When can I be in the sun after blepharoplasty?

General information about typical recovery, not medical advice. Every eye and every surgery is different, and your surgeon's instructions override anything on this page. Read our full disclaimer.

Short answer

You can go outside right away, but ASPS advises diligent sun protection and darkly tinted sunglasses until the healing process is fully complete, which means months of covering the scars, not days.

ASPS states that you must practice diligent sun protection and use darkly tinted sunglasses until the healing process is fully complete. That is the clearest sun instruction any of the major societies give for eyelid surgery, and it is deliberately open ended rather than a set number of weeks.

The reason is scar behavior. A fresh incision has thin, new skin with immature pigment control, and sun exposure during that window can leave a line darker than the skin around it. Eyelid skin is the thinnest on the body, so it has very little natural protection.

Practical protection for the eyelid area is mechanical first. Large, darkly tinted sunglasses, a brimmed hat, and shade do most of the work, and they do not risk product getting into the eye. Do not put sunscreen on or near the incision until your surgeon says the skin is ready for it, and then keep it below the lash line and out of the eye. Ask your surgeon which product to use, since eyelid skin is sensitive and some sunscreens sting badly.

We did not find a professional society source specifying an SPF number or a start date for sunscreen on eyelid incisions, so follow your surgeon's product and timing advice rather than a number from the internet.

When	Typical guidance
First 2 weeks	Shade, a hat, and darkly tinted sunglasses. Keep products off the incision unless prescribed.
Weeks 3 to 8	Scars are still pink and vulnerable. Keep covering them outdoors.
Until healing is complete	ASPS advises diligent sun protection and darkly tinted sunglasses until the healing process is fully complete.

Call your surgeon now if you notice any of these

Sudden severe pain in or behind the eye, especially with swelling that keeps getting worse. AAO states that severe pain, decreased vision, and progressive swelling may represent retrobulbar hemorrhage and should be brought to immediate medical attention. Go to an emergency room now.
The eye pushing forward or bulging, or lids so tight and swollen you cannot open them. Proptosis is a documented sign of retrobulbar hemorrhage, which EyeWiki describes as a rapidly progressive, sight-threatening emergency.
Any decrease or loss of vision, or vision getting worse over hours instead of better. Loss of vision is listed by AAO among the possible complications of eyelid surgery, and EyeWiki notes intervention for retrobulbar hemorrhage needs to happen within about 2 hours of onset.
Nausea and vomiting together with eye pain and pressure. StatPearls lists pain, proptosis, nausea, vomiting, and reduced vision as the presentation of retrobulbar hemorrhage, which it calls a surgical emergency.
New double vision. Double vision is listed among the complications of lower eyelid and transconjunctival blepharoplasty by StatPearls. Call your surgeon the same day.
Signs of infection: spreading redness, warmth, increasing swelling after the first few days, yellow or green discharge, or fever. Infection is listed by AAO among the possible complications of eyelid surgery.
Bleeding from an incision that does not stop with gentle steady pressure, or a firm lump under the skin that is growing quickly.
Not being able to close the eye fully once the early swelling has gone down, or an eye that feels raw, painful, and very light sensitive. Early incomplete closure is common and usually resolves within days per StatPearls, so closure that is not improving needs to be checked.
Any wound that opens or separates, or a suture that has come loose and is scratching the eye.

These warning signs after blepharoplasty can point to problems that need same-day care. Do not wait for your next scheduled visit. If you cannot reach your surgeon's office, use their on-call line, or go to an emergency room.

Sources: American Academy of Ophthalmology; American Academy of Ophthalmology (EyeWiki); StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf

Sources

Eyelid Surgery Recovery American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Accessed 2026-08-25.
Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty American Academy of Ophthalmology. Accessed 2026-08-25.

When can I be in the sun after blepharoplasty?

More on blepharoplasty recovery

Sources