How soon can I weight lift after a lower blepharoplasty?

Because of the wide variation in techniques, approaches, and patients, the schedule for resuming activity after eyelid operations is individually determined. Swelling after aesthetic eyelid procedures distorts the result for a period of time, and increased physical activity may prolong swelling. Some individuals are comfortable in public during healing, others less so. In the end, your surgeon's advice is more important than any other source of information. Both you and your surgeon share responsibility for your result, so please consult with the doctor who performed your lower blepharoplasty.

Thank you for your inquiry! We would love to sit down with you to discuss your concerns. Typically, you are able to resume normal activity 6 weeks after surgery. Follow up with your surgeon for their specific post-surgery instructions. Schedule a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to help you reach your goals.

The goal of every surgery should be no complications. After your lower blepharoplasty, exercise can increase your heart rate and blood pressure and potentially lead to bleeding and bruising. It is prudent to allow your tissue to heal, your deeper tissues as well as your skin, before adding additional stress and strain. Different surgeons may have different timelines, but I feel three weeks allows enough time for the tissues to be mature enough to take on additional stress and strain of exercise.

Great question!
I typically recommend holding off on heavy exercise (ie weight lifting) for 4-6 weeks following a blepharoplasty. I am okay with lighter exercise like aerobics around 2-3 weeks after surgery.
A couple of things that can happen if you decide to exercise a bit too much too soon:- The biggest concern that I have is that when you exercise you elevate your heart rate and blood pressure which can lead to bleeding. Particularly for lower eyelid surgery, we are working on fat pads that are partially continuous with the fat surrounding your eye. If you were to have a blood vessel retract and bleed, this can be an a true emergency as the bleeding can compress the eye and lead to blindness. - Less of an emergency, but also a concern is if the bleeding accumulates under the skin this can lead to a hematoma. This can cause issues with healing and/or infection and can lead to skin necrosis or unfavorable scarring after surgery- Finally, if you are exercising too soon, this may put strain on the surgical incision which can lead to prominent scarring.
Hope this helps!Kyle Kimura, MD

It’s great that you are active and committed to your fitness, but after a lower eyelid surgery, healing time is essential to avoid complications and protect your results.
Here is a general timeline to guide you: • First 7 to 10 daysOnly light walking. Avoid any activity that increases facial pressure or heart rate significantly. This is the critical healing period. • 2 weeks after surgeryYou may begin gentle, low-impact movements or bodyweight exercises if approved by your surgeon. Avoid bending, straining, or lifting heavy weights. • 3 to 4 weeks after surgeryMost patients can resume moderate exercise. You can reintroduce light weight training, but avoid very heavy lifting or anything that causes you to hold your breath. • 5 to 6 weeks after surgeryIf healing is smooth and your surgeon approves, a full return to high-intensity training is generally possible.
Since you train intensely, be cautious and follow your surgeon’s instructions closely. Patience in the short term protects your long-term results.
— Güray Yeşiladalı, MD

If you are doing weight lifting only with no intense jumping or running, then at 2 weeks you can restart exercising, starting light and then building up as tolerated. With fat repositioning lower blepharoplasty, however, I do not allow any jumping or running exercises for at least 4 weeks.

Thank you for your question. I would need more information in order to provide you with a more precise answer. In general, the healing process lasts 12-14 months. The second stage, which is the most important (proliferation phase), begins 48 hours after surgery and lasts 28 days. During this stage, your body produces all the collagen fibers you need to repair the wounds. For this reason, I ask my patients not to do physical activity for 4 weeks. In your case, the recovery period will depend on the type of blepharoplasty you are undergoing. Is it Transconjunctival pharoplasty, transcrustal blepharoplasty, or endoscopy? If you have undergone additional treatments such as canthopexy, canthoplasty, fat grafting, laser, etc.
I hope this helps.

This question is best answered by your surgeon as she/he is most familiar with the details of your surgery and how you've been progressing through recovery. Generally you can resume light activity after two to three weeks. More strenuous activities can resume after four to six weeks. It is a good idea to go slowly and build back up to your previous activity level.

Every surgeon will have a different protocol before returning to routine/strenuous activity. In my practice, I require that patients take 2 weeks off of from the gym/avoid heavy lifting to allow appropriate healing and to decrease the risk of bleeding after surgery.
Sean Fisher, MD Aesthetic Plastic SurgeonSeattle, WA

I see no reason why you need to wait any particular amount of time before lifting weights.
I suppose each provider will have their own recommendations and I suggest you follow the advice of your provider.
The only potential complication I can think of due to excessive lifting would be postoperative bleeding, which is pretty unlikely more than a day after.
I think using common sense is probably your best Guide for what’s appropriate and what’s not.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD