Contrary to popular beliefs, a new study reveals that the practice of plastic surgery has an unexpected health benefit. It helps people quit smoking.
According to the new study, as published in The Daily Mail, patients are advised to drop cigarettes for at least a month before any cosmetic procedure, since nicotine restricts blood flow and prohibits skin flaps from healing.
The research published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery shows that the one month abstinence leads 25 percent of smokers to quit altogether.
Another 40 percent smoke occasionally and 70 percent say that it was the first time they realistically considered quitting.
The findings add to an already rising trend in plastic surgery which saw America spending a staggering $16 billion on cosmetic procedures.
According to experts, nicotine has been shown to shrink capillaries, resulting in reductions in blood flow and it can lead a nip-and-tuck go horribly wrong, since the skin struggles to reattach.
Surgeons urge patients to quit smoking full-stop, for general health reasons.
However, studies have shown that a month without smoking makes enough of a difference to prevent major complications.
