You’ve contemplated having a brow lift to rejuvenate your eyes or eliminate that tired, angry look. You’ve researched, know about different techniques, and even selected the right surgeon for you. But you’re concerned about the postoperative process and the time off work required for recovery.
If you’re like most patients, you want to know how long bruising and swelling lasts, when you can exercise again, and for how much time off from your job you’ll need to plan. For an endoscopic brow lift procedure, swelling is generally moderate, mainly around the eyes and temples, and lasts, on average, about two weeks. Bruising is more unpredictable than swelling, with some patients experiencing minor bruising for a couple of days and others presenting with significant bruising for up to three weeks.
Both of these patients are one week postop from an endoscopic brow lift. There is a big difference in the amount of bruising.
Staying off medications and multivitamin supplements that promote bleeding before the surgery is critical to avoid excessive bruising. In the postop period, you may apply anti-bruising creams while avoiding direct exposure to UV light, as bruising can easily pigment the skin.
Regarding exercise, after an endoscopic brow lift, you are advised to rest for an entire week. During the second week, you may walk for approximately 15 minutes, avoiding too much exertion. After the third week, you may resume your exercise routine taking special care to listen to your body cues. Start easy and work your way up!
One of the biggest factors when considering a brow lift is work responsibilities. Your job is not much of an issue if it primarily involves computer work. In such cases, working from home for a couple of weeks will give your tissues time to heal and the swelling and bruising to subside. However, if your employment requires talking to clients or attending meetings, swelling and bruising may be a problem for the first week or two. Therefore, be prepared to take at least this amount of time off to allow you to return to work comfortably.
Finally, plan to give yourself one month to recover from your brow lift operation before attending a wedding or an important social event. Four to five weeks postop is an excellent time to show off your beautiful new look.
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