I have upper eyelid sagging & drooping. What are my options? (Photo)

Question

I have just turned 32 and in the last year i have noticed my upper eyelid has drooped considerably, is this uncommon at my age? What are my options. Thank you.

Franklin D. Richards, MD · Answer

From your photo, if you were my patient, I would offer a straight forward upper eyelid blepharoplasty to remove the excess upper eyelid skin and possibly a little fat to give you a smooth arching upper eyelid crease. There are other procedures that may be offered to you like brow lifting or eyelid ptosis correction (actually lifting the eyelid). However, from your photos it does not appear that they are really needed and may give you a surgical, operated on, unnatural look. Though young, this can happen at 32 and can be genetic.

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

It is hard to tell from this picture exactly what is going on, and certainly you should get an in person consultation.  However, you do have some extra skin which is falling onto the lid.  You appear to have a very full brow fat pad.  Elevating the temporal brow should help to reposition the brow fat pad up on top of the bone, so that may be a good option for you as opposed to a blepharoplasty.

Anand G. Shah, MD · Answer

Hi Jennifer.  In the upper eyelid, there is an age-related accumulation of droopy tissue. Medically, this is known as dermatochalasis. The extra skin and tissue leads to a tired or angry look and may also impair vision.In upper eyelift surgery,  the individual lines and lid creases are measured.  The procedure is designed so that the incision falls in a natural skin crease, for maximum camouflage. The incision is executed, and excess fat, muscle and loose skin are removed. Very fine sutures are used to close the incisions, for maximum cosmetic benefit. These sutures are then removed in approximately five days.Upper lid blepharoplasty may be performed in an office setting, or in a more formal surgery center, per patient preference. It may be performed with local anesthetic only, or with light sedation.

Michelle Copeland, MD, DMD · Answer

The eyes are the windows to the soul. All too often,
however, they seem to reveal exhaustion. The very delicate skin around the eyes
tends to get crepey and puffy due to fatigue and stress. Eyelid surgery has
become one of my most popular procedures. If excess upper eyelid skin is
hooding the eye and needs to be eliminated, an incision is made in the crease
at the top of the lid and excess fat and skin are removed. The incisions are
closed and sutured on the underside of the skin. If undereye puffiness and dark
circles need to be eliminated, an incision is made along the lower lashes that
will be almost invisible when it heals. Next, the fat below is either removed
or redistributed and the saggy and crepey excess skin is then pulled up and cut
off. The incisions are closed with tiny sutures, which are removed in four to
six days. The incisions are along your eyelash line, making it a virtually
scarless procedure.
An effective non-surgical option that might benefit you is
Thermage, which can tighten the skin around the eyes. The new and improved
Thermage is a virtually painless, non-invasive (no incision!) treatment that
can tighten skin and stimulate your body to make healthier collagen—the
building block that provides structure to your skin. Fast and easy, Thermage
requires no downtime from normal activities.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The only option to remove the extra skin on the upper  eyelids is a surgical blepharoplasty. The primary goal of an upper blepharoplasty  is to remove excess hooded skin on the upper lids. The incision is located directly in the crease and excess skin is removed to  rejuvenate the upper eyelids. The procedure can be performed under either local or general anesthesia, as a brief outpatient procedure. For many examples, please see the link below

Kimberly Lee, MD · Answer

There are a few options to address drooping upper eyelids, including surgical and non-surgical options.  To determine the best option for your eyes, it is best to consult with a board certified specialist who can assist you with achieving the results you seek.

Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

Thank you for your question.  An upper eyelid blepharoplasty is a plastic surgical procedure designed to remove eyelid hoods or sagging upper eyelid skin.  I cannot tell from your photograph if your upper brow is created with pencil or if your brow is at that location.  The reason I ask is that in some patients a brow lift is needed if eyebrow skin is sagging over the eyelid.  However if the eyebrow shown in your photograph is natural you will not need a brow lift.  Please consult a board certified plastic surgeon with experience an oculoplastic surgery.

I have upper eyelid sagging & drooping. What are my options? (Photo)

Answers (7)

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