When Australian photographer Lauren Schulz, known on TikTok and Instagram as @laurenschulzvisualsshared a raw update 24 hours after undergoing lower eyelid surgery — medically known as a lower eyelid blepharoplasty — comments quickly circulated. Viewers were fixated on what appeared to be several scars under her eyes, concluding that the surgery had gone wrong.
To many watching in real time, the visible stitches looked like ill-placed incisions or early scars. Some called it a flawed process. Others warned fans never to have the surgery. But according to plastic surgeons, what people are reacting to may not be incisions at all.
Read on for what surgeons say viewers may be missing.
Featured Experts
- David Schlessinger, MD is a board certified ophthalmic plastic surgeon in New York
- Anthony Youn, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Troy, MI
Because some techniques don’t always seem “clean” at first
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty can be performed in more than one way, and technique matters. “Typically, a lower eyelid blepharoplasty incision is made either internally through the conjunctiva—meaning it’s not visible externally—or just below the lashes,” explains New York City ophthalmic plastic surgeon David Schlessinger, MD. “These eyelash incisions are usually very thin and tend to fade over several weeks.”
Intraconjunctival or transconjunctival approaches are often preferred in younger patients or when the goal is to treat bags of fat under the eyes without skin removal. When excess skin is present, an external incision just below the lashes can be used. The concern in this case, however, appears to be something else entirely.
“Incisions” or temporary stitches? What you actually see
Dr. Schlessinger explains that in some lower blepharoplasty procedures, surgeons don’t remove any fat—instead, they reposition it. “In a fat transfer, fat from the lower eyelid is moved into the hollow under the eye,” she says. “This does not require a traditional skin incision. The sutures are placed from the inside and then brought up through the skin and tied on the outside.”
These stitches can leave small, visible marks on the skin during the early recovery period. They are usually removed after several days and usually do not cause lasting scarring.
“It’s hard to tell from a video if these are true incisions or fat transfer sutures,” he adds. “But based on what’s visible, it’s very likely that they’re stitches and not permanent incision lines.”
Why recovery videos can be misleading
The reaction to Schultz’s video underscores a larger issue surgeons often face: shots of early recovery taken out of context. Swelling, bruising, crusting and even bleeding from the eye itself can be normal within the first 24 to 72 hours after blepharoplasty — although patients aren’t always ready to see it. That said, surgeons stress that while many signs of early recovery are normal, unexpected pain, worsening swelling, or concerns about healing should always be discussed directly with a provider.
In her video, Schulz shared that she wasn’t expecting stitches or visible bleeding, which increased the shock factor for viewers. However, surgeons stress that early recovery visuals do not reflect final results.
Troy, MI-based plastic surgeon Anthony Youn, MD, reiterated this point in his own response on TikTok, explaining that the scars viewers panicked about were consistent with standard surgical technique — not a sign of a botched job. “Well, I guess these aren’t actual incisions, but there is some crusting of blood where these stitches come out of the skin,” he said. “These stitches are usually removed after a few days, and I’m guessing she’ll look pretty good.”
The Takeaway
As blepharoplasty continues to appear more frequently on social media, it also comes under increased scrutiny – often very early in the healing process. Swelling, bruising and visible stitches in the first few days are part of the recovery and not the end result. What looks worrisome at 24 to 48 hours is usually just a snapshot of early healing, not an indication of how the surgery will ultimately turn out.
This example is a reminder that recovery videos on social media rarely tell the full story—and that questions about treatment are always best addressed by a qualified medical professional, not the Internet.
