Asian Double Eyelid Surgery Recovery Time

One can divide the recovery time for Asian eyelid surgery into two phases: Acute and Sub-acute.The acute phase is about a month.  This can be longer if the surgery involves ptosis correction or it is a revision.  This is the phase when you could find the creases to be "too high" and "asymmetrical".  This is the phase that you will spend alot of time on realself.  If you do not want to go through this than you should not consider undergoing this surgery.The sub-acute phase will be about a year.  This is when the creases become more natural, more symmetrical and the scars become less visible.  This is also the phase you know you had made the right decision.

Recovery time is variable among each individuals.  From my experience in Asia working on many eyelid surgeries, the majority of swelling (80% or so) disappears by 2nd to 3rd week in an incisional type of blepharoplasty, but to look natural, that means people stop asking you what happened to your eye, typically takes about one month.  Of course, if you choose the non incisional suture type blepharoplasty, the recovery time is much shortened, can be as short as one week to look natural.

Great question.  You have probably heard it before, but recovery time always varies depending on the patient.  But on average I usually recommend for patients to plan for at least 1 week off from work or working from home after upper eyelid blepharoplasty to create a crease.  With the open approach there are usually sutures that need to be removed at 3-5 days.  There may be expected swelling, bruising, dry eye and even chemosis (swelling involving the whites of the eye).  These can all be managed and minimized with optimal post op care - including icing within the first 24-28 hours, steroid eye drops, oral steroids, arnica supplement etc.  Usually after the first 3-5 days most patients are able to function normally - but may still look swollen or bruised.  At a week most patients are recovered enough that others are unlikely to notice major swelling or bruising - or can cover up with make up or glasses.  Usually by 2 weeks patients are looking fully back to normal.  I would recommend not scheduling surgery within 3-4 weeks of an important social or work event because there can always be unexpected complications.
Unfortunately as a man you don't have the benefit of covering bruises with make up, but if you are a glasses wearer,  glasses can distract and camouflage minor bruising and swelling as well.  

Dear 7690,Thank you for your questions.Recovery after incision based double eyelid surgery is usually a week or so.  There are sutures that need to be removed after 5-7 days, depending on the surgeon's preferences.  At the end of the week, there will still be swelling which will make the fold appear larger and higher than it will eventually settle out to be.  This sometimes takes 6-10 months after surgery.  My preference in a case such as yours would be to use a non-incisional method.   There are no sutures to remove.  Patients can look fairly normal in 2-3 days.  The period of swelling is much shorter and even in one week patients can have their swelling mostly resolved.

Depending upon the extent of your surgery, the immediate recovery period may take one to two weeks. It's best to get a full evaluation to determine the extent of your surgery.

Most eyelid procedures have about a one week downtime, some less and some more. Avoid blood thinners and maximize results with Arnica montana after surgery. In our office, we recommend a Bruise Balm by Plato's Medicinals. Best, Dr. Karamanoukian 

The Asian component of this is not irrelevant but it
is certainly not enhanced because you are a man or an Asian per se. What I mean is, your skin type does not
contribute to a prolonged healing time except in the more favorable
circumstance compared to your twin sister.
Women have a little more swelling and bruising than men do of the same
ethnicity and age. Men have typically
less conjunctival irritation but that too is a wild card for anybody. Your properly managed pre- and post-operative
situation should include some proactive measures for bruising, like using
Arnica Montana starting a couple of days before surgery and for 2 weeks post
surgically. Avoiding anti-platelet
agents as well as the use of naturally occurring Bromelain (eating fresh
pineapple for a few days before and after surgery) contribute to reducing your
swelling. Overall I tell patients that
they usually look like they have had an allergy attack by 7 or 8 days post op
or when their sutures come out and their swelling will be dramatically improved
by week two. Some of the subtleties of
the outcome can take 4 to 6 weeks (until your mother says your eyes look very
normal). I talk to patients frankly
about this and I use the analogy of the mall test, meaning you walk by the
person in the mall and you say, “look at the nice shoes he is wearing” instead
of “look at the guy who had eyelid surgery.”
The best way to discuss this with you is to show you the many
photographs that I review in the context of your consultation process so that
you have a good handle on your occupation, your ethnicity and your outcome
goals so you have a realistic expectation for recovery. I always speak frankly because I have enough
experience to talk about all of the above variables. But, of course, you are you and your recovery
is individualized. Choose wisely!

Great question (often asked by male patients.) The full recovery from any incisional surgery on the eyelids can take up to 6 months; however, the time for the eyelids to appear normal, natural and better than the pre-operative appearance typically takes 2 weeks. Many men do apply a little makeup to conceal the minimal bruising or scar after 1 week. The first 2 weeks is where the majority of the improvement is seen, but tightening can still be observed out to 6 months.Thanks for the question. I hope you find this useful.

For an incisional upper blepharoplasty, the incision will take a few weeks to return to its normal pigmentation and become a faint line.  The crease, however, may take a few months to descend to its normal position and may appear too high initially.  

Recovery time for double eyelid surgery is about one week. However, if you are concerned about scars and residual swelling you may need to plan for a longer recovery time. It’s hard to predict specific healing/recovery times because everybody is different. Consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon to see if you are a candidate for double eyelid surgery and based on your personal health history what your recovery time may be.