Eyelid surgery, otherwise known as blepharoplasty, is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures on the market. This is because the delicate skin around the eyes is so thin that the eyelids are one of the first places to reveal the signs of aging. At SightMD we are proud to offer a variety of surgical options to help our clients continue to look as young as they feel. If you’re considering this procedure, read on to learn more about the recovery process.

How Long Is Recovery After Eyelid Surgery? 

As a good general rule of thumb, you should expect to need 10 to 14 days off from work to recover from any eyelid surgery. Several factors affect how quickly you will recover, including your age, health, whether you had one or both eyes worked on, and whether you had your upper, lower, or upper and lower eyelids improved. It is important to note that you will need to avoid strenuous activity for six weeks regardless of how soon you feel recovered.

How Long Will I Need To Take Off From Work? 

You can generally expect to need between five and 10 days off from work. Depending on the type of surgery some patients feel up to going back to work after just a week off. Contrastingly, there are patients that feel they need two full weeks to dedicate to their recovery.

What Can I Do to Recover Faster? 

During your initial consultation, we will give you a complete rundown of what to do to take care of yourself after your procedure. While every recovery experience is unique, you can feel confident that your recovery is going as smoothly as it possibly can if you adhere to all of the post-op care guidelines. Here is a brief overview of what is expected:

Don’t Drink Alcohol

One of the most important things you can do to recover from your eyelid surgery as quickly as possible is to refrain from drinking alcohol. Alcohol is viewed by your body as toxic. Therefore, when you drink alcohol, your body focuses on eliminating the toxin as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, in its haste to purge the alcohol from your system, it flushes out crucial micronutrients and water, too.

Drink Lots of Water

Unfortunately, it isn’t enough for you to avoid drinking alcohol if you want to recover from your procedure as quickly as possible. You also have to make sure you’re drinking enough hydrating fluids to stay hydrated. If you have an active lifestyle, you will need to drink more. Fluids that will help you achieve your daily hydration goals include water, sparkling water, tea, and coffee.

Eat Nutritiously

Maintaining a healthy diet during your recovery period will help you tremendously. To recover from the incisions made during your surgery, your skin requires an abundance of collagen. To produce a sufficient amount of strong, healthy collagen, your body needs lots of three vital amino acids and vitamin C. It also needs lots of water. Therefore, you should strongly consider eating water-dense foods that are high in vitamin C and protein.

Rest Your Eyes

After some cosmetic procedures, it is okay to sit in your favorite recliner and watch TV. However, it is extremely important that you rest your eyes as much as possible after eyelid surgery. Instead of exposing your eyes to many hours of blue light by watching television or playing a computer game, try to keep yourself entertained by listening to an audiobook or working on a number puzzle in natural light.

Protect Your Eyes

It is also very important that you protect your eyes after eyelid surgery if you want to heal as quickly as possible. If it is very windy and you have to go out, make sure you wear eye protection. If it is sunny out, wear sunglasses. Otherwise, wear clear or amber glasses to protect your eyes from the wind. It is also very important that you keep your eyelids from burning.

Get Lots of Sleep

Rest is crucial for a rapid recovery. Specifically, you need to spend as much time as possible in the REM stage of sleep. This is when your body does most of its healing. It is so important to sleep soundly through the night because when you fall back asleep after waking up, you start over in the first stage of sleep.

What should I do next

The bottom line is that every eyelid surgery timeline is unique. Learning how to prepare for your eyelid surgery recovery can help improve your recovery time. However, it usually only takes a couple of weeks to recover from lower eyelid rejuvenation fully. Take a break from the world, close your eyes, and relax. In a week or two, you will begin to see the results of your eyelid surgery in the mirror! If you think eyelid rejuvenation could benefit you, contact us today at SightMD to schedule your initial consultation. We’ll review your health and goals and determine if it’s a good fit for you.