INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL - Schedule of Goodwill (Details) - USD ($)			12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			$ 12,457,000,000	$ 13,044,000,000	$ 13,126,000,000
Assets held for sale reclassified to goodwill					18,000,000
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale (Note 3)					(217,000,000)
Foreign exchange and other			(91,000,000)	(118,000,000)	117,000,000
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	0
Additions			5,000,000
Impairment	$ 0	$ 0	(824,000,000)	(469,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period			11,547,000,000	12,457,000,000	13,044,000,000
Bausch + Lomb/ International
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			0	5,704,000,000	5,786,000,000
Assets held for sale reclassified to goodwill					18,000,000
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale (Note 3)					(217,000,000)
Foreign exchange and other			0	0	117,000,000
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	(5,704,000,000)
Additions			0
Impairment			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			0	0	5,704,000,000
Bausch + Lomb
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			5,318,000,000	0	0
Assets held for sale reclassified to goodwill					0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale (Note 3)					0
Foreign exchange and other			(77,000,000)	(77,000,000)	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	5,395,000,000
Additions			5,000,000
Impairment			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			5,246,000,000	5,318,000,000	0
Salix
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			3,159,000,000	3,159,000,000	3,159,000,000
Assets held for sale reclassified to goodwill					0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale (Note 3)					0
Foreign exchange and other			0	0	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	0
Additions			0
Impairment			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			3,159,000,000	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	0
Assets held for sale reclassified to goodwill					0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale (Note 3)					0
Foreign exchange and other			(36,000,000)	(62,000,000)	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			0	887,000,000
Additions			0
Impairment			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			789,000,000	825,000,000	0
Ortho Dermatologics
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			798,000,000	1,267,000,000	1,267,000,000
Assets held for sale reclassified to goodwill					0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale (Note 3)					0
Foreign exchange and other			0	0	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			(798,000,000)	0
Additions			0
Impairment			0	(469,000,000)
Balance at the end of the period			0	798,000,000	1,267,000,000
Solta Medical
Change in the carrying amount of goodwill
Balance at the beginning of the period			0	0	0
Assets held for sale reclassified to goodwill					0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale (Note 3)					0
Foreign exchange and other			0	0	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			115,000,000	0
Additions			0
Impairment			0	0
Balance at the end of the period			115,000,000	0	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	2,914,000,000
Assets held for sale reclassified to goodwill					0
Goodwill reclassified to assets held for sale (Note 3)					0
Foreign exchange and other			22,000,000	21,000,000	0
Realignment of segment goodwill			683,000,000	(578,000,000)
Additions			0
Impairment			(824,000,000)	0
Balance at the end of the period			$ 2,238,000,000	$ 2,357,000,000	$ 2,914,000,000