If damage to the nerve is minimal, then a full recovery is usually expected within a few weeks. If damage is more severe, there may not be full recovery even after several months. Overall, chances of recovery are better if treatment is started 3 days after the onset of the symptoms. Complete recovery is achieved by 70% of patients if treatment is begun at this time.

However, when the treatment is delayed more than 3 days, the chances of complete recovery drop to about 50%. Children are more likely to have a complete recovery than adults.

Recovery may be complicated if the nerve grows back to the wrong areas (synkinesis) which may cause inappropriate responses, such as tears when laughing or chewing (croc´s tears). Some other people may experience blinking of the eye when talking or eating food.

There may also be long term damage in hearing as full recovery only occurs in 50% of patients and residual tinnitus is commonplace. Vertigo can continue for 8 months after Ramsay Hunt syndrome but often leaves after only a few weeks. The initial onset of vertigo can produce severe nausea and vomiting in cases but prolonged effects are rare.