How Long Does It Take to Recover From Eyelid Surgery?

Every year, more and more people are turning to eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) to roll back the clock. But many patients are confused about the recovery period.

There’s good news—you won’t have to spend months recovering from eyelid surgery. In fact, you’ll be back to enjoying life in just a few weeks. Read on to find out more.

How long does it take to recover from blepharoplasty?

Eyelid surgery is a fairly straightforward procedure, and recovery is brief. You can return to work around the 10th day of your recovery, and resume most normal activities within a couple weeks.

With that said, everyone is different and experiences pain different. Your recovery speed will depend on your overall health, age, and the ability of your surgeon.

What is pain management like for eyelid surgery?

Fortunately, pain after blepharoplasty subsides quickly—usually by the end of the second day of your recovery.

Plus, pain stemming from eye surgery is easily managed using prescription medicine. The main issue you’ll be concerned with after your procedure isn’t actually pain, but dryness and itchiness.

Your doctor will explain how to use ointments and eye drops to keep both your incisions and eyes from getting too dry and causing discomfort. However, even these issues are annoyances at worst—pain from eyelid surgery is minimal.

What’s a typical recovery period like for eyelid surgery?

Your recovery may vary, but in general you can expect:

• Days 1-3: You’ll use ointment to keep your incisions from drying out. For the first few days, expect tightness, swelling, slightly blurred vision from using the ointment, and dryness in your eyes. You can use eye drops to keep your eyes lubricated.
• Day 1-7: For the first week, you’ll want to avoid any activities that could dry out your eyes, such as reading, watching TV or using the computer, or wearing contacts. By the 7th day of your recovery, your surgeon will remove any stitches from your procedure.
• Day 10: Many patients feel good enough to resume most normal activities, including work.
• Days 1-14: Up until now, you should wear dark sunglasses to protect your eyes from wind and the sun.
• Days 1-21: For the first several weeks of your procedure, your eyes will get tired easily. You should take naps as needed.
• Days 1-28: Until the end of your 4th week of recovery, you’ll need to avoid any activities that increases blood flow to your eyes—that means lifting, sports, exercise, bending over, and crying.

All in all, recovery from eyelid surgery is pretty straightforward.

When should you seek medical attention after blepharoplasty?

Thankfully, major complications from eyelid surgery are rare. Still, you should seek help if you experience:

• Signs of infection, including fever
• Burst blood vessels in the eye
• Major vision loss, separate from blurriness associated with ointment use
• Extreme pain, itchiness or redness

Remember, the best way to minimize your risk of medical issues is to choose a professional, experienced surgeon.

Ready for blepharoplasty?

For any plastic surgery procedure, it’s vital to choose the right surgeon. That means finding a doctor willing to put you and your needs first, explaining the entire process and answering all of your questions.

It’s pretty simple to find a doctor capable of getting results. But the best doctors stick with you every step of the way, until the very last day of your recovery.