When can I wear eye makeup after YAG laser capsulotomy?

Eye makeup waits after eye surgery exist because of infection risk through an incision. A YAG capsulotomy does not create one. The laser works through the front of the eye and makes its opening in the capsule behind the lens implant, and the AAO describes the recovery as returning to your normal daily activities once your vision is clear, with typically no activity restrictions after a posterior capsulotomy.

Even so, no AAO, NEI, or StatPearls source we could find gives a specific makeup instruction for this procedure. That absence is not the same as clearance. Practices differ, and some ask patients to hold off on mascara and eyeliner for a few days out of general caution, particularly if you are using prescribed drops. The AAO notes that you may need eye drop medicine for a few days after the surgery.

Practical middle ground while you wait for your surgeon's answer: skip makeup on the day of the laser, since you are dilated and applying it accurately is hard anyway, avoid anything that puts product on the lash line or inside the lid margin, do not share applicators, and replace old mascara. Do not rub your eye while removing makeup. If the eye becomes red, painful, or your vision changes, stop and call your ophthalmologist.