If your eyes are supposed to be the windows to your soul, the view may be obstructed If you have hooded eyes. To stick with that analogy, there are both surgical and non-surgical procedures that can lift the curtains from your eyes to see everything as it should be seen.

What are hooded eyes? It’s when your upper eyelids droop – either from birth or as you age. Excess skin folds down from the brow bone to the lash line, partially or fully obscuring your crease. Not only does that give your eyes a tired look and make it difficult to apply makeup properly, but the lids could droop so much that they begin to cover your pupils, affecting your vision.

The causes of hooded eye can range from age-related sagging of the muscles holding your eyelids up, excess sun exposure, to nerve damage, certain diseases, or injury to the eye.

The question is, what can you do to correct your droopy eyes aside from surgery?

One possible solution is Botox injections. However, it depends on how pronounced your condition has become.

The purpose of Botox is to relax specific facial muscles in order to smooth wrinkles in a treated area. Since certain types of hooded eyes are due to low eyebrow position, Botox can help lift the outer tail of the eyebrow. Here’s how it would work:

Your doctor would inject small amounts of Botox into your lower forehead and outer tails of your eyebrows. This would paralyze the depressor muscle that is causing your eyebrows to droop, but not the elevator muscles that raise your brows. That then would lift the upper eyelids by a few millimeters, exposing more eyelid skin and making your eyes look more open.

Of course, this is just a temporary solution. The Botox will wear off in a few months, and when it does your eyebrow muscles will regain strength and your brows will start to droop again, requiring another injection.

On the other hand, if your eyes are hooded due to considerable excess eyelid skin, Botox wouldn’t be able to reduce or tighten the skin. In that case, upper eyelid surgery – or blepharoplasty – would be your best option. It involves removing the excess eyelid skin and modifying the muscles to flatten and firm your eyelids.

In addition to correcting your droopy eyelids, blepharoplasty can improve any of these conditions:

• Dark circles or bags under your eyes
• Excessive skin or wrinkles surrounding your eyelids
• Tired appearance or puffiness due to inherited factors

Dr. Iorio is highly experienced with both administering Botox where needed and performing blepharoplasty procedures. During the corrective procedure, he makes tiny incisions within the natural contours around your eyes that should leave no visible scarring. First, he operates on the upper eyelids, removing any fatty tissue and tightening loose skin. Then he follows with the lower eyelids to reduce puffiness and lessen dark circles. The upper and lower eyelid surgery usually takes about one to three hours in total and when it’s over, your tired, aging eyelids look more youthful, alert, and refreshed.

Dr. Louis Iorio specializes in plastic surgery procedures and would be happy to discuss with you the benefits and risks of choosing between Botox injections and eyelid surgery. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Iorio, call Iorio Plastic Surgery & Medspa, today at (732) 780-9191 for Colts Neck, New Jersey or (732) 458-7400 for Brick, New Jersey. You can also request an appointment online.