Weak eyelid muscles, or a drooping upper eyelid, can make the eyes look sad or stop them opening fully. This is a medical condition known as ‘ptosis’, which is different from having monolid eyes.

Monolid eyes and narrow eyes are inherited, a physical trait passed on through the chromosomes of parents or ancestors and common in people of Asian descent. They can also be caused by excess fat in the upper eyelid that presses on the eyelid crease and makes the eyes look narrower.

Ptosis (blepharoptosis) is when the upper eyelid droops down over the eye, making the eyes look sleepy, dull and heavy-lidded. Some people lose confidence because it makes the face look older than it is. Drooping eyelid muscles can happen from often lifting the eyelids out of habit, which in some people makes the eyes uneven. There are 3 levels of severity:

mild ptosis, where the upper eyelid margin covers the eye by 2mm
moderate ptosis, where the upper eyelid margin covers the eye by more than 3mm
severe ptosis, where the upper eyelid margin covers the eye by more than 4mm

What Causes Ptosis?

Ptosis can be inherited or caused by nerve problems. It can also be caused by habits and several other factors, such as:

congenital ptosis, which some people may be born with, seen in people with small eyes, no eyelid crease and eyes that look as if they cannot open fully
ptosis from lifestyle habits, such as spending long periods looking at a computer or smartphone screen
myasthenia gravis (MG), caused by a problem with the immune system, which leads to drooping eyelids, facial stiffness, difficulty breathing, abnormal facial movement, unclear speech and difficulty chewing. Ptosis surgery cannot be done for this cause, and you need to see an ophthalmologist for treatment first
complications from double eyelid surgery, which can cause drooping, heavy eyelids and eye irritation

Symptoms of Ptosis

drooping upper eyelids
difficulty opening the eyes fully
often raising the eyebrows to see
often rubbing the eyes

See results from real cases

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Which Eyes May Be Suited to Eye Reshaping Surgery

monolid eyes with a covered inner corner (epicanthal fold)
a hidden eyelid crease
drooping upper eyelids pressing on the eyes
ptosis
drooping upper eyelids due to ageing

Although ptosis and monolid eyes are not serious threats to health, they can affect your confidence, mean spending more time on make-up than others, and make you feel less confident socially, which may affect your personal image and even your work. Ptosis can be corrected, and monolid eyes can be reshaped to look larger and more defined to suit your face, through eye reshaping surgery, depending on each person.

Correcting Monolid Eyes With Double Eyelid Surgery

If you have narrow or monolid eyes and uneven fat in the upper eyelids, you can have double eyelid surgery with the long incision technique and removal of excess eyelid skin.

Correcting Ptosis With Eyelid Muscle Surgery

If you have ptosis and want double eyelid surgery, the eyelid muscle should also be corrected so the eyelid does not droop again.

Check your eyes before deciding how to correct drooping eyelids, ptosis or monolid eyes. Consult a surgeon before eye reshaping surgery for suitable care and an assessment of any health effects, and get advice on your specific problem at S45 Clinic