How Long Before Blepharoplasty Final Results Are Seen?

Question

A friend of mine told me that I would have to allow 6 months for the full benefits of the upper eyelid Blepharoplasty I am considering. Is it realistic to think that the results will continue to improve for 6 months? Isn't a couple months much more logical?

Trevor M. Born, MD · Answer

Dear Darby, healing can be quite variable.  Most of the early/significant changes occur in the first month. You should be presentable by 10 days.  Less noticable changes over the next three months - and depending on the type of surgery/combination of surgeries - healing can take 6 months to a year.
 
With Warm Regards,
Trevor M Born MD

Eric M. Joseph, MD · Answer

With upper blepharoplasty, you should notice an attractive return of an upper lid crease shortly after surgery. By 7-10 days most people resume work and normal social activities and are thrilled with their results. 
All of the swelling reduction and scar maturation takes many months, but this will not be noticeable to most people.
Best regards.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Dear Darby  
Upper blepharoplasty is socially passable in 2 weeks but you will be aware of swelling in the upper eyelid tissues for about 2 months.  
It is true that wound continue to heal over very extended periods of time.  From a practical stand point by three months on very little change in the tissues is seen.  
The lower eyelid is somewhat different.    While these time frames generally hold there are a couple of issue that make one more aware of the lower eyelids for a longer period of time.  
The first factor is the removal of skin under the eye just below the eye lashes.  This so called infracilliary incision is visible.  As the incision matures, the redness in the incision fades.  This can easily take 6 months or more to settle down.  
The other factor is any midface procedures that may have been performed to mobilize and elevate the cheek soft tissues.  disruption in lymphatics in these tissues leads to very persistant soft tissue swelling that can easily take 6 months or even more to full heal.    
Talk with you surgeon to understand what they are planning to do and how long they anticipate you will take to heal.   
Dr. Steinsapir

Malena Amato, MD, FACS · Answer

Typical healing after blepharoplasty occurs within the first few weeks after surgery and you should be back to full activity after that and look relatively healed. However, there will continue to be subtle changes in swelling and scar line that can take up to 6 months for final healing. If you are considering eyelid revision after blepharoplasty, I recommend waiting until you are completely healed, unless there is an urgent need to intervene such as an infection, wound dehiscence etc. Hope this helps.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

Final blepharoplasty results are usually seen two to three months after the procedure has been performed. It usually takes a couple of months for the incision to heal, and most of the visual swelling is gone in approximately one month.

Christopher L. Hess, MD · Answer

Depending how much work was done it can be up to 6 weeks to see the benefits. However, typically it's more like 2-3 weeks. With the proper post operative care such as cold packs and elevation you can expect to have a social down time of about 7-10 days. Six months is incorrect.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Yes, the majority of swelling will come down in 4-6 weeks.  There will be a small amount of swelling that will be present for months.  This may be exacerbated by activity level as well.

S. Randolph Waldman, MD · Answer

Generally some swelling might be present for up to 6 months after eyelid surgery especially surgery involving the lower lids. Having stated this most of the noticeable swelling should be gone within a couple of months.

Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

6 months is a lomng time to wait for a final result after blepharoplasty. Usually you see the benefits of the upper lids immediately following surgery and lower lids look better after 3 weeks. It is true that some swelling can take 3-4 months to resolve but it is usually the last 20-30 % of swelling that takes this long.
Other issues such as lid lag, difficulty closing the eyes after excessive skin resection and other complex problems can take 6 months to resolve.
See before and after photos of blepharoplasty.

How Long Before Blepharoplasty Final Results Are Seen?

Answers (9)

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