How Soon Can You Wear Makeup After Cataract Surgery?

Cataract surgery warrants a period of recovery. Thankfully, it’s not too long and is measured in weeks, rather than months. For those who wear makeup, knowing how long you need to wait before you can safely reapply it is a very common question. 

While you will need to have a break from using such products—especially on the eyelids and surrounding tissues—most people are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they can return to normal.

Eye Makeup After Cataract Surgery: FAQs and Important Information

• Understanding the healing process
• Applying makeup post-cataract surgery
• Give me a time frame! How soon can you wear eye makeup after cataract surgery?

Understanding the healing process

Although cataract removal is a relatively minor and minimally invasive procedure, it does cause trauma to the tissues. These need time to heal—something that takes a few weeks. During this time, it’s important to not disrupt the delicate process and to minimize any risk of infection.

Excessive touching, moving the skin, or stretching the tissues must be avoided. As well as interrupting the delicate healing process, every time your fingers or other objects are close to the eye it increases the chance of harmful bacteria being introduced. This can result in infection and, ultimately, prolonged healing. 

This means that you will need a break from using eye makeup, such as eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara. 

Applying makeup post-cataract surgery

Never fear, however, because if you can’t bear the thought of a few weeks without eye makeup, there are a few things you could do.

The first is that you don’t have to stop wearing other makeup. Although you need to keep it away from the eye itself, nothing is stopping you from wearing foundation, blusher, and lipstick. Some people might have a session with their beautician before their operation for a semi-permanent eye makeup solution. While this won’t be suitable for everyone, it could be something to consider.

Of course, embracing “naked” eyes for a few weeks can be a refreshing change. It also gives you a chance to clear out any old makeup items and purchase new ones for when your surgeon gives you the all-clear.

Give me a time frame! How soon can you wear eye makeup after cataract surgery?

In general, you’ll need to avoid eye makeup for at least four weeks after your cataract procedure. However, this will be driven by your individual requirements. Reasons that this might be longer could include:

• A postoperative infection.
• Slower healing—perhaps due to a medical condition, such as diabetes, or anything else that increases the recovery time.
• A failure to follow the post-op instructions. Those who heal the fastest are those who make a real effort to not touch the eye, to correctly use their eyedrops, and to do anything else that the surgeon recommends.

Everyone’s body heals at a different rate. This will determine the exact time scale that allows you to start wearing eye makeup again. Rather than rushing this, it’s always best to err on the side of caution. If you’re at all unsure, be sure to speak to your surgeon, rather than making a mistake that could extend the recovery period.

Get All Your Makeup and other FAQs Answered at the Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic

One of the reasons our patient satisfaction is so high is our dedication to providing relevant information. At the Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic, the answers to common questions—such as how soon can you wear makeup after cataract surgery? —are included in every person’s pre-surgery appointment.

This, along with our world-beating cataract care, is something our team is passionate about. We know that undergoing a procedure is naturally an anxious time. Empowering you with relevant information is just one of the ways we help ensure your treatment is as stress-free as possible.

Visit https://www.moderncataractsurgery.com for more information and call today to book a consultation.