What is the standard eyelid surgery recovery time?

Typical recovery is as follows:

Pain Level: Mild discomfort. 0-3 days of pain medication; may not require medication
Swelling and bruising: skin removal only: 3-5 days; skin & fat removal: 1-2 weeks
Stitches: if used, removed in 2 -5 days; no bandages
Work: Return after 5 days with makeup; After 2-3 weeks without makeup
Exercise: Wait 2-3 weeks
Sun protection: Six months with SPF 15 or higher
Final result: Seen after 1-2 months

Contact lenses may be worn in 1-2 weeks (glasses can be worn immediately)
Eye makeup can be worn after 7 days

For faster recovery:
• Sleep with your head elevated for the first few days after surgery to minimize swelling
• Place ice compresses on your eyes for 1-3 days
• Avoid activities that dry the eyes (reading, watching television, wearing contacts, and using a computer)
• Avoid excessive blinking, which leads to increased swelling
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from wind and sun irritation
• Avoid any activity that increases blood flow to the eyes (bending, lifting, crying and exercise)
• Don't drink alcohol (can cause fluid retention and delay recovery)

I would say for the vast majority of patients, the bulk of the bruising and swelling goes away within 2 weeks and therefore it would be rare that I would recommend a patient take more than 2 weeks off work. If you have a desk job, you probably would be able to back in 5-7 days with the understanding that you would still have some bruising and swelling but that could probably manage to cover up with a little concealer. If your job requires heavy lifting (police officer, firefighter, nurse, etc.), then I would recommend taking a full 2 weeks off work.
Now that being said, some patients heal more slowly than this and some much quicker. If you are over the age of 65, are a diabetic, smoker, have hypothyroid or take medications that slow your metabolism, it may take longer for you to heal, so plan for it. This is just for the bulk of the bruising and swelling.
In terms of incision lines, sensation of your eyelids to touch and overall final results, I would say wait 3-6 months at least. The reason is that scars continue to mature, sensation of the skin to fine touch and overall healing continue up to a year after surgery. After one year, most people are probably as healed as they are going to be. Which always brings up the next question, what can I do if I'm not happy with my eyelid surgery? The short answer is wait at least 6-12 months before seeing a second opinion. As an oculoplastic surgeon I do a lot of revisional surgery from patients who have had surgery elsewhere. I would say more patients do get better with time, but if you are entirely happy wait at least 6 months before considering a second operation

You are in luck. Typically patients may return to work in 1 week.  Bruising and swelling are somewhat variable, but in my experience most patients can be back at work at 7 days.  Now, if you work on camera in broadcasting, for instance, 2 to 3 weeks may be needed, as occasionally bruising may last that long.  Stitches are usually removed at 4 or 5 days post-op, after which my patients may apply makeup.  Good luck!

This is an excellent question! Recovery can vary based on patient (skin type, blood thinners, diabetes, etc.) and degree of surgery (skin only blepharoplasty, skin + fat excision, fat reposition, etc.) however generally speaking:
- Around 1-2 weeks of swelling and bruising of the upper and lower lids- I typically ask patients to take about 1 week off of work to avoid heavy lifting and exertion which can make swelling and bruising slower to resolve - The biggest complaint patients have is typically irritation/dry eyes associated with some of the inflammation from surgery. This is treated with artificial tears and antibiotic eye ointment. - You should be able to return to work in 2 weeks, though there is a chance you may still have some mild bruising and swelling. At this point it is okay to put on makeup (if you wear it), though I like to have patients avoid putting directly on the incision line for about 3 weeks.
Hope this helps! Kyle Kimura, MDFacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

The recovery time for eyelid surgery can vary depending on the extent of the procedure, whether additional procedures are done at the same time, and individual healing factors. In general, I recommend taking 2 weeks off of work to be conservative, but most people will be able to return to work and normal activities within 7-10 days. Exercise and strenuous activities should be avoided for about 3 weeks.
It is normal to have bruising and swelling for the first 1-2 weeks, which gradually subsides. While patients are generally pleased with their results at their one-month visit, full healing and final results take several months to a year. Scars will continue to fade over time, and the final outcome of the surgery becomes more apparent as swelling completely resolves.

Most patients only need to take 7 days off work. Your stitches will be removed 4 days after your procedure. This will significantly speed up the recovery time. Swelling and bruising you may have will be virtually gone by day 10. However, I do recommend my patients to stay away from direct sunlight and wear sunglasses for several weeks when they are working outdoors. Best of luck to you.

Any surgery including upper eyelid surgery has a recovery phase that goes through swelling. I think 2 weeks off is more than what standard patients do. Most of my patients, if taking any time off for eyelid surgery, take one week off. and by second week most of them look presentable.

Hello,

Eyelid surgery recovery varies based on the exact nature of surgery performed(upper eyelids, lower eyelids, fat grafts etc..) as well as the individual's tendency to bruise and their intrinsic healing patterns.
Generally, most individuals allow for 7-10 days away from work and social activity and can usually cover any residual redness along the scar and bruising with make up at one week.
I recommend avoiding any blood thinner medications and herbals at least 10-15 days prior to surgery to minimize bruising. Arnica supplements are advised before and continued after the procedure and cold compresses and head elevation are also helpful to reduce swelling afterwards.

Warm regards,

Dr. Pedy Ganchi
Village Plastic Surgery

The length of the recovery period after eyelid surgery is somewhat dependent on the amount of surgery required, their tendency towards bruising, and their individual healing characteristics. How speedy the recovery is also depends on the care and techniques your surgeon uses. For most of my patients having Upper Blepharoplasty the social down time is usually less than two weeks. For Lower Blepharoplasty the social down time for my patients can be a little longer - usually around two weeks but this can vary depending on the surgery performed. The lower lids can still have some visible discolouration around weeks two and three, which patients can cover with camouflage make up.

Most important - you should not need more than 2 weeks to recover from eyelid surgery. Your post-op recovery will depend on what surgery, or combination of surgery you will have. For upper lid blepharoplasty only (surgical removal of excess skin on upper eyelids), the recovery is typically 1 week. You may want to add a weekend on if there is a lot of bruising and swelling. There will be sutures in place. They typically come out on post-op day 6 or 7. Expect to have swelling and bruising which will go down and allow you to go out in public after appx 7-10 days. You should not have a lot of pain. Of course you will need someone to drive you home, and your vision may be slightly blurred from the ointments and swelling for the first couple of days.. For upper and lower lid blepharoplasty, the healing time is a bit longer. 10 to 14 days. That is because there is more potential bruising and swelling around the eyes. For most patients, recovery from eyelid surgery is fairly easy. And there isn't a significant amount of pain. 

Recovery for upper and lower blepharoplasty are slightly different and depend on the procedure involved. Most patients return to work after 5-7 days for upper blepharoplasty, with pinch lower blepharoplasty (skin only lower eyelids) is similar. Recovery involving fat removal for lower blepharoplasty takes longer, often 10 days or so - transconjunctical fat removal has a quicker recovery than the traditional transcutaneous approach. Combined upper and lower blepharoplasty has a slightly longer recovery - often requiring 14 days (2 weeks) off work