Prepare to look a little scary in the first 4-5 days, particularly if you have had your upper and your lower eyelids done! Generally speaking the lower eyelid surgery takes longer to recover than upper eyelid surgery. You should however be able to read or watch television reasonably comfortably after 2-3 days. Contact lenses should be avoided for 2-3 weeks, and even then may feel uncomfortable for a while. It is advisable to plan on taking it easy for the first week after cosmetic surgery. During this time get plenty of rest and allow your body to spend its energy on healing. With upper eyelid surgery, you should be able to go back to work by 5-7 days. As stated above, lower eyelids take more time to settle and therefore you probably would need about 7-10 days off. Bruising can be masked with light makeup. You may be sensitive to sunlight, wind and other irritants for several weeks, so you should wear sunglasses and a sunblock when you go out. It is especially important to avoid activities that raise your blood pressure, including vigorous sport, bending or lifting.