Lower Blepharoplasty Recovery Timeline: What to Expect After Surgery
Lower Blepharoplasty Recovery Timeline: What to Expect After Surgery
By Pradeep Mettu, MD
ASOPRS-trained cosmetic oculoplastic surgeon
Raleigh Eye and Face Plastic Surgery
How Hard Is Recovery After Lower Blepharoplasty...Really?
For many patients considering lower blepharoplasty, the surgery itself is not what makes them hesitate.
It is the recovery.
How swollen will I be?
How much will I bruise?
When can I return to work?
When can I exercise?
When can I wear makeup and contact lenses again?
And perhaps most importantly, when will I actually be happy with how I look?
As a high-volume lower blepharoplasty practice, we see patients at every stage of recovery. One of the most important things to understand before surgery is that not everyone heals on exactly the same timeline.
Some patients have very little bruising or swelling and look remarkably good within the first week. Others have considerably more swelling and bruising and simply need longer to heal. Both can occur during a normal recovery.
Here is the general lower blepharoplasty recovery timeline we give our patients.
Days 1–3: Swelling and Bruising
Swelling and bruising typically increase during the first few days after lower blepharoplasty and often peak during this period.
It is also common for one side to look different from the other early in recovery. The two eyelids do not necessarily heal at exactly the same rate.
Days 4–7: Early Improvement
During the remainder of the first week, swelling and bruising generally begin to improve.
Some patients have surprisingly little visible bruising at one week, while others still clearly look like they recently had surgery.
Do not compare your Day 7 recovery with someone else's Day 7.
Days 8–10: Continued Healing
Bruising and swelling typically continue to improve.
Our patients are still instructed to avoid strenuous exercise, heavy lifting and bending during this period.
Day 11: Returning to Exercise
Beginning on Day 11, our patients can generally resume exercise at approximately 50% of their normal effort.
Activity can then be gradually increased as recovery progresses.
Day 15: Makeup and Contact Lenses
Beginning around Day 15, some eye makeup can generally be resumed. Patients can also typically begin wearing contact lenses again at this point.
Weeks 2–3: Becoming More Socially Presentable
By the second and third weeks, many patients are becoming increasingly comfortable returning to their normal social and professional activities.
Some bruising or swelling may still be present, however, and patients who heal more slowly may need additional time.
Around 1 Month: Most Patients Are Happy With Their Appearance
This is an important milestone and an important distinction when discussing lower blepharoplasty recovery.
Most of our patients are happy with their appearance by approximately one month after lower blepharoplasty, even though the eyelids are not completely finished healing.
We also generally have no remaining postoperative restrictions after one month, allowing patients to return fully to their usual activities.
Being happy with your appearance and being completely finished healing are not the same thing.
Around 3 Months: Approximately 85% Healed
At approximately three months, we generally consider our lower blepharoplasty patients to be about 85% healed.
By this point, most of the obvious recovery is well behind them, although the result can continue to settle and refine.
Can Lower Blepharoplasty Healing Take Longer?
Yes. Some patients simply heal more slowly than others.
Subtle swelling or asymmetry can continue to improve for many months, and in some patients we may not consider the result completely final until approximately one year after surgery.
That does not mean a patient looks like they are recovering from surgery for a year.
Most patients are happy with their appearance much earlier. The later stages of recovery are generally about more subtle changes that continue as the tissues heal.
Does Lower Blepharoplasty Technique Affect Recovery?
Surgical technique can affect the recovery experience.
At Raleigh Eye and Face Plastic Surgery, Dr. Mettu performs lower blepharoplasty through a transconjunctival incision hidden inside the lower eyelid. There is no external skin incision for the lower blepharoplasty itself.
Through this internal approach, prominent lower eyelid fat can be carefully reduced while preserving the external lower eyelid skin and muscle.
You can learn more about the procedure, technique and what lower blepharoplasty is designed to treat on our Lower Blepharoplasty page.
Lower Blepharoplasty Recovery Is Different for Every Patient
Recovery is a process, not a specific day on the calendar.
One patient's one-week result should not become another patient's expectation for one week after surgery. Some patients bruise very little. Others bruise more. Some swelling disappears quickly, while some takes longer to resolve.
Your recovery gets its own timeline.
For most patients, the major milestones occur during the first several weeks, most are happy with their appearance by approximately one month, and the result then continues to gradually refine over the following months.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Lower Blepharoplasty?
Lower blepharoplasty is commonly used to address prominent under-eye bags caused by lower eyelid fat. These concerns can develop with age, but they can also be hereditary and appear in much younger patients.
Age alone does not determine whether someone is an appropriate candidate. Anatomy, the cause of the under-eye concern, overall health and the patient's goals all matter.
For more information, read: How Do You Know If You're a Good Candidate for Lower Blepharoplasty?
Considering Lower Blepharoplasty in Raleigh?
Raleigh Eye and Face Plastic Surgery is a practice focused on oculofacial plastic surgery with extensive experience in cosmetic lower blepharoplasty. Patients travel to Raleigh from across North Carolina, throughout the United States and internationally for surgery with Pradeep Mettu, MD.
Dr. Mettu is an ASOPRS-trained cosmetic oculoplastic surgeon with extensive experience performing lower blepharoplasty, including surgery for younger patients with congenital or hereditary under-eye bags.
Patients outside the Raleigh area who are interested in lower blepharoplasty may be able to begin the process with a cosmetic video consultation with Dr. Mettu.
Ready to learn whether lower blepharoplasty may be appropriate for you?
Schedule an in-person cosmetic consultation with Dr. Mettu or review our video consultation information if you live outside central North Carolina.
Recovery timelines are general guidelines based on our clinical experience. Individual recovery varies. Patients should follow the specific postoperative instructions provided by their surgeon and contact their surgeon with questions or concerns during recovery.
