Small Eye Openings? (photo)

Question

I have small eyes because the opening (between upper and lower lids) is small. To be specific, there is very little white showing on the sides, and the bottom and top of the iris cannot be seen. Eyes are almond shaped but I am not Asian. I am nearsighted, but the opening size has not affected my vision. This is a cosmetic problem. Eyes deep set, high in face, light colored and light eyelashes - all make them appear even smaller. I hate this. Can plastic surgery help? Sick of makeup.

A.J. Amadi, MD · Answer

Hi Carol

	The problem you are describing is called eyelid ptosis, and can be addressed via surgery. There are a few different techniques available and you would need an in person evaluation to assess what is best for you. As you are in town, feel free to contact my office for a consultation.

	I have posted a photo of a before and after below, and you can find more on my profile here on Realself.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

After blepharoplasty the aperture the eyes should not change. However, often times the eye looks bigger after blepharoplasty because of a change in the aesthetic frame of the orbit. It's effectively smoke and mirrors but so what?

David R. Stephens, MD · Answer

Hi Carol571. It is very difficult to tell what is the root cause of your small eyes from your picture. However, some people simply have small eyes while others have these huge almond eyes. Some have very heavy and thick eyelids from the time they are young children. They can look heavy, even look like an Asian upper eyelid due to excess fatty fullness in the eyelid. If you say that you don';t have problems with your vision than you probably don't have a droopy eyelid or eyelid ptosis. The eye can be opened up and look much "bigger" with a upper eyelid blepharoplasty done to treat these issues. There are also issues involving the eyebrow position that contribute to this. Of course this all gets worse as we age.

Mehryar (Ray) Taban, MD, FACS · Answer

It appears you have upper eyelid ptosis (droopiness), which makes your eyes appear smaller. You are also lifting your brow in order to compensate for the droopy eyelids. You can likely benefit from upper eyelid ptosis surgery. See an oculoplastic surgeon for evaluation.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Being nearsighted, your glasses actually shrink the appearance of your eyes. That is one of the reasons people like to be out of their glasses. There are many options available to help you but the place to start is by finding surgeons who make sense to you. Their detailed assessment will help outline your best options. Hope that helps.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

Ptosis repair involves tightening one or both of the muscles the open eyelid when the lid margin is cutting across the black part of the pupil. Cosmetic blepharoplasty is performed to simply remove the excess skin and fat on the upper lids that is creating the aged look. Please see the link below for examples

Small Eye Openings? (photo)

Answers (6)