Smoking is injurious to health! This is one warning we all read behind cigarette packs. Smoking and hair are two inter-related factors. If you are not aware of this relation, the content below will enrich your knowledge about the relation between smoking and hair growth, hair loss and hair transplant.

We all know that smoking is injurious to health. But if you are planning to undergo a hair transplant, then you should think twice about smoking not just before the process, but also after it. Hair transplant is a very expensive procedure which needs care for the best outcome. But, if you continue to smoke before as well as after the procedure, then don’t consider the results as promised to you by your doctor.

Reasons why Smoking should be avoided

• Nicotine, the major composition of tobacco and cigarettes is a vasoconstrictor that leads to the contraction of the blood vessels. As a result, the blood flow in the body is reduced, while the oxygen content is diminished.
• Reduced oxygen in the body also results into reduced nutrients to the operated area. As a result, it takes more time to heal, while the grafts are more likely to die. As a result, the procedure can be an absolute failure, with all your money getting wasted.
• Presence of nicotine in the blood may also cause excessive bleeding and also oozing in the surgery area. In patients who smoke before the surgery, the blood vessels which other-wise stay constricted, open up causing excessive blood flow making the surgery extremely uncomfortable for the patient and the doctor.
• Smoking also leads to scarring and also infection in the patient post-operation. The scrabs remain longer on the operated area, leading to scarring.

According to doctors, even patients with high diabetes can have a successful hair transplant as compared to those who smoke.

How to ensure a successful hair Transplant?

In order to make your hair transplant procedure successful, you need to make sure that your hair follicles get enough blood supply. And for this, you need to stop smoking at least 2 weeks prior to the surgery. Also, you may resume to smoking 2 weeks after the surgery in order to have natural healing and hair growth on the grafted area.