After blepharoplasty, we recommend that you sleep on your back with your head elevated for at least 3-4 weeks. This helps reduce eyelid swelling and speeds up recovery.
You should rest with your head elevated in a recliner or with at least 2 pillows for the first 48 hours after surgery. Take the prescribed pain medications before you begin to feel discomfort. It is easier to prevent pain than control it. Restrict your activities the day of surgery and several days afterwards.
Your eyelid may be swollen and bruised for 1 to 3 weeks after surgery. The appearance of your eye may continue to get better for 1 to 3 months. Most people feel ready to go out in public and back to work in about 10 to 14 days.
Swelling typically appears shortly after surgery, peaks two to four days after the procedure, and then slowly subsides over the next few days. Some residual swelling may remain for several weeks, but this is typically minor and shouldn't interfere greatly with social commitments.
It should take about a week before the dissolvable stitches begin to disappear. The sutures will not feel irritating or rough, and will be easier to manage after they start to disappear. Patients generally do not feel any unusual sensations in their eyes as these stitches dissolve.
Apply ice or a cold pack (most patients prefer a bag of frozen peas) to the area of surgery for the first two days after surgery. This is essential for reducing the amount of swelling and bruising. We recommend icing at a schedule of 10 mins on and 10 mins off for two full days after surgery.
Asymmetry, the eyes look different, or heal differently.
The eyes may look or feel quite different from one another in the days following surgery. This is normal; no two eyes in nature or following surgery are perfectly symmetrical.
The majority of patients report tightness after eyelid surgery to last for about two weeks, though numbness or a change in eyelid sensation may last longer. Dr. Contoura will evaluate your healing and recovery process during your follow-up appointments to ensure everything is progressing appropriately.
You should begin gentle massage to the eyelids one week after surgery. This will help smooth any irregularities and areas of firmness. You may apply lotion to your hand to massage and/or you may use a vibrating massager.
You may gently wash below your eyes with wipes or a soft washcloth. You can use dry shampoo for your hair. Once you can take full showers, you can wash your eyelids and shampoo your hair with mild products, such as baby shampoo.
Answer: Post bleperoplasty swelling
Post surgical swelling of the eyelids always cause the eyes to appear more closed in the early post op phase. As the swelling subsides, they return to a more pleasing and youthful appearance.
While many patients return to work 1 to 2 weeks after blepharoplasty, it may take several weeks for your swelling to subside completely. You should be able to see your final results from cosmetic eyelid surgery in about 4 to 6 weeks following your surgery.
Avoid activities that raise your blood pressure, including bending, lifting and rigorous sports. Keep activities to a minimum for 3-5 days; avoid strenuous activities for 2-3 weeks. Read or watch television after 2-3 days. Return to work in 10-14 days.
An eyelid lift can tighten the skin around the eyes, removing wrinkles or puffiness and giving a person an overall fresher look.
Answer: Eyelash loss after blepharoplasty is very rare.
Patients will occasionally notice loss of eyelashes after blepharoplasty. As far as I know this is within the normal lifecycle of the hair shaft. The patient's are probably just more aware of the loss because of the recent surgery.
Reduce caffeine and carbonated drink intake in the first few days. You should abstain from alcohol during the first week following surgery.
Fortunately for our patients, the procedure can be reversed! This is done by resecting the sutured crease. Dr. Linville will then add a spacer under the skin to ensure that the eyelid cannot crease like that again.
Full blepharoplasty recovery time typically takes about 3 months but you can expect to get back to your normal routine after 2-3 weeks of healing. Below, check out a general guide on what you should expect for your overall timeframe.
Patients who have undergone upper lid surgery will usually be able to go back after 7-10 days. The recovery time is a little longer for lower lid surgery, with time off work increasing to 10-14 days.
Especially for the first 48 hours after surgery, you should ice as much as possible while you're awake. Doing so will help ease discomfort and bring down your swelling. The rule of thumb is to ice for 20 minutes, and then take a ten minute break.
After each cleaning please apply the ophthalmic (eye) antibiotic ointment (that you receive in recovery room after surgery) to the upper and lower eye lid incisions to help soften crusts for 6 days.
Cold therapy has been used regularly as an immediate treatment to induce analgesia following acute soft-tissue injuries, however, a prolonged ice application has proved to delay the start of the healing and lengthen the recovery process.
During the first two to four weeks after your eyelid surgery, it's important to avoid activities that increase blood flow to your eyes. This means you'll need to avoid the obvious culprits, like jogging, aerobics, sports, and intensive exercise.
Cosmetic eyelid surgery and your appearance
Getting a blepharoplasty definitely changes the appearance of your face.