When can I wear eye makeup after PRK?

There is no specific makeup date in the major published PRK sources, so this is a surgeon instruction rather than a published rule.

The logic is contamination and mechanical irritation. StatPearls describes the epithelium regrowing over about 3 to 5 days, with antibiotic drops used until that is complete, and lists corneal infection as a rare but real complication. Mascara flakes, eyeliner particles, and powder are exactly the kind of debris you do not want landing on a raw or newly closed surface. The American Academy of Ophthalmology also lists corneal infection among PRK complications.

Removing makeup is often the bigger risk than wearing it, because it means rubbing and tugging near the eye, which you are told not to do. When you are cleared, most people start with fresh products rather than old tubes, skip waterline application for a while, and use a gentle remover without pressing on the eye.