks before a cosmetic procedure is backed up by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons(ASPS). ASPS surgeon members Dr. Peter Taub and Dr. Alan Matarasso say the warning against the use of e-cigarettes is just reasonable as smoking e-cigarettes, which are still technically the same as smoking real cigarettes.
The doctors are reiterating that a healthy blood flow leads to faster healing of wounds. Although some patients can still smoke after their cosmetic procedure, stopping three to four weeks before the cosmetic procedure lessens the chances of complications from forty percent to twenty percent.
Dr. Peter Taub and Dr. Alan Matarasso does acknowledge that cigarette smoking is dangerous because of chemical components beside nicotine that affect the health. Even though e-cigarettes also contain nicotine, doctors are not sure how dangerous the other chemical components of e-cigarettes are to the body.
Whether you are going for a cosmetic procedure or any kind of operation, it is best to follow the advice of your doctor. Their advise are important to the success of your operation and for your full recovery after surgery.
