The eyes symbolize a person’s spirit, and are the most often noticed feature on the face. So in order to have a pair of clean and flawless eyes after surgery, besides the detailed designing and careful sewing of the surgeon, the patients must also pay careful attention to the maintenance and the scars after surgery.
Generally what patients care about the most after surgery is the swollenness and when the scars will disappear, these are just a part of the recovery process for double eyelid surgery and epicanthoplasty. Excluding some situations where special body types cause a longer swelling time or excess scar tissue, most patients will get better within three months, of course there will still be differences related to the surgery technique, incision size, sewing method, and thread type used by the surgeon, but we can basically categorize the different recovery times as below:

I. Acute Recovery
Which is the swelling reduction period; for epicanthoplasty, it is generally takes 3 days, the stitching method for double eyelid surgery takes around 7 days, the Korean small incision method takes 7 to 10 days, and the traditional method takes over a month. The recommended care method is as below:

1. 3 days after surgery:
Mainly relies on local ice compression for about 4 to 6 times every day, for 30 minutes each time. Ice compression can prevent hematoma and excessive swelling after surgery, and is a golden period in deciding how fast the scar will recover later on. During this period, the scar must be kept clean, using cotton swabs with saline water to clean the wound, and then applying a thin layer of disinfectant ointment every morning and night.

2. 3 to 7 days after surgery:
Local heat compression needs to be used instead, the number of times and the amount of time is the same as the ice compression. At this time the heat compression can help remove the surrounding bruises and swelling, and is helpful for reducing hematoma. In addition, after returning for check up and the surgeon makes sure the wound has no problems, water can be used for face washing again, the wound still needs to be protected by ointment to prevent infection, and usually the stitches can be removed within a week.

II. Chronic Recovery Period:
This is also the scar growth period, because each person has a different body type, it normally requires continuous care from 3 to 6 months:

1. 7 days to 1 month after surgery:
During this period, the wound should be about healed, if swelling still persists, heat compressions can be used around 3 to 4 times a day. The surgical scar will start to become darker and a bit elevated, this is the first sign of hypertrophic scar growth. Generally I will recommend patients to use vitamin C solutions (SHU FARVIAN Vit-C Solution) earlier to help prevent black pigments and scaring; and to reduce the scar recovery time, patients can also buy some off the counter scar reducing cream on their own. At this time you must also be careful about the exposure to ultraviolet rays, it is recommended to apply sun screen on the scars before going out to prevent the sun from damaging the newly formed skin.

2. 2 to 3 months after surgery
This is the key period of scar formation, besides regular use of Vitamin C solution and scar reduction creams, for obviously elevating scars, silicon pads or cosmetic bandages can be used. Also, a moderate amount of pressing on the scar can increase the speed of scar reduction (especially for the scars from epicanthoplasty). Normally if patients can follow the instructions of their surgeon, after 3 months there will only be a faint line remaining.

3. 3 to 6 months after surgery
This is when the scar reaches maturity period, the color should gradually lighten, the elevation will slowly flatten, and patients can continue the above mentioned care methods for the scar. If the scars are still obvious, you can also return to the clinic and get help from your surgeon; usually good results will come from the surgeon just applying scar reducing injections for one to two times.

The recovery period after double eyelid surgery and epicanthoplasty is a responsibility of both the patient and the surgeon, it is especially important for the patient to follow the surgeon’s instructions, and to wait patiently during the recovery period. From my own experience, if the patient can follow the advice of the surgeon, protect the wound, and take care of the scar, most people can return to their natural state within three months, and give you a pair of clear and bright eyes!