Blepharoplasty Week 2: Looking Presentable Again

Week 2 is when most people stop hiding. AAO states that bruising and swelling typically last 10 to 14 days after upper eyelid surgery, and StatPearls notes that all patients will have some degree of bruising and swelling, which may last up to 2 weeks. What is usually left is a faint yellow shadow, some soft puffiness, and a pink incision line that concealer can handle once your surgeon clears makeup.

An AAO ophthalmologist answering a patient who still had swelling in both eyes one week after blepharoplasty wrote that it is likely the swelling will settle down over the next week or two, and advised cool compresses, tear drops, and follow up with the surgeon. So swelling that is still visible in week 2 but shrinking is on a normal path.

Asymmetry is very common right now. One lid almost always deflates faster than the other. This is the single most common reason people panic in week 2, and in most cases the sides keep converging over the following weeks. Bring it up at your follow up rather than judging the result now.

Any nonabsorbable sutures still in place come out inside this window per the AAO range of 7 to 14 days, and EyeWiki describes a postoperative check within 1 to 2 weeks.