Treating hooded eyes is one of the most common questions I get in my practice! A lot of people think that surgery is the only option, but I’m here to tell you there are many options to treat this! It all depends on the anatomy of each person and how ‘aggressive’ of a treatment they might need. So let's get right into the options:
Botox
A great option for someone who needs just a little lifting is Botox. It’s one of the easiest ways to open up the eyelid. For this procedure we use just a tiny bit of Botox, think 1.5 to 2 units per side, in the circular muscle the runs around the eye to gently lift the outer corners of the eye. This helps pull up that region of the face and give the appearance of more open and bright eyes.
Be careful who you go to for this procedure though, as it is one that needs to be very precise, and if not done correctly can lead to adverse effects like drooping of the eye... which is exactly what we don't want! Make sure your injector is skilled in this area and very well versed in the anatomy of the face.
Lasers and energy based devices
Fraxel and thermage are amazing treatments for loose skin in the eyelid area. These devies when used together stimulate your body’s own regenerative processes to build collagen and thicken up the skin in that area. This leads to a really youthful and bright look to the eyes. It’s a great first step even if someone does want to opt for surgery in the future because when you go into surgery with more collagen-dense skin you will get even better results from the surgery!
Downtime for this procedure is about 4-6 days of minor swelling and some redness. Results will start to show about 1-2 months post-treatment and will continually get better from there!
Thread lifts
I’ve been performing and talking about thread lifts for years! The use of threads in the forehead to lift and open the eye area gives beautiful results when done correctly. The threads themselves are biostimulatory fillers that help your body to produce it’s own collagen while simultaneously lifting the treatment area. So it’s a two-pronged approach that yields beautiful outcomes!
You might see mixed reviews about thread lifts online, and this is often due to people seeing practitioners who aren’t very well versed in the use of threads so they don’t get optimal results. When done correctly, however, threads give beautiful outcomes!
You might see mixed reviews about thread lifts online, and this is often due to people seeing practitioners who aren’t very well versed in the use of threads so they don’t get optimal results. When done correctly, however, threads give beautiful outcomes!
Blepharoplasty
Lastly, we have our most invasive treatment option: blepharoplasty. This is a treatment I perform very regularly in my office for patients who need more than the above non-invasive options. This surgery consists of removing a little bit of skin from the upper eyelid area to remove the hooded look from the eye. I do this procedure in my office with local anesthesia, and it’s a very comfortable process for my patients!
The results from a blepharoplasty last for about 15-20 years! This procedure is truly life changing for the people who need it!
To find out what procedure I strongly DON’T recommend for hooded eyes, and to find out if you would be a candidate for a blepharoplasty or a brow lift check out my YouTube video below! Make sure to like and subscribe while you’re there to get the latest derm knowledge every Sunday!
