Droopy Eyelids Causing Higher Eyebrows? How to Fix It? (photo)

You should see an oculoplastic surgeon in your area as it appears like you may have ptosis of your eyelids.  In response to droopy lids, your brow is trying to compensate by elevating.  Treating your ptosis may help you brow position.  Make sure you see a board certified surgeon.

Best,

The sensation of extra eyelid skin on the eyelid can cause increased activity of the frontalis muscle, the muscle that raises the eyebrows.  When this occurs the eyebrows will be raised and in some individuals horizontal lines created on the forehead.  You are correct that often treating this skin excess can allow the frontalis muscle to relax and the brows to descend.   In my opinion from the limited photo and lacking an exam, this does not appear to be the case in your situation.  You do not demonstrate significant eyelid skin excess and therefore blepharoplasty would not provide this benefit to you.

Thank you for your question and photo.  Your condition is quite common. The muscular attachements that lift your left eyelid have been stretched or torn. Either mechanically from contacts, congenitally, or from normal aging.  This leads to the high lid crease and more lid show on the left and lower position of the left eyelid. When the eyelid starts covering your pupils your forehead muscles contract to help raise your eyelid causing your eyebrow to be higher on the affected side. Correction of the eyelid ptosis should help both problems. All the best.

If your eyelids are a little heavy, then the body will try to compensate by lifting up the eyebrows in an attempt to help lift the eyelid. This can result in your eyebrows looking higher as well as the eyelids looking more exposed or longer than someone without eyelid heaviness or ptosis. Depending on the degree of eyelid drooping and eyelid movement, there are several different surgical options for correction. A qualified plastic or oculoplastic surgeon would be best to discuss your options. When the eyelid heaviness is corrected, often the eyebrows will relax as you no longer have to try and open your eyelids more than normal.

It appears from your photo that you have a mild bilateral upper eyelid ptosis, the left a bit worse than the right (your photo may be inverted). Regardless, you have the cause and effect backwards. The lowering of your lids during the day would cause a reflex raising of your brow to compensate. The fix would be a ptosis repair. There are several types of repair available and any of them would work. The placement of the upper eyelid incision and the repair to elevate (slightly) the resting position of the upper lid should decrease the amount of upper lid skin that you see. The result should take care of your brow position without the need for surgery on the brow.

From your picture you appear to have droopy eyelids (ptosis).  This looks worse in your left upper lid than your right upper lid.  In my practice, I often see patients with droopy eyelids unknowingly lifting their eyebrows to try to compensate for their low eyelids.

I recommend you see an oculoplastic surgeon for an evaluation for ptosis repair.  If you have the ptosis repaired, you will most likely stop reflexively lifting your eyebrows.  You can find an oucloplastic surgeon near you at the American Society of Opthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery's website, asoprs.org.

With your history of the lids drooping over the course of the day, you should see a local plastic or oculoplastic surgeon to be evaluated for the cause and to come up with a plan to best manage this.  It would raise alarms if someone suggested lowering your right lid as you mention. 

Your biggest problem is frontal bossing with an excessive superior orbital rim.   This tends to give you a hollowed out appearance.  There is no excessive skin of your upper eyelids.  You  would benefit from a lateral brow lift as it will open up this portion of your orbit giving a more youthful appearance.  

Your pictures are limited, so I will do the best I can without an exam. Everyone has a differennce in the position of your eye in your bone structure (vector). This what make you unique. A more forward position is more attractive, and more eyelid is visible.Based on you photo, I would not operate. If you do not like the brow position, try some botox. All the best.