walkitout (walkitout) wrote,
walkitout
walkitout

smokers and elective, cosmetic surgery

FWIW, I know a number of people (some smokers, some not) who have had a variety of elective cosmetic surgery done. I've watched TV shows on the subject. I read one full length book (the excellent _Lift_ by Joan Kron). I've read articles. I'm not entirely opposed to elective, cosmetic surgery. Really, I swear. I _am_ opposed to breast reduction for women who intend to get pregnant and have children in the future; when I read what people who did have breast reduction go through trying to breastfeed, it just makes me sad and furious. I am also opposed to breast augmentation for very young women/girls (sweet sixteen gifts). I think some "work" looks a little weird and I tend to prefer the way unmodified people look as they age, but I recognize that we all have different styles and approaches to things -- and that I might well change my mind about some or all of this as I get older. I think that _anyone_ who pressures _anyone_ into getting elective, cosmetic surgery of _any sort_ is Teh Evil. If I weren't so pregnant, I'd volunteer to help you go beat the crap out of them if you actually knew one.

With that _massive_ disclaimer, check this out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/fashion/14SKIN.html

The setup: nicotine (which would be in cigarettes BUT ALSO in the patch and gum intended to help people stop smoking) makes blood vessels constrict. Tight blood vessels inhibit wound healing. Docs doing elective surgery HAVE to make sure there are the absolute minimum number of bad outcomes; docs doing cosmetic surgery HAVE to make sure things look good when they're done if they want to stay in business. So at least some docs who are doing elective, cosmetic surgery are insisting their clients stop smoking some amount of time before and after the surgery. They're writing scrip (Wellbutrin, Chantix, etc.) and referring to hypnotists.

This is a good thing, right?

Altho, a little disturbing. I don't mind dying, but if I can't have work done, _that's_ a problem?

On one level, this makes me really wonder about some of those dopamine researchers. Maybe they aren't measuring the right things. Maybe there's a big chunk of the population out there that doesn't give a flying fuck about their health, or their money -- but they do care a whole lot about how they look and how people respond to their looks. Wouldn't be the first time a researcher said these people aren't teachable when what was really going on was the researcher wasn't using the right approach.
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