Zach Gilford Shares Shocking Photos of His Swollen Face, Says He Still Has ‘a Little Ways to Go’

Zach Gilford is recovering after experiencing heavy swelling on his face.

The Criminal Minds: Evolution actor, 42, shared three selfies on his Instagram Stories on Dec. 17, showing his face at various stages as his condition progressed and he began to recover.

Gilford didn’t reveal what had caused the swelling or his treatment, but thanked those who had helped reduce the inflammation to a manageable level.

In the first selfie, the actor’s eyelids were enlarged, with his left eye so swollen it was completely closed.

“Sooooooo… Yesterday was fun,” the former Friday Night Lights star captioned the post.

His second selfie showed him wearing a blue face mask as the swelling around his eyes had increased and extended to his cheekbones and brow bones.

“Good thing we wrapped @criminalminds last week,” he captioned it.

In his third and final post, Gilford was able to open both his eyes, and the swelling on his face had decreased overall.

Expressing his gratitude to those who had helped treat him, Gilford wrote, “Thanks to all the nurses, doctors, and staff at @huntingtonhospital for coaxing my face back to normalcy.”

“…still a little ways to go,” he added.

A representative for Gilford did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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Gilford has starred in the Criminal Minds revival since its inception in 2022. He plays Elias Voit, a serial killer with a connections to many other murderers, who he helps.