What is LASIK recovery like?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Most people work and drive the day after LASIK, but full stability takes three to six months. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes the day-after follow-up usually clears you for work and driving. The FDA's recovery guidance sets the rest of the timeline: an eye shield at night while the flap heals, no eye makeup for about two weeks, no strenuous or contact sports for about four weeks, and no swimming or hot tubs for about eight weeks. Vision fluctuates during the three-to-six-month stabilization period, and dry eyes, glare, halos, and night-driving difficulty are common while it settles.
What to do
- Plan a ride home and a quiet rest of the day; vision is blurry at first.
- Use every drop on schedule and do not rub your eyes, whatever the itch says.
- Wear the night shield as directed so the flap is not disturbed in sleep.
- Hold makeup for 2 weeks, sport for 4 weeks, swimming for 8 weeks, per FDA guidance.
- Report severe pain or vision getting worse instead of better; that is not the normal course.
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