Always consider your neighbor - which procedure is best to address hooded eyes?

It can. The term ‘hooded eye’ refers to excess skin that folds down within the region of the upper eyelid. It is usually more noticeable toward the outer edge of the eye, where the eyebrow tapers towards the temple. People often associate it with aging but it can also be seen in younger individuals, as the result of genetics.

Working down, let’s think about the forehead, eyebrow, and upper eyelid as different but neighboring units. If the forehead and/or eyebrow are sagging, that can result in the appearance of excess skin within the upper eyelid region – whether there’s a true excess or not. If that same patient takes their hand and gently lifts the eyebrow, that will improve the amount of excess eyelid skin.

Now let’s say the forehead and eyebrow are in good position – no sagging – but the upper eyelid skin itself is responsible for the hooding. This would be addressed not with a brow lift, but rather with an upper blepharoplasty (or upper eyelid surgery).

So yes, a brow lift can improve the appearance in a hooded eyelid. But…some patients may benefit more from an upper blepharoplasty. And others may want to consider both a brow lift and an upper blepharoplasty at the same time. These are all critical to discuss with your surgeon preoperatively to ensure you really understand what’s contributing to what and what you can expect improvement in postoperatively.