We all know that smoking is a bad habit.  It is bad for your health and adds years to your appearance.  Since a side effect of smoking is premature aging, many smokers look to cosmetic surgery to regain some of the youthful features.   However, smokers need to be informed that their habit can cause serious complications after any type of surgery, including cosmetic surgery.  Dr. John Millard follows strict guidelines in regards to smoking and surgery.  Smoking (both nicotine and marijuana), causes a tightening of arteries and a decrease in blood flow,  thereby restricting blood supply.

This can in turn create a loss of skin, and dramatically affect procedure results and recovery time.  For preventative measures, Dr. Millard requires all his liposuction patients to quit smoking (this includes NO nicotine patches or gum) for 30 days before and after surgery.  In addition, he requires all patients having a tummy tuck and/or breast lift procedure to be smoke free for 60 days. We do test for nicotine in the system and have patients sign a tobacco release form.  This is something Dr. Millard takes very seriously in order to protect all patients from skin loss.

While cosmetic surgery can restore and enhance a person’s youthful appearance, it isn’t a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. Smokers who undergo cosmetic surgery should see their smoking restriction as the first step towards a healthy and smoke-free life.  Your body and appearance will thank you.

Exposing your surgical areas to the sun can cause  damage.  Following plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery, it is important not to expose your body to the sun after surgery.  The surface area in which has been treated becomes much more susceptible to a sunburn then it normally is.  We advise patients to stay out of the sun for at least 6 weeks following liposelection, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and other various procedures.  After this time frame, it is still important to cover any incision sites (scars) with sunscreen and preferably band aids and/or clothing, for at least a year.  This helps prevent any hyper-pigmentation of the scar/s, helping it fade to white.