Smoking is not only damaging to your general health, but it is also very hard on your skin. The toxins in cigarette smoke cause damage to your collagen and elastin, which are the components in your skin that keep it firm and supple. When these are damaged, your skin is less elastic, leading to premature aging and deeper wrinkles. Smoking also increases the melanin in your skin, especially on the face, leading to spots of increased pigment.

Our nurse injectors see fine lines around the mouth from smoking that are very difficult to treat because they are severe. So to try to reduce these fine lines, they have the best success combining treatment modalities. First, they often use neurotoxins to soften the vertical lip lines and decrease the “pucker power.” Next is generally the use of HA dermal fillers. It is challenging to treat this area effectively without bulking up the area above the lip, giving the “lion look.” Those who smoke and want to diminish the resulting lip lines want to be sure that they are treated by an injector who is experienced in this particular treatment so that a natural-looking result is achieved.

In our office, we also use energy-based treatments such as Resurfx® (nonablative fractionated laser) or Ultherapy® (high-intensity focused ultrasound), stimulating your body to make collagen. Microneedling is another treatment that helps rebuild collagen. In addition, several skincare products can help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. We recommend smoking cessation and treatments to correct the damage, but if you are a smoker, we can certainly help diminish the recurring damage.

Smoking can also affect your ability to have cosmetic surgery. Dr. Gregg recommends no nicotine products, including smoking, vaping, gum, or patches, for a minimum of four weeks pre-and post-surgery. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor and decreases the blood supply to tissues. In the case of a facelift, it is an absolute contraindication to perform a facelift on patients with active nicotine use as they have a significant risk of skin flap ischemia and loss of their skin. Dr. Wu requires absolutely no smoking for four weeks before surgery; longer is preferable. Adverse effects from nicotine use include partial or complete nipple, umbilical or general skin ischemia, and wound infection leading to wound breakdown.

For patient safety and successful recovery from surgery, we do not provide elective cosmetic surgeries to those who currently smoke; it is a risk that is not warranted.

For help and resources for quitting smoking, click here.