Will Bruising After Blepharoplasty Go Away?

Hi Becky,
Thank you for your question.
If it is bruising, it should clear up. Some patients heal within two to three weeks and other patients it takes months. It just depends on each individual and exactly what was done. There are many variations of lower blepharoplasty procedures.
If you still have the dark circles under your eyes after you have given it some more time, it could possibly be something else besides bruising. At this point, it may be time to pay another visit to your plastic surgeon and have him/her exam you. They should be able to advise you on your condition, and how to treat.
As for now, there are supplements that can maybe help with the discoloration and make-up is always a quick fix.
Thanks for your question. Have a great day!
Best regards,
Dr. Speron

Most bruising, if it's true bruising, will all eventually go away. Sometimes there are pigments in your skin that was not noticed before surgery and now you just started seeing it, and those pigments won't likely go away. but if you are only one month after surgery, I recommend waiting longer first.

This question should be presented to the surgeon who performed your operation.  "Bruising" is the common term equivalent for "ecchymosis," blood clot (hemoglobin) beneath the skin that is visible on the skin as violet-blue-dark red coloration.  Darkness may indeed be related to hemosiderin (breakdown product of hemoglobin), post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, swelling with fine wrinkles and resulting shadows, some combination of these, or something else.  What will happen to that coloration over time depends on what it is, and your surgeon would know, based on your skin type, on his/her technique, and on the type of blepharoplasty you had.

Some bruising can remain for several weeks after surgery, but the majority of it should have disappeared by now. It’s important to follow your surgeon’s instructions on post-surgical care to help your recovery. The dark circles under your eyes could be bruising as well. However, if you are particularly concerned it’s always best to see your surgeon.

Usually bruising disappears within 7-10 days following blepharoplasty. Although your bruising is persisting longer, it should fully resolve with some more time. Be patient and reevaluate it in a couple of weeks. See your surgeon if you need peace of mind in the meantime. 

A faint amount of bruising may still exist even a month after surgery.  Make sure you see your surgeon to make sure there isn't some other issue, but in general this is not uncommon and will gradually resolve.

I would begin pulsed dye laser therapy and use a Bruisestick ointment on the skin three times daily. Raffy Karamanoukian Los Angeles

In the vast majority of patients, bruising is gone within 2 to 3 months following  blepharoplasty. Occasionally, bruising may persist for 2 to 3 months. When prolonged bruising occurs, be patient. Gentle massage, avoidance of sun exposure and topical agents may occasionally be helpful. Make sure you discuss the issue with your plastic surgeon. With time, this problem should resolve.

The answer to this depends on your natural skin type and coloring.  You can help the resolution of any post-operative bruising with topical cream that contains Vitamin K.  This will help to break up any remaining deposits of hemosiderin (the component of the bruise that can be long lasting, in the skin).

Some patients can have persistent bruising after blepharoplasty.  Some factors which can lead to darkness around the lower eyelid area include:

Failure of "blood" to be absorbed.  In select cases, can take months

Removal of too much fat-  Increasing the hollows around the lower eyelid can make the darkness darker.  Deeper hollows will create more darkness.  An analogy would be of deep water looking darker than lighter water.

Accentuation of Pigmentation-  In some ethnicities, pigmentation around the eyes can be accentuated post eye or nose procedure in select cases.  This will typically dissipate over time.

Typically after a lower lid blepharoplasty, much of the bruising will be gone after a week.  There are individual healing factors which can impact how one person heals versus another.  Your surgeon should have a solution to your darkness under your eyes.