After LASIK, your cornea has a thin flap that needs time to heal and reattach securely. Most of the strictest restrictions apply to the first 24 to 48 hours, but some last a week or longer. Knowing what to avoid, and for how long, is the difference between a smooth recovery and a complication that could affect your results.
Don’t Rub Your Eyes
This is the single most important rule after LASIK. During the procedure, your surgeon creates a thin flap on the surface of your cornea, then reshapes the tissue underneath. That flap is repositioned but not stitched down. It reattaches naturally over time, but rubbing or pressing on your eyes can shift it out of place. Flap dislocation can actually occur years after surgery, though the risk is highest in the first days and weeks when healing is still underway.
Your eyes will likely feel itchy or gritty in the hours after surgery. Use the lubricating drops your surgeon provides instead of touching your eyes. At bedtime, wear the protective eye shield you’re given for at least one week if you sleep on your back or side, and two weeks if you sleep on your stomach. The shield prevents you from unconsciously rubbing or pressing on your eyes while you sleep.
Stay Off Screens for 48 Hours
For the first 24 to 48 hours, avoid all screens: phones, computers, tablets, and televisions. Your cornea is in the earliest and most vulnerable stage of healing, and staring at a screen reduces your blink rate, which dries out your eyes and slows recovery. After that initial window, you can gradually return to screen use, but take frequent breaks and keep your lubricating drops nearby. Many people find their eyes tire more quickly than expected for the first week or so.
Keep Water Away From Your Eyes
You can shower the day after surgery, but keep water, soap, and shampoo out of your eyes for the full first week. Tap water isn’t sterile, and even a small splash can introduce bacteria to a healing cornea.
The timeline gets longer for recreational water. Swimming pools require at least one to two weeks before you can return, and even then, wear goggles to protect against chlorine and bacteria. Hot tubs, lakes, rivers, and the ocean are off limits for a minimum of two weeks. These bodies of water carry higher levels of bacteria and microorganisms that pose a real infection risk to a freshly treated eye.
Skip Makeup for at Least a Week
Eye makeup is a surprisingly common source of post-surgical irritation. Most opened makeup products already contain bacteria, and applying mascara, eyeliner, or eyeshadow near a healing cornea is an easy way to introduce infection. Wait at least one full week before returning to your normal makeup routine. Glittery eyeshadow deserves extra caution because loose particles can fall into the eye and disrupt healing. For the first few weeks, avoid applying anything directly to your waterline, since the application itself can poke or irritate the eye.
Hold Off on Exercise and Sports
Light walking is fine within a day or two, but strenuous exercise and contact sports should wait up to a month. The concern is twofold: sweat can drip into your eyes, and any impact to the face or head risks shifting the corneal flap. This includes activities like basketball, soccer, martial arts, boxing, and even vigorous weightlifting where you might strain or accidentally bump your face. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends no strenuous exercise or contact sports for up to one month after refractive surgery.
Avoid Dust, Smoke, and Wind
Your eyes are more sensitive to environmental irritants right after LASIK. Dusty job sites, smoky rooms, and windy outdoor conditions can all introduce particles that irritate or potentially infect healing tissue. Most people can return to a normal office job the next day, but if your work involves construction, woodworking, or other dusty environments, plan to take additional time off. Wearing wraparound sunglasses outdoors during the first week provides a practical barrier against wind and airborne debris.
Wear Sunglasses Outdoors
Light sensitivity is common after LASIK, and your healing cornea is more vulnerable to UV exposure. Wear sunglasses for the rest of the day immediately after your procedure. For the first week, wear them anytime you’re outdoors or around bright light. Beyond that initial period, continuing to wear UV-blocking sunglasses outside is a good practice until your eyes have fully healed. Sunglasses also serve a secondary purpose: they act as a physical barrier against dust and allergens and serve as a reminder not to rub your eyes.
Don’t Drive Until You’re Cleared
You cannot drive yourself home from surgery. Your surgeon may give you a mild sedative beforehand, and your vision will be blurry immediately afterward. Most people are cleared to drive at their next-day follow-up appointment, but this depends on your individual vision test results. Even after you’re cleared for daytime driving, be aware that glare, halos around lights, and difficulty seeing at night can persist for weeks or even months as your vision stabilizes. If nighttime driving feels uncomfortable, avoid it until those symptoms improve.
Recovery Timeline at a Glance
- First 24 to 48 hours: No screens, no driving, wear sunglasses and eye shields, rest your eyes as much as possible.
- First week: No eye makeup, no water in your eyes during showers, no dusty or smoky environments, wear eye shields at night, wear sunglasses outdoors.
- First two weeks: No swimming pools (or wear goggles after week one), no hot tubs or natural bodies of water.
- First month: No strenuous exercise or contact sports.
- Ongoing: Avoid rubbing your eyes as a long-term habit. Flap displacement from trauma or rubbing remains a risk well beyond the initial recovery period.