INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL - Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Details) - USD ($)			6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			$ 12,457,000,000	$ 13,044,000,000
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	0
Impairment	$ 0	$ 0	(83,000,000)	(469,000,000)
Foreign exchange and other			(108,000,000)	(118,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period			12,266,000,000	12,457,000,000
Bausch + Lomb/ International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			0	5,704,000,000
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	(5,704,000,000)
Impairment			0	0
Foreign exchange and other			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			0	0
Bausch + Lomb
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			5,318,000,000	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	5,395,000,000
Impairment			0	0
Foreign exchange and other			(86,000,000)	(77,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period			5,232,000,000	5,318,000,000
Salix
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			3,159,000,000	3,159,000,000
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	0
Impairment			0	0
Foreign exchange and other			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			3,159,000,000	3,159,000,000
International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			825,000,000	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	887,000,000
Impairment			0	0
Foreign exchange and other			(52,000,000)	(62,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period			773,000,000	825,000,000
Ortho Dermatologics
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			798,000,000	1,267,000,000
Realignment of segment goodwill			(798,000,000)	0
Impairment			0	(469,000,000)
Foreign exchange and other			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			0	798,000,000
Solta Medical
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			0	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			115,000,000	0
Impairment			0	0
Foreign exchange and other			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			115,000,000	0
Diversified Products
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			2,357,000,000	2,914,000,000
Realignment of segment goodwill			683,000,000	(578,000,000)
Impairment			(83,000,000)	0
Foreign exchange and other			30,000,000	21,000,000
Balance at the end of the period			$ 2,987,000,000	$ 2,357,000,000