The single most common source of disappointment in facial aesthetics is not a poor result. It is a good result judged too early, against an expectation nobody corrected in advance.
Rough timelines
- Eyelid surgery. Allow a week before returning to an active routine. Swelling and bruising are expected. Most people look presentable by the start of the second week. A tight feeling in the lids can persist for a few weeks and usually resolves by around eight weeks.
- CO2 laser resurfacing. Around seven days of social down time, with peeling complete by day five to seven. Redness fades gradually and the last of it can take up to two months. Continued tightening for up to twelve months.
- Light-based photofacial. Little or no social down time. Pigmented spots typically darken before flaking away over the following days.
- Fillers and botulinum toxin. Same-day return to normal activity. Filler results are immediate but settle over two weeks; botulinum toxin takes one to two weeks to take full effect.
- Micropigmentation. No meaningful down time, but four to six weeks before the colour settles to its final tone.
Why follow-up is not optional
Early follow-up exists to remove sutures and catch problems while they are still easy to address. Later follow-up exists to assess the result once swelling has gone and incisions have faded.
For injectable treatments, follow-up is the appointment where an asymmetry or a slightly over-filled area gets corrected. Skipping it is how small, fixable issues become permanent features.
When to make contact sooner
Increasing pain, spreading redness, discharge, fever, sudden vision change, double vision, or an inability to close the eye are all reasons to contact the treating clinician promptly rather than waiting for the scheduled appointment.