Blepharoplasty surgery—often called eyelid surgery—does involve a traditional surgical recovery. While often considered a surgery with one of the easiest recoveries, this does not mean that a patient does not require care or can return to work immediately. Following surgery, a patient and their caregiver will receive aftercare and recovery instructions.
Five tips for caring for yourself after your blepharoplasty
#1: Know What To Expect
At your pre-operative appointment and before surgery, your surgeon and their team will let you know what to expect after surgery. This will vary between patients, but knowing the basics will help you remain calm as well as identify anything that can be truly concerning. While complications following an eyelid surgery are exceptionally rare, identifying them quickly and getting the proper help leads to better outcomes.
After eyelid surgery, here is some of what you may experience that are generally expected and normal:
- Light sensitivity, wear sunglasses on your way home. Usually, this subsides within one to two days.
- Blurry vision, due to medications used during surgery, blurry vision can occur. This is normal and should resolve within 24 hours.
- Swelling and bruising, it should subside within a few days.
- Swelling may also occur in the cheeks or jawline, especially a few weeks after surgery.
- Some dryness may occur.
#2: Use Eye Drops & Other Remedies
Depending on the specifics of your surgery, your Seattle plastic surgeon may prescribe eye drops or ointments. Apply these as directed and be careful not to pull on the eyelid or cause damage to the incision. Do not use over-the-counter eye drops or ointments unless your provider specifically okays it. This can cause irritation and even put you at risk of complications or prolonged side effects.
#3: Do Not Shower
Showering can increase the heat and moisture of the skin which can lead to infections or irritation of the incision. Therefore, you cannot shower until about five days after surgery. You can take showers from the neck down after surgery and baths as long as they are not too hot and you do not wash your hair. This does include cleansing your skin. Makeup wipes or baby wipes can be carefully used on the face and dry shampoo on the hair. Check tips to find the right cosmetic surgeon.
You also cannot wear makeup on or around the eyes. If you want to wear it in other areas such as on the lips, this is okay, but steer clear of putting anything not prescribed to you by your plastic surgeon near your eye.
#4: No Driving
Even if you have your eyelid surgery Seattle under local anesthesia, you will need a caregiver to drive you home. Normally, a light sedative is given. Additionally, when taking pain medication, you should not drive. You may also have blurry vision which can impede your ability to drive.
The best blepharoplasty surgeon Seattle will clear you for driving once your vision is back to normal and you have been off the pain medication for a day or so. Usually, this happens about five days post surgery.
Also Read: Benefits of a Facelift surgery
#5: Know When To Be Concerned
Like with the first tip, it is important to know what is not normal or is a sign of a problem during blepharoplasty. These symptoms generally indicate a condition that can be treated and are often (but not always) preventable by following your best blepharoplasty surgeon Seattle’s instructions. You will want to contact your surgeon if you experience symptoms such as:
- Fever over 100.4℉
- Vomiting
- Nausea (some is normal, but severe nausea or nausea that lasts multiple days after surgery will need to be evaluated)
- Pain, redness, or any side effect that gets worse over time instead of better
- Splitting of sutures
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
Cosmetic Surgery Recovery: Tips for Smooth Recovery after Cosmetic Surgery
Conclusion
The best blepharoplasty surgeon Seattle takes all the steps to help you see an amazing eyelid surgery result. They will guide you through every step of the process, including the recovery, and are always available to answer questions. Your surgeon will see you at least twice in the first week for post-operative appointments. At these appointments, they will evaluate side effects, clear you for work and other activities, and may remove stitches if necessary.
Also Read: How to improve eye sight by Yoga naturally?