Smoking is one of thechief causesof facial wrinkles. Although they often look more pronounced in women who smoke, men also have them and in either case they are not attractive. Stopping smoking after many years is often too late to help banish the wrinkles, though it can dramatically impact your health for the positive.

Can Plastic Surgery Get Rid of My Smoker’s Wrinkles?

If you have been unsuccessful in banishing those wrinkles, consider the many procedures that are available to everyone these days. Everything from injectable fillers to actual surgery are possibilities. Smoking produces free radicals that cause aging both inside and out. These free radicals attack the skin’s collagen, ultimately resulting in a grayish appearance to the skin and an aging and drooping face.

Can Topical Creams and Lotions Help?

If treated early enough, there can be some improvement with the use of some topical products like Retin-A, for example. The Alpha-Hydroxy acids(fruit acids) might lessen some early wrinkles as well. Sunscreen used regularly also helps to prevent more wrinkles. However, when it comes to deep smoker’s wrinkles, the best way to remove them is usually through a surgical or non-surgical facial plastic surgery procedure.

What Procedures Are Available?

There are many available treatments on the market, including a variety of non-surgical options. For best results, these procedures should always be performed by a board certified plastic surgeon.

  • Glycolic acid peels can make a difference in some wrinkles, but multiple and maintenance treatments may be needed.
  • Botox® is effective in treating dynamic wrinkles, including smoker’s lines above the upper lip. Results generally last 3 to 6 months and must be repeated in order to maintain the effect.
  • Chemical peels with trichloracetic or salicylic acids have also proven effective.
  • Dermabrasion can also be used which essentially removes the outermost layer of damaged skin through a process akin to sanding.  
  • Laser resurfacing is another option which removes outer damaged layers of skin and activates collagen production.  

What About Surgery?

If the peels and fillers have not done the job, it might be time to consider surgery. A brow lift or a complete face lift may be able to do more to reduce those wrinkles. To learn more about effective treatments for smoker’s wrinkles, contact Dr. Kyle Choe of The Choe Center for Facial Plastic Surgery Center in Virginia Beach, for a consultation at 757.389.5850.