LAM FACIAL PLASTICS

Hi Dr. Lam,

I ask these questions as a non-smoker but rather just for interest's sake, so no chidings please:)

a) Just how bad is smoking for the skin and aging? How much difference does one tend to see between a smoker and a non-smoker, and if there is a notable difference, where do these aesthetic differences tend to manifest themselves?

b) How much does smoking affect plastic surgery procedures, and even something like fat grafting or lasers? DO you find smokers tend to heal less greatly than non-smokers?

Thanks for answering:)

a) Just how bad is smoking for the skin and aging? How much difference does one tend to see between a smoker and a non-smoker, and if there is a notable difference, where do these aesthetic differences tend to manifest themselves?

TERRIBLE. IT IS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR THE SKIN OTHER THAN TANNING/EXCESSIVE SUN EXPOSURE. OF COURSE, GENETICS PLAY A HUGE ROLE TOO. YOU COULD SMOKE AND GET LUCKY WITH YOUR GENES. AESTHETICALLY, THE SKIN CAN BE THINNER, HAVE MORE WRINKLES, AND HAVE BAD TEXTURE AND TONE.

b) How much does smoking affect plastic surgery procedures, and even something like fat grafting or lasers? DO you find smokers tend to heal less greatly than non-smokers?

HEALING AFTER FAT GRAFTING IF YOU SMOKE SHOULD NOT BE GREATLY IMPACTED BECAUSE I AM NOT WORKING ON THE SKIN. SMOKING IMPACTS MORE GREATLY WHEN THE SKIN IS BEING WORKED ON LIKE WITH LASERS AND A FACELIFT. IN ANY SITUATION, YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN SMOKERS AND EVEN PREVIOUS SMOKERS. I HAD A LADY IN WHOM I WAS GOING TO DO A FACELIFT, PLASMA RESURFACING, AND FAT GRAFTING BUT HER SKIN WAS SO TERRIBLE FROM PREVIOUS SMOKING (SHE HAD QUIT MANY YEARS AGO) THAT I COULDN'T SAFELY DO THE PLASMA PORTION OF IT AND DELAYED HER PLASMA NOW FOR 3 MONTHS. YES, SMOKERS CAN HEAL POORLY AND TAKE LONGER.