That is probably one of the most important questions... Very good. Like with any surgery, swelling of the upper lip is to be expected. Depending on the technique used and the extend of dissection (release of tissue underneath the skin to reposition it), the swelling can be in the entire upper lip and be accompanied with bruising. As a rule of thumb, swelling and bruising are worst approximately 48hours after your surgery. The swelling goes down in the first week. In case of bruises, they need anything between 5-10 days to settle. Cover up make-up can be applied 48hours after your surgery. There are make-up kits that have been designed to hide bruises after surgery. Here are my 3K's....3 simple tips to help you recover faster after Lip Lift surgery: Keep it high: whenever you lay down to rest (even during the day), make sure to have you head rest at an elevated position - place an additional pillow under your back/ head and do so for the first week. Keep it cool: Cooling your upper lip will help the swelling to go down faster. It also means not to take too hot showers and avoid any strenuous activities in the first 14 days after surgery. Keep it moving: In order to reduce swelling it is advisable to do two 30minutes walks every day. We are speaking of strolls, not work-outs for a tough mudder. The movement will active lymphatic flow. You can also get instruction on how to perform MLD (manual lymphatic drainage) which will help settling the swelling earlier. Hope this helps. Kind regards, GB