Is it ok to smoke before browpexy, brow lift, or upper eyelid surgery?

The goal of aesthetic surgery is to improve appearance. In some cases, as a trade-off this involves inconspicuously places incisions, in other cases a desired result may be obtained through a minimal incision. In any case, smoking undermines both efforts to produce an aesthetically pleasing outcome by impairing blood flow to healing tissues, in some instances causing significant compromise of the operated tissue and/or soft tissue loss, in all cases causing a substantial delay in healing. It makes no difference if the smoke is second hand, or the nicotine is delivered via a different vehicle. A nicotine patch, tobacco chew, or nicotine gum may not affect the pulmonary system, but vascular compromise is just the same. What this translates into is a possible loss of skin, fat and sometimes muscle at the edges of the incision, internal, and external, a poor quality of scar both inside and outside, possibly even keloid on the outside, and a tough fibrous scar/capsule on the inside, and an increase in the amount of time spent recovering. Specifically performing a brow lift on a smoker may exacerbate hair loss, noticeable wide, firm or discolored scarring in front of hairline, and wound breakdown. Endoscopic brow lift surgery is probably not as hazardous owing to the smaller incisions, but it cannot address severe skin excess. Wound breakdown can lead to the nuisance of wound care with healing taking up to six months. To diminish the effects of smoking and nicotine on surgery and healing a minimum of six weeks of abstinence is necessary.