The lower eyelid is a very weak structure. Maintaining an almond shape is important for mainatining a normal eye appearance. When skin is removed from the lower eyelid, a downward pull is exerted on the lower eyelid. The greater the amount of skin removed, the looser the lower eyelid, or the more prominent the eyeball is in the eye socket, the more downward pull there is when skin is removed, and the greater the resulting deformity. This deformity usually manifests as a pulling down of the lower eyelid, a rounding of the eye, or a "sad", downgoing appearance of the eye. One method of retaining eye shape is by supporting the corner of the eye, not just with a canthopexy (tightening of the lower yelid), but of elevating the cheek tissue, essentially "giving" it to the lower eyelid. The tension then does not rely on removing from the lower eyelid, but rather from an elevation of the cheek. Then, a small amount of skin can more safely be removed, tightening the skin with minimal risk of affecting eye shape. A great risk of lower eyelid surgery is in scarring that can occur within the orbital septum, pulling down severely on the lower eyelid, or of removing too much skin from the lower eyelid, causing an ectropion. This can be avoided not with an incision that goes completely across the lower eyelid (therefore affecting the orbital septum), but with an ultrashort incision just on the side of the eye, the ultrashort incision cheeklift, or USIC cheeklift.