Is it possible to continue smoking after Hair Transplant?

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You know the disadvantages of smoking!

It is known that cigarettes and other tobacco products destroy the respiratory system and crash it by time. Smoking causes lung cancer, bladder cancer, throat cancer, and it is responsible for heart and blood vessels diseases.

Before Hair Transplant, your doctor will warn you about smoking and its effects on the body. Generally, it is recommended to stop smoking a week before the operation and two weeks after it. However, stopping smoking for longer period or quitting it completely is the best option.

Before we talk about the possibility to smoke after Hair Transplant, let us take a look on how smoking plays a role in Hair Transplant procedure.

Are You Aware Of Smoking Effects On Your Body During Hair Transplant?

Before Hair Transplant:

Smoking is a reason behind hair loss:

Researches show that smoking for long period causes hair loss. The toxic materials in cigarettes destroys the grafts and increases the risk of hair loss, especially if there is a hereditary predisposition.

Smoking affects the scalp’s health negatively

Healthy scalp means healthy hair. In order to get a healthy scalp, it is important to quit smoking. Smoking damages the scalp by reducing the necessary amount of blood and oxygen to form new hair and it prevents the nutrients from reaching the skin.

Moreover, smoking affects blood flooding negatively, which is responsible for not having enough nutrients in the grafts.

During Hair Transplant:

Smoking increases the risk of bleeding:

Cigarettes and tobacco products are a factor that increases the risk of bleeding during Hair Transplant. The lack of nicotine in the body increases bleeding during the procedure, excessive bleeding during the procedure increases its duration.

Smoking shortens the life cycle of the grafts:

Excessive bleeding occurs during the procedure, which creates problems in maintaining the grafts’ health. Smoking reduces the possibilities of grafts stability in the scalp, which leads to shortening their life cycle.

After Hair Transplant:

Smoking extends the duration of recovery:

Nicotine stiffens blood vessels and narrows them. The narrowed blood vessels affect the oxygen circle in the body. This delays the recovery. It can be considered as a low quality procedure for the patient, especially if the FUE technique took a long time for recovering in both donor area and transplanted area.

Smoking increases the risk of infection:

After Hair Transplant, changes occur in the head depending on the applied technique, but the small holes that holds the roots starts to flake during recovery. These small injuries are exposed to many viruses and bacteria. Smoking during this period increases possibility of infections in these spots. This risk is too high for smokers.

Smoking affects new hair negatively:

Cigarettes and other tobacco products boosts the duration of recovery and increases the risk of infection due to nicotine and carbon monoxide, and it prevents new hair growth after the procedure, also it causes weak hair growth.

Apart from all this, you should quit smoking in order to protect hair even if the results are good after the procedure.

The choice is yours:

Smoking does not cause only a failed Hair Transplant. Although, it is important to quit smoking as a precaution. Many doctors agree on how important it is to quit smoking a week before the procedure and two weeks after it.

It is up to you if you want to continue smoking after Hair Transplant, after seeing all the information that clarify how cigarettes and tobacco products affect the procedure, and what are the results you want to get.

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