6 Things Not to Do After Eyelid Surgery

According to the latest data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, eyelid surgery is the most popular facial cosmetic surgery in the country, far surpassing the second-place contender, facelifts. It makes sense—blepharoplasties offer impressive results with fairly minimal downtime. “On the spectrum of all plastic surgery, eyelid surgery falls on the side of earlier, faster healing,” says Dr. Tanya Khan, a board-certified oculoplastic surgeon in Plano, Texas. “The eyelid skin is the thinnest on the body and the area receives a lot of blood flow from surrounding regions, and both of these allow healing to occur quicker,” she explains. Of course, the exact timetable varies based on the individual, but as a general rule of thumb, most people look totally presentable within about 10 days, she adds.

However, there are still some very important guidelines to follow post-blepharoplasty, both in order to mitigate the risk of any complications and to ensure the best end result possible. Here, the eight most important things not to do after eyelid surgery.

Don’t increase pressure in your face

According to New York City board-certified oculoplastic surgeon Dr. Robert Schwarcz, avoiding any kind of pressure in your face is one of the most important things to do post-op. “It’s paramount to keep the pressure in your face as low as possible for three to five days after surgery. Increased pressure can cause leakage in the tiny blood vessels around the surgical site,” he says. (And, in turn, it can increase bruising and swelling.) Even simple things you may not think are problematic—straining to have a bowel movement, bending over to pick up something you dropped—will cause increased pressure in the face, he notes. 

He also advises that patients avoid flying, ideally for a week, because the change in atmospheric pressure raises pressure in the face. Certain exercises are a no-go too—specifically, weightlifting (because of straining) and yoga (doing inversions where your head goes below your heart also puts pressure on your face). 

Don’t go for a swim or run

Certain cardio activities are off limits as well. Dr. Khan tells her patients to avoid any kind of running, even light jogging, for 10 days. Even those very small vibrational movements can jostle the wounds and cause them to open up, she points out, adding that she recommends walking and light elliptical workouts instead. Swimming is also a no-no, especially if you’re wearing goggles. The negative suction can create a pressurized area over the incisions as well as potentially damage any fat cells if fat grafting was done as part of a lower blepharoplasty, Dr. Schwarcz notes.

Don’t treat your crow’s-feet with Botox

“You can get as much Botox in your forehead and glabella as you’d like, but wait three months after a blepharoplasty before receiving injections around the eyes,” advises Dr. Schwarcz. Activity of the orbicularis muscle—the one that’s injected to smooth out crow’s-feet—is needed to help clear the swelling, be that of the upper or lower eyelid, he explains. In related news, Dr. Khan suggests waiting at least three to four weeks for filler injections in order to make sure any swelling has dissipated.

Don’t wear contacts

Dr. Khan says she always asks her contact lens–wearing patients if they have a pair of backup glasses at the ready. If you’ve had a lower blepharoplasty, it’s best to avoid contacts for about three weeks: “You don’t want them to irritate the internal wound, and people also tend to pull on the lower lid in order to put them in,” she says. In the case of upper blepharoplasty, taking about two weeks off should be sufficient, so long as you’re not pulling or tugging aggressively on the upper lid when you’re putting contacts in, she says.

Don’t wear eye makeup

As a general rule, plan on going eye-makeup-free for anywhere from two to four weeks. “If you’ve had an upper blepharoplasty, where there’s an external wound, you don’t want to put anything on that area, eye shadow included, for four weeks,” says Dr. Khan. Both doctors agree that mascara and eyeliner are okay to use after about two weeks—with a few caveats. One, make sure you’re using an effective eye makeup remover to take said makeup off so that you’re not rubbing or tugging on the eye, says Dr. Khan. And two, play it safe and just replace all your eye makeup after a blepharoplasty. It’s a smart move that will further help minimize the risk of infection, suggests Dr. Schwarcz.

Don’t get lash extensions

Similarly, Dr. Schwarcz says you should wait at least two weeks (if not longer) before getting eyelash extensions, and he strongly encourages patients to have them removed pre-surgery as well. “Look at lash extensions under the microscope, and you’ll see that they’re loaded with bacteria and mites, particularly at the attachment site at the eyelid. That’s the last thing you want when you’re dealing with a healing wound,” he notes.