Smoking affects healing in a negative way. If you are an active smoker, you would need to stop smoking for at least 2 weeks before surgery and at least 2 weeks after surgery. Dr. Rizk recommends to stop smoking altogether, as smoking also makes the face age faster by absorbing collagen and destroying the blood vessels which nourish the skin. A deep plane facelift is preferred in patients with a history of smoking so as not to further interrupt the blood vessels going to the skin.