Eyelid surgery almost always leaves a scar. While it is usually a very minimal scar, many people will want to hide the fact that they got eyelid surgery.
You can hide your eyelid surgery by using makeup. You can use dramatic eye makeup to cover it, conceal it, or make it blend into your skin. You can also try other methods like wearing sunglasses to hide the scar casually.
How to Hide Your Eyelid Surgery
Makeup
You can wear light makeup two weeks after surgery, but that can significantly vary based on your case. You can use concealer, powder, eyeshadow, etc. to cover the incision line. A surgeon can remove sutures five days after surgery for most people after most of the bruising and swelling is gone. So by two weeks, some people may be able to wear light makeup.
However, it is essential to ask your doctor when you can wear makeup. Two weeks is an estimate for some people, but it is possible for you to heal slower. Makeup (even light makeup) could irritate your incision and delay your recovery.
If your doctor gives you the go-ahead to wear makeup, you can experiment with how you want to hide it. You can go for a good old-fashioned concealer that is close to your skin tone, but you can take it up a notch by using color correctors and concealers.
If your incision is pink or reddish, you can put a bit of green concealer/color corrector on it. The logic is that green and red are opposite of each other on the color wheel. Therefore, green will cancel out the red/pink tones. Of course, you cannot lay green concealer/color corrector on the line and call it a day. You need to put concealer over it to cover it, so it blends in with your skin.
If you are a fan of eye makeup, you can use it to your advantage. Depending on where the incision line is, you can use different eyeshadow shades to conceal the incision line.
However, it would also be ideal to bring LESS attention to your eyes if possible. In some cases, makeup can draw more attention to your eyelid area, so sticking to concealer and color corrector may be preferable.
As for the bruises, you can use a color corrector to fix that as well. You can use green color correctors to hide reddish bruises. Yellowish color correctors work well to offset purple and blue bruises.
Sunglasses
Some doctors suggest that their patients wear dark sunglasses for the first week after surgery, especially if they want to go outdoors. It could help prevent debris from getting into your eye area.
Plus, the dark sunglasses can shield your eyes from harsh light, especially if you experience blurriness or double vision for the first week after the operation. Most patient’s eyes may also be dry, watery, and sensitive to light.
The bruising and swelling may be at their worst for the first week after your surgery. You may not be able to wear makeup for the first 1-2 weeks, so you may opt for sunglasses or to stay at home until the bruising and swelling subside.
Speeding Up Your Recovery
Other than wearing makeup and sunglasses to hide your eyelid surgery, there are other things you can do. Eyelid surgery often leaves scars. They usually fade into very minimal lines that are hard to notice but you have to make sure you recover as well as possible. That way, you can help the scar be relatively unnoticeable once it heals.
Keep in mind that these tips will not guarantee a faster recovery. However, they can help ensure a safe recovery, meaning that there will be fewer chances for complications that could delay your healing.
Good Scar Care
Most scar serums you find on the market now are largely scams (Mederma, bio-oil, etc). Silicone scar gel is the only ingredient consistently proven by science to improve the final appearance of scars. Unless a serum has silicone scar gel, it’s unlikely to do anything. Apply this stuff constantly while the scar is still healing and you’ll get a great result. I recommend StrataDerm. Try to put it on as often as you can.
Get Plenty of Rest
The key to most successful recoveries is rest. Most surgeons agree that patients can go back to normal (but not strenuous) activities 10-14 days after the procedure. Since everyone heals differently, you may need to ask your surgeon first if you are ready.
Ideally, you should avoid most activities that could increase your blood pressure and heart rate. It could increase blood flow to your eyes, which can slow down your healing process.
Some activities that you ought to avoid include:
- Intensive exercise (martial arts, weight lighting, HIIT training, etc.)
- Yoga and aerobics
- Jogging and running
- Sports
Some everyday activities could also increase blood flow to your eyes. Some examples of what you should try to avoid are:
- Lying flat on your back (use a few pillows to keep your head elevated while you sleep)
- Lifting heavy objects
- Bending
Additionally, you should make sure that you get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can have adverse effects on postoperative recovery (Dolan et al., 2016).
Most adults need at least 7-9 hours of sleep a day. However, surgery, medications, etc. can cause fatigue, so you may feel the need to sleep more. It would be best to let yourself rest when you feel tired to allow your body to heal.
Since you will likely take time off from work or school, you should also avoid things that can cause you stress. Stress can elevate your blood pressure and delay your healing, so use your time off as a mini vacation.
Follow After-Care Diligently
Your doctor will likely give you some instructions to follow to make sure you heal well. You must follow them to the dot to avoid complications (infection, slow healing, etc.).
Typically, most doctors will suggest that you use a cold compress to help reduce swelling. They may also give you an ointment to keep the eye area lubricated, and eye drops to avoid dry eyes.
You may need to regularly replace the gauze on your eye area to keep the incision clean. You can also use sterile gauze to carefully dab (never rub) the incision if it oozes.
Protect Your Eyes
Your eyes and eye area will be very sensitive as it heals. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses can help shield your eyes from the sun if you go out.
You may also apply sunscreen. However, it would be best to ask your surgeon what kind of sunscreen is safe to use and how you should apply it.
Additionally, it would be best if you rested your eyes as often as you can. While the surgery was only for your eyelids, your whole eye area is very sensitive for the first 1-2 weeks of healing.
Try to avoid straining your eyes. Do not watch TV, use your phone, read, etc. for long periods. You may be able to do those things for 15-30 minutes, but you should take a break once you feel a slight strain in your eyes (or as suggested by your surgeon). Activities that strain your eyes can cause dry eyes. While eye drops can help counteract dry eyes, it would still be ideal for you to avoid making your eyes dry when it is not necessary.
Stop Smoking
Almost every doctor agrees that smoking is bad for your health, especially when you recover from surgery. Smoking can delay your healing progress as it weakens your immune system, makes your skin less elastic, etc.
Smoking can increase your risk of infection (Arcavi et al., 2004). Therefore, it would be ideal to stop smoking six weeks before your surgery (and after surgery).
