How Long is the Healing Time for Laser Blepharoplasty in Order to Look Normal?

Question

I would like to have a laser blepharoplasty double eyelid surgery but is afraid over the healing periods. What will the effects be after one week?

Vivek Bansal, MD · Answer

After 1 week, you will still see some effects of the surgery. You can expect some swelling 2-3 weeks out, but should rapidly improve after that time. At 4-6 weeks, things should be looking very good. The variables will be how deep your fat was to be removed if any. If there was not any fat removed, and all they removed was skin, you will heal much quicker.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Your recovery time depends in large part on what is specifically meant by the term "laser" blepharoplasty.  If the laser is being used to resurface or smooth out wrinkles, then you could expect some redness of the skin to be present for several weeks.  However, after about a week, it should be pretty easy to cover the redness with makeup.  In general, most patients who have eyelid surgery of any kind, look pretty good at about one week after surgery but can expect varying degrees of redness or bruising that may require you to wear coverup makeup so that you feel comfortable being seen in public.

Adam Bryce Weinfeld, MD · Answer

Upper bleph done under local while on low salt and low carb diet can look great at one week. Very important to maintain blood pressure control and avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, red wine and Thi black mushrooms.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Please be aware that the use of the CO2 laser for making eyelid surgery is more marketing hooey than anything else. I must admit that using the laser is fun but it does not make for a better surgery. In particular for double fold surgery, the most critical aspect of the surgery is the brain of the surgery: do they really understand double fold surgery. To make a double fold surgery, precision is critical as is a detailed experience performing anchor blepharoplasty. The CO2 laser damages the skin much more significantly than a cold steel scalpel. This means that suture must be left in much longer with CO2 than with an incision made with steel. For down time, it is about a week. However your fold will look a bit swollen and high for many weeks after surgery so thing about this when considering the timing of eyelid surgery.

Richard W. Westreich, MD · Answer

It depends what you are talking about. 

If it's laser resurfacing, the healing can be a few days to a week. 

Resurfacing would not be the treatment for double eyelids. That would likely be more of an eye lift. Whether a laser or a scalpel is used, the healing for upper lids is usually 5-7 days. Lower lids is usually 5-10 depending on procedure. 

All the best

Harlow Hollis, MD · Answer

Laser incisions can be excellent, the bleeding is less and tissue removal can be done precisely. The surgeon needs skill that is different from scalpel handling skill. Sutures need to remain in place about two days longer. I have done numerous blepharoplasties with traditional scalpel surgery and many with cutting laser (C02) and I prefer the scalpel method. I also think the scar is better with scalpel surgery.

Rafael C. Cabrera, MD · Answer

this can mean a couple of different things, laser resurfacing increases the time of recovery and cutting with the laser does not significantly impact the healing time of incisions. It does not make you more precise. You either are or you are not. get a blepharoplasty. If laser is needed in the estimation of your surgeon to achieve the best result then be prepared for longer recovery if resurfacing is needed.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Do you mean a laser like a CO2 cutting the skin? Just like a steel blade cutting the skin it takes several days for the incisions to heal before the sutures can be removed, and then several weeks for the majority of the swelling to dissipate.

Gregory Branham, MD · Answer

Most blepharoplasty patients can return to normal activities and work at one week. Lasers are more commonly used for resurfacing eyelids and are not necessary for the incisions associated with blepharoplasty. Many surgeons believe, as I do, that the traditional scalpel is preferrable for the incisions as it is a "cold" technique that does not heat the tissues and thus leaves you with a better scar. Recovery for laser resurfacing depends on the depth and type of laser that is used, but in most cases is also about a week or ten days.

Peter A. Aldea, MD · Answer

Re : "I would like to have a laser blepharoplasty double eyelid surgery but is afraid over the healing periods. What will the effects be after one week?"

	Barring complications, at one week after upper lid surgery the swelling will be much reduced and the stitches will be gone. There is NO reason why you need to have the incisions made by laser. Using the laser to make the incisions is not associated with a quicker recovery and has no benefits whatsoever except in "sucking in" gullible patients who are unfamiliar with the surgical facts. If your surgeon markets the laser as being a superior procedure, I would get a second opinion as it suggests that he may be more of a marketer and less of an ethical surgeon.

	Dr. Peter A Aldea

How Long is the Healing Time for Laser Blepharoplasty in Order to Look Normal?

Answers (15)

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