When can I wear makeup after LASIK?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
About two weeks for eye makeup, per FDA guidance. The FDA advises stopping creams, lotions, makeup, and perfumes the day before LASIK and shows a recovery timeline with no eye makeup for two weeks after surgery. The reasoning is infection and mechanics: mascara and liner deposit debris along the lashes, and the rubbing needed to apply and remove them can disturb the healing flap. Face makeup kept away from the eye area is lower risk after the first days. When you resume, open new products, since old eye makeup harbors bacteria, and take it off gently without pressure on the eye. Your own surgeon's timeline overrides the general one.
What to do
- No eye makeup for about 2 weeks: mascara, liner, shadow, and lash products all count.
- Buy fresh eye products for the restart instead of using pre-surgery ones.
- Remove gently, never rubbing the eye or pulling at the lids.
- Follow your surgeon's specific timeline if it differs, and call them for redness, pain, or blur.
Related questions
- Can an online doctor help with pink eye?
- What does it mean if my vision is blurry?
- Why is my eye twitching?
- Why do I get watery eyes in the wind?