Cosmetic
A complete week-by-week guide to blepharoplasty recovery: managing swelling and bruising, activity restrictions, and when to call your surgeon.
Medically reviewed by Ronald W. Kristan, MD, FACSOculoplastic SurgeonLast updated June 2026
Recovering from blepharoplasty is a predictable process, but the day-to-day experience can feel surprising if you don’t know what to expect. Bruising migrates. Eyes water for no reason. One side looks more swollen than the other. All of this is normal — and understanding the timeline ahead of time is the single best way to reduce anxiety and recover smoothly. This guide walks you through eyelid surgery recovery week by week, explains what is normal, and clearly identifies the few warning signs that warrant a call to Dr. Kristan.
The first 72 hours set the tone for your entire recovery. Swelling and bruising peak during this window, and the steps you take — or skip — have an outsized effect on how quickly you bounce back.
You will leave the surgery center with eyelids that feel tight, slightly numb, and mildly sore. Most patients describe the discomfort as a 2 or 3 out of 10 — closer to a sunburned sensation than sharp pain. Vision may be blurry from antibiotic ointment, and your eyes may water or feel gritty. Bruising typically appears within 12 to 24 hours, often spreading downward toward the cheeks because of gravity. By day 3, swelling usually reaches its maximum before slowly improving.
If Dr. Kristan used skin tape or Steri-Strips along the upper eyelid incision, leave them in place until your follow-up visit. They support wound edges during the critical early healing phase. Learn more about the procedure itself on the Blepharoplasty overview page.
Most patients need nothing stronger than acetaminophen (Tylenol). Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and other NSAIDs for at least the first week unless Dr. Kristan directs otherwise — these increase bleeding risk. If you were prescribed a short course of stronger pain medication, you likely won’t need more than a dose or two.
The first week is when recovery feels most dramatic. Swelling shifts day to day, bruising changes color, and you may look worse on day 4 than you did on day 1 — this is expected. By the end of week one, most patients begin to recognize themselves in the mirror again.
Bruising transitions from purple to greenish-yellow as hemoglobin breaks down. It often migrates downward into the cheeks, which can look alarming but is completely normal. Swelling begins to subside, particularly first thing in the morning improvement may be more obvious than evening. Incision lines look pink and slightly raised. You may notice small lumps along the suture line — these are knots and tissue reaction, not complications.
For most upper blepharoplasty patients, skin sutures are removed between days 5 and 7. Lower lid sutures, when used externally, are typically removed in the same window. Transconjunctival lower lid incisions (hidden inside the lid) use dissolvable sutures and require no removal. Suture removal is quick and essentially painless — described by most patients as a light tugging sensation.
This is when most patients re-enter the world. By the end of week 2, the majority of visible bruising has resolved or can be easily covered with makeup. Swelling continues to improve, though subtle puffiness — particularly in the lower lids — can persist much longer.
Most desk-job patients return to work between days 7 and 14. If you’re comfortable being seen with light residual bruising (or are skilled with concealer), one week is realistic. If appearance matters for your role — client-facing work, public speaking, video meetings — plan for two weeks. Physically demanding jobs that involve lifting, bending, or heat exposure require at least three weeks off.
Light walking is encouraged from day 1, but cardiovascular exercise, weight training, and yoga should wait until at least three to four weeks post-op. Anything that elevates your heart rate significantly, requires bending below the waist, or strains the Valsalva maneuver (heavy lifting, planks) can cause delayed swelling or bleeding.
Important: Sun exposure during the first 6 months can permanently darken incision scars. Wear large sunglasses with UV protection every time you go outside, and apply mineral sunscreen (SPF 30+) to healed incisions starting at week 3.
The dramatic part of recovery is over by week 4, but final results take considerably longer to emerge. Patients are sometimes surprised that subtle changes continue for months — this is normal scar biology, not a problem.
At one month, you look like yourself again. Friends and family who didn’t know about the surgery may simply comment that you look rested. Incision lines are still pink but settling. Some firmness or thickening along the scar is expected.
Scars transition from pink to white as the tissue remodels. Residual swelling — especially in lower lid surgery — gradually resolves. The eyelid contour becomes more refined. Most patients consider themselves at about 90% of their final result by 3 months.
True final results emerge between 6 and 12 months. In most patients scars fade to become inconspicuous, particularly when hidden in the natural upper lid crease, though healing varies by individual. If you had a brow lift or ptosis repair at the same time, allow the full 12 months before judging the outcome.
| Time Point | What’s Happening | Activity Level |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Peak swelling and bruising. Mild discomfort, blurry vision from ointment. | Rest, cold compresses, head elevation. No bending or lifting. |
| Days 4–7 | Bruising changes color and migrates down. Suture removal at end of week. | Light walking. Reading, screens, light household tasks. |
| Week 2 | Most bruising resolved or easily concealed. Mild residual swelling. | Desk work, social outings. No exercise yet. |
| Weeks 3–4 | Swelling much improved. Incisions pink but healing well. | Gradual return to light cardio. No heavy lifting. |
| Weeks 4–6 | Look essentially normal. Subtle puffiness may remain in lower lids. | Full exercise, weights, yoga. Resume all normal activity. |
| Months 2–3 | Scars fading from pink to white. Contour refining. | No restrictions. |
| Months 6–12 | Final result. Scars nearly invisible. | No restrictions. |
The activity restrictions after blepharoplasty exist for two reasons: to prevent bleeding into the surgical pockets, and to keep incisions from being disturbed before they have tensile strength. Following these guidelines is the single most controllable factor in your recovery.
Sun protection matters for months. UV exposure during the first 6–12 months can cause permanent hyperpigmentation of the scars. Sunglasses and mineral sunscreen are non-negotiable.
Most blepharoplasty recoveries are uneventful. However, a small number of issues do require prompt attention. Knowing the difference between expected discomfort and a true problem keeps you safe and gives you peace of mind.
Important: Sudden, severe pain in one eye accompanied by vision loss, a hard tight feeling around the orbit, or a protruding eye is a medical emergency. This may indicate a retrobulbar hematoma — bleeding behind the eye — and requires immediate evaluation. Call Dr. Kristan and go directly to the nearest emergency department.
Although these procedures are often discussed together, they recover quite differently. Understanding which you’re having — or both — helps set accurate expectations.
Lower lid surgery, particularly when fat is repositioned or skin is excised externally, takes longer to look fully “finished.” Be patient — minor unevenness or fullness at 6 weeks usually resolves over the following 2 months.
Many patients combine blepharoplasty with related procedures — a strategy that delivers a more harmonious result and consolidates downtime into a single recovery period.
Adding an endoscopic or direct brow lift extends recovery modestly. Expect:
When ptosis repair is added, the upper lid height takes longer to settle — sometimes 6 to 8 weeks before final symmetry is clear. Asymmetry during early recovery is expected and almost always self-corrects as swelling resolves.
Combining blepharoplasty with CO2 laser resurfacing of the lower lids or full face addresses both skin laxity and fine wrinkles in one recovery. The laser portion adds 7–10 days of redness and crusting. Total social downtime is typically 10–14 days, and sun protection becomes especially critical for 3–6 months.
Patients often ask whether to stage procedures or combine them. In experienced hands, combining is typically safe and efficient — one anesthesia, one recovery, one cost cycle. Dr. Kristan can advise based on your anatomy and goals.
Schedule a consultation with Ronald W. Kristan, MD, FACS to learn if this procedure is right for you.
