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Might a Non Surgical Procedure Improve my Upper Eyelids?

asked 2 years ago by KittyLouise in Glasgow, UK
Latest answer by Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Question viewed 3,272 times
Tags: age 25-34, upper eyelids, female, droopy, Virtual consultation

Hello, I am 27 and I have found in the last few years that eyelids, particularly the right one (in the picture)have drooped a bit. I would prefer not to go under the knife at this stage but I am open minded. I have heard about Thermage, Titan and Aluma. I have also seen a post on the 'Ten Minute Eyelift'. I actually have an appoinment booked for Aluma for 7th Jan but am thinking about cancelling it. I can't see much positive feedback on it on the net. Any other advice would be appreciated. Many thanks.

20 answers to Might a Non Surgical Procedure Improve my Upper Eyelids?

Eyelid droopiness should be checked by an ophthalmologist.

You appear to have mild ptosis (droopiness) of your right upper eyelid. This should be evaluated by a certified ophthalmologist.. Upper blepharoplasty (skin excision) should be avoided since it may worsen the appearance of your right eyelid. I hope this is helpful for you.

Eric M. Joseph, MD
West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon

Thermage, TITAN, etc. are a waste of time (IMHO).

I'd avoid any eyelid procedures in such a patient. I have especially found Thermage to be an ineffective procedure (yes, lawyers, that's my opinion based on the feedback from patients who've had it and then come to me). Note, too, that Thermage has one of the lowest "Was It Worth It" ratings of 38% (i.e., only 38% of patients said it was worth it). See the RealSelf.com "Was It Worth It" link attached below. If a patient is noticing a new asymmetry between the eyelids,... more

David C. Pearson, MD
Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon

Non-surgical eyelid treatments

I agree with everyone else, in that you are not a candidate for surgery. The asymmetry I see in the upper eyelids I believe can be corrected with either Juvederm or fat injections along the orbital rim on the right side. This will correct the lack of fullness seen on the right side compared to the left. Juvederm has the advantage of not being permanent, so if you don't like it, it will go away. I don't believe that skin tightening is indicated either.

Robert M. Jensen, MD
Medford Plastic Surgeon

Consider Botox to improve upper eyelids

As you can see the majority consensus is LEAVE THEM ALONE! At best use a small amount of Botox as some of the expert posters have suggested. Best of Luck.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Non-surgical Eyelid Lift

I have a great deal of experience in all of the technologies you mention as well as surgery. The most reliable way to reduce the amount of heaviness in your eyelids is with surgery. Noninvasive treatments can produce satisfactory outcomes in some patients but their ability to do so can be unpredictable. I would recommend nonsurgical approaches only to the surgically averse patient who has appropriate expectations (does not expect to look as if they had surgery). Which treatment you choose... more

Brian Biesman, MD
Nashville Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.drbiesman.com

Options for upper eyelid in younger patients

What a range of opinions your question has generated! This usually means that there is no single answer that is clearly the best. I don't think your right eyelid needs anything, as far as I can tell from the picture. There is a bit more hooding on the left. It would be very easy to correct under local anesthesia with a very limited blepharoplasty. If you decide to do anything, that would be the simplest and most predictable. Although all of the nonsurgical procedures have their place, this... more

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Fraxel repair Will Help Lax Skin of Upper Eyelids

Hi Kitty, I agree that you should not have eyelid surgery. Of the non-surgical options that you have mentioned, the only one that I have heard any positive results from is Thermage performed properly. The current best non-surgical option for tightening lax skin of the eyelids is Fraxel repair, a fractionated CO2 laser. The upper lids can be treated alone with very nice results, again when performed properly. I performed a Fraxel Re:pair treatment on journalist Kate Spicer's eyelids for... more

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Correction of eyelid asymmetry

There is an asymmetry between your right and left upper eyelids. On your right side there is a prominent and distinct supratarsal crease, this is absent on the left side. You have no ptosis or sagging of the eyelids and have a nice basic shape. At this point I would not recommend a surgical correct. There is a real danger that surgery at this point could make your asymmetry worse. I would not expect that any non-surgical non-ablative therapies would be of any benefit.

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Minor blepharoplasty would correct your eyelid asymmetry

Hello Kitty, You have very nice overall facial symmetry with a fairly minimal difference in your upper eyelids. Your eyebrows are at the same height so I do not think that Botox would offer much advantage in correcting the slight excess skin you note in your left upper eyelid. Similarly, I do not think that Thermage or other non surgical techniques would provide a reliable change. I think that a minimal left upper eyelid blepharoplasty would make your eyelids have a better match. If you do... more

Michael D. Yates, MD
Huntsville Plastic Surgeon

Botox or a Titan Laser will help with your eyelids

L would rarely recommend an upper lid procedure in a 27 year old, especially someone with the slight asymmetry which you demonstrate. Not uncommonly, I will place a small amount of Botox near the brow to create better symmetry. This can be accomplished by allowing the stronger muscle to compensate to even the eyebrow and eyelid out. We have also found that the Titan laser by Cutera works very well near the brow. There is absolutely no downtime with the laser and the procedure is done in the... more

David A. Dreyfuss, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Upper blepharoplasty will improve lid symmetry.

Hi. 1) Your right upper eyelid looks great. Leave it alone. I do see a little sagging and fullness in your left lid. 2) I don't think any of the non surgical like Thermage will help you. 3) An accurate left upper blepharoplasty would be useful.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Nonsurgical browlift in young patients

Based on your photo, I would urge you to avoid any surgery at this point (I think your instinct against surgery at this point is a wise one) and the nonsurgical treatments are inconsistent, expensive, and most patients see little improvement. Botox can be used to gently elevate the corner of your right eyebrow and would be what I would recommend, but make sure your surgeon/injector is comfortable with this and explains to you carefully the risks, including undercorrection (you may not see... more

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Needless Upper Lid procedures

Dear Kitty, You have extremely attractive eyes and I would strongly advise you NOT to mess things up. On close examination of your upper lids, I see a mild asymmetry. If pushed to choose, I like the look of your Right upper lid (the one you do not like) than the left. You do NOT require any skin tightening by laser, IPL or any other means and had you presented to my office I would tell you that in person. The odds that anyone can vastly improve on the look you currently have is very small.... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Upper lid issues in a 27 year old

In my opinion, you are too young and have too little going on in your upper lid to warrant surgery. The skin tightening treatments you mention don't work consistently well to be worth the money. You might try a Botox browlift as the subtle elevation of your brow will probably eliminate the minor issue in the (your left) upper lid.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Blepharoplasty, Eyelid Surgery, Beverly Hills Blepharoplasty

I have performed Blepharoplasty and Brow Lifts for over 20 years and don't believe that any Laser or RF procedures, currently on the market, will have the same predictability or success in removing excess upper eyelid skin that an Upper Blepharoplasty would provide. You may want to have 2-3 consultations withj plastic and cosmetic surgeons or Occuloplastic surgeons who and experienced in Brow Lifts and Upper Blepharoplasty.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Surgery and laser in young people

You mentoned eyelid position.Do you mean the where the eyelid edge is positioned on your eye or are you talking about the skin above the eyelid? It is most important to understand what your concerns are as a patient as opposed to looking at a photo and telling you "what can be fixed". That is relatively subjective. I would need an update on that answer to properly answer your question.

Chris Thiagarajah, MD
Washington DC Oculoplastic Surgeon

Nonsurgical approach is plenty

As I look at your picture you have some asymmetry in the height of your brows and I think this is the reason for any subtle difference in your eye lids. I do recommend any surgical procedure or other skin tightening procedure for you. A lot of the difference you see is due to the difference in skeletal structure on the right and left side; almost every one has it. The only thing I would recommend is a trial of Botox to see if the brows can be adjusted which would also impact the upper... more

Marcus L. Peterson, MD
Saint George Plastic Surgeon

Drooping upper eyelids

You have very mild redundancy of the upper lids. A simple skin removal would be a small procedure, but it is surgical. Since you do not wish "surgery", I would reommend a skin tightening procedure such as Coblation, or CO2 skin laser resurfacing. sek

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Proceed with non-surgical upper eyelid improvement with caution

Dear Kitty Wow, you are very attractive. It would be a shame to mess up your beautiful face. The resurfacing procedures you mentioned are very modest. You may not feel you received value for the money spent on the procedure. I agree that a Botox forehead lift would be great for you. A non-surgical alternative would be some Restylane in the left eyebrow which would raise the left brow and reduce the left upper eyelid fold. I would explore with you a micro-blepharoplasty for the left upper... more