How to Fix Uneven Eyelids (Plus What Causes Them)

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Tricks for disguising a droopy eyelid, and myths about them
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Have you looked in the mirror lately and noticed that one eyelid looks more or less visible than the other? You may have uneven eyelids, which can either be a perfectly normal type of facial asymmetry or a sign of an underlying medical condition. In this article, we'll explain the causes of uneven eyelids , non-surgical and surgical treatments that can fix them, and how to hide uneven eyelids with makeup or eyelid tape. We'll also debunk some common myths about uneven eyelids and explain why you probably don't need to worry if your eyelids are a little unbalanced.

Why are my eyelids uneven?

Your eyes can look uneven due to natural causes like genetics. You may also have uneven fat deposits or loose skin from aging. In some cases, you may have ptosis, a condition in which the muscle you use to open your eyelid weakens. Rarer causes of uneven eyelids are tics, a traumatic injury, Bell's palsy, and a stroke.

Section 1 of 6:

What causes uneven eyelids?

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  1. Facial symmetry is when your eyes, eyelids, ears, and other features look evenly balanced on either side of your face. Most people look like they have symmetrical facial features. But if you observe their eyes or ears or cheeks up close, you'll often see little differences that make them uneven, or asymmetrical. That's perfectly normal. It may even be caused by your genetics. [1]
  2. 2
    Ptosis Ptosis (pronounced toe-sis ) is a condition where the levator muscle that controls your eyelid stops working properly. This causes your eyelid to droop. It may droop a little bit or so low that it makes it hard for you to see out of that eye. In fact, children with ptosis may have to lift their heads up to see properly, which can hurt their necks. You can be born with ptosis, acquire it with age, or develop it after an injury or eye disease. [2]
    • You might have ptosis if you've ever experienced any of the following:
      • Stye : An infection in the tear duct, where tears come out of your eyes.
      • Horner syndrome : A condition caused by nerve damage. It causes a drooping eyelid, a smaller pupil size, and reduced sweating on one side of the face. [3]
      • Myasthenia gravis : A disease that causes voluntary muscles (the ones you can control) all over your body—including your eyelids—to get tired much faster than normal. [4]
      • Tumor : A growth behind or near the eye that pushes against your eyelid and makes it look uneven with your other eyelid.
      • Stroke : A medical emergency where blood flow to your brain is blocked. It can cause nerve damage and paralysis in your face. [5]
    • Get your eye checked for ptosis if you have a frequent urge to rub your eye; your eyes water a lot ; you feel tired and achy around your eyes; and you notice your vision is blurred or reduced. [6]
    • If you have a droopy eye but it's not bothering you or obstructing your vision, you may not need to treat it.
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  3. 3
    Uneven fat deposits It's natural to have a small amount of fat tissue in your upper eyelids and all around your eyes. It protects and cushions your eyes so they don't get hurt or damaged. With age, however, the fat deposits in your eyes can start to move forward, making them look puffy. If you notice one eyelid is puffier than the other, it may look that way because the fat deposits in one eye are shifting. [7]
  4. 4
    Loose skin As humans get older, their skin often starts to lose elasticity. Elasticity is when your skin can stretch and then snap back to its original position. When the skin around your eyes loses this quality, it starts to loosen and sag. This can lead to one or both eyes looking droopy. [8]
  5. 5
    Tics A tic is an involuntary muscle movement, meaning a movement you can't control. Tics are most common among children, and they usually grow out of them. Occasionally, though, some children continue to have tics into their adult life. One common tic is blinking or moving your eye. [9] If you do this a lot in one eye, especially when you're stressed or anxious, then your eyes may look uneven in the mirror because of how much one eye is moving more than the other.
    • Tics usually go away on their own. Experts aren't sure what causes them, but they suspect genetics. They also often appear in people who have a mental health condition like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  6. 6
    Traumatic nerve damage Some people have uneven eyelids because they received an injury to their head. When someone gets struck hard on one side of the head or hits it against something (like a piece of furniture), the blow can damage or weaken the nerves in their eyelids or eyes. [10] If the levator nerve, which you use to control your eyelids, is also impacted, that might make your eyelid droop and your eyes look uneven.
  7. 7
    Bell's palsy When someone has Bell's palsy, they may notice that one side of their face suddenly feels a lot weaker than normal. They may have trouble keeping their eyelid open or one corner of their mouth closed. They may also not be able to flex their cheek muscles. Bell's palsy can happen when you contract a virus like herpes, chickenpox, measles, mumps, or the flu. It's usually temporary, and the eyelid and other facial muscles typically return to normal strength within a few weeks or up to 6 months. [11]
  8. 8
    Stroke A stroke happens when blood vessels in the brain are blocked by fatty deposits or blood clots. The blockage reduces blood flow to the brain and can cause a lot of damage if it's not treated right away. One of the types of damage it can cause is to the nerves on one side of your face. In fact, facial paralysis, where your facial muscles can't move, is one of the most common signs of a stroke. [12]
    • If you or someone you know suddenly has drooping muscles on one side of their face, identify if a stroke is occuring by checking for other symptoms. Those include confusion and trouble speaking, vision problems, a severe headache, and trouble walking. If you notice all or even just some of these signs, call emergency services (911) right away.
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Section 2 of 6:

Non-surgical Treatments to Fix Uneven Eyelids

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  1. 1
    Eyedrops In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Upneeq, the first prescription eyedrops for treating ptosis. The eyedrops stimulate a muscle in the eyelid to contract, which causes the eye to look more open. [13] If you have ptosis, talk to your doctor about trying this drug.
    • This treatment is only for people who have acquired ptosis, not people who were born with it. It also won't help if your uneven eyes aren't due to ptosis, but rather to saggy skin, fat deposits, or nerve damage.
  2. 2
    Hyaluronic acid fillers Hyaluronic acid is a substance found naturally in the human body. It's a fluid that cushions your joints and hydrates your skin. The older you get, the more your skin, fat, and muscles start to thin. Getting hyaluronic acid injected in or near your eyelids can help bring volume back to that area and help your eyes look more balanced. [14]
  3. 3
    Ultherapy Ultherapy uses ultrasound to tighten loose skin around your eyes (and other parts of your body). The treatment targets the skin around your eyes with ultrasound waves, which heat up your facial muscles and stimulate collagen growth. [15] Collagen is one of the building blocks of healthy muscles and skin. One study showed it was effective at tightening the lower eyelids, but it also works on the upper eyelids, too. [16]
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Section 3 of 6:

Surgical Solutions for Uneven Eyelids

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  1. During ptosis surgery, the surgeon tightens the levator muscle with tiny stitches. To do this, they either make a small incision in the upper eyelid or flip the eyelid inside out and stitch the muscle from the underside. When they come from the underside, they don't have to make an incision. [17]
  2. 2
    Blepharoplasty Blepharoplasty is a surgery in which the surgeon trims away excess skin, fat, and sometimes muscle from the eyelid. They might also combine it with ptosis surgery to ensure the eyelid doesn't droop anymore, but only if the patient has ptosis. [18]
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Section 4 of 6:

How to Hide Uneven Eyelids

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  1. 1
    Use contour to create the illusion of depth in a hooded eye. Some people have one eye that looks more hooded than the other. An eyelid is hooded when your brow bone protrudes above your eye, so you can't see all (or, in extreme cases, any) of your eyelid. If you can see at least some of it, you may be able to apply contour makeup to create the illusion of shadows and depth.
    • How to apply eyelid contour : Choose foundation or contour at least 2-3 times darker than your natural skin tone. Then fill a medium-sized makeup brush with the product and lightly apply it in the crease of the eye that doesn't look as hooded. Next, apply contour on your hooded eyelid closer to the brow bone. Be more generous here, as you're trying to make it look like that eye has deeper shadows like the other one. [19]
  2. 2
    Stagger your eyeliner to even out your eyelid. Another way to make a hooded eye look more even with one that isn't hooded is to use a batwing eyeliner technique . To do that, draw an upward angled line, starting at the outer corner of your eyelid and following your lower lash line. Make this first line longer if you want a dramatic wing or shorter if you want it to look more subtle. [20]
    • Next, draw a second line from the top of the first line inward toward your eyelid, just under your eyelid crease, and end it in line with the outer corner of your eye. Draw a third line straight down from the end of the second one toward your upper lash line.
    • Finish lining your upper lash line and fill in the outline of the wing you just made.
    • When you open your hooded eye fully, you should be able to see the wing shape on the edge of your eyelid.
  3. 3
    Create a temporary crease on your eyelid with eyelid tape . If one of your eyelids doesn't have a defined crease, making it look uneven with the other eye, you can make it look more balanced using eyelid tape . To find the right position for the eyelid tape, close your eye and decide where you want your crease to be, so that it appears more aligned with your other eye.
    • Next, remove the strip of tape from the packaging and place it on your eyelid in your desired position. Press it on gently with your fingers, then open your eye for a few seconds to secure the bond.
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Section 5 of 6:

Common Uneven Eyelids Myths

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  1. 1
    It's a myth that uneven eyelids are always caused by a medical condition. It's normal for your eyelids (and other facial features) to look asymmetrical. The human face isn't perfectly balanced, even though it may look that way from a distance. [21]
    • If you notice other symptoms, like eye discomfort, vision problems, weakness on one side of your face, or pain, talk to a doctor about it. Otherwise, there's no need to seek treatment for your uneven eyes (unless you just want to fix them for cosmetic reasons).
  2. 2
    It's a myth that a brow lift will fix uneven eyelids. A brow lift is a cosmetic procedure that shifts your forehead closer to your hairline. This has the effect of raising your eyebrows. While this can make your eyes look more open, it won't correct your uneven eyes or change your eye shape. [22]
  3. 3
    It's a myth that you should always try to fix or hide your uneven eyelids. Western society puts a lot of expectation on people—especially women—to "fix" all the parts of their bodies that look uneven or unbalanced. But in reality, asymmetrical facial features are normal and don't need to be fixed (unless they're causing other health issues).
    • Rather than spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on treatments, consider embracing your uneven eyes. They just make you look more unique!
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Section 6 of 6:

Final Takeaway

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  1. If they're disrupting your vision or you just don't like the way they look, you may be able to fix them with eyedrops, injections, ultrasound therapy, or surgical procedures. You can also try to hide them with makeup or eyelid tape. Ultimately, though, you may decide to embrace your uneven eyelids and remember that facial asymmetry is normal for everyone.
    • If you notice other symptoms like facial paralysis, trouble speaking, trouble walking, and a bad headache, call emergency services.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://tabanmd.com/what-causes-eye-asymmetry/
      2. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14418-ptosis-droopy-eyelid
      3. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/horner-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20373547
      4. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/myasthenia-gravis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352036
      5. ↑ https://ohns.ucsf.edu/facialnerve/how-tell-difference-between-bell’s-palsy-vs-stroke
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14418-ptosis-droopy-eyelid
      7. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-best-options-for-droopy-eyelids-circles-and-sags
      8. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-best-options-for-droopy-eyelids-circles-and-sags
      9. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/tics-and-tic-disorders
      1. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-nerve-injuries/symptoms-causes/syc-20355631
      2. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bells-palsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370028
      3. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113
      4. ↑ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/first-prescription-fix-droopy-eyelid
      5. ↑ https://www.asds.net/skin-experts/skin-treatments/injectables/injectable-hyaluronic-acid
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/cosmetic-plastic-surgery/procedures/ultherapy
      7. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25099495/
      8. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14418-ptosis-droopy-eyelid
      9. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/blepharoplasty/about/pac-20385174
      10. ↑ https://youtu.be/Gv2mRaUpARg?si=LxvnV0cYMB8o2Uw_&t=433
      11. ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@juliestory/video/6836058172453637381
      12. ↑ https://tabanmd.com/what-causes-eye-asymmetry/
      13. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10784-brow-lift

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