Why do the eyelids droop?

07/02/2023

Droopy eyelids are an excess of skin on the upper eyelids due to the passage of time, the effect of gravity on the face or many other factors. The periocular skin, the area that includes the eyelids, is the thinnest in our entire body, which is why it suffers more than any other area, losing elasticity, hydration and volume over time and giving way to the signs of aging.

This condition has a great impact on the eyes, the part of the body that has the most weight in the facial expression and that shows first the effect of aging. Drooping eyelids often reflect sadness and a tired look, having a great impact on oculofacial aesthetics and they are one of the main reasons for aesthetic consultation.

Causes of drooping eyelids

Although it is fundamentally an aesthetic condition, it can actually limit your field of vision, so it has a great impact not only on appearance, but also on your health and quality of life. Droopy eyelids can be due to physiological or medical causes, including the following:

• Aging, causing skin flaccidity due to loss of firmness and tissue elasticity.
• External agents such as unprotected sun exposure, pollution or extreme temperatures, also have a great impact on the eyelids and eye contour and accelerate the skin’s oxidative process.
• Eye rubbing. This habit is detrimental to eye hygiene and also to the functioning of the eyelids.
• Eyelid ptosis. This muscular pathology is lowering of the upper eyelid, compromising eye health and requiring surgical treatment in addition to ophthalmological follow-up on many occasions.

At the Barraquer Ophthalmology Centre we have a team specialized in oculoplastic ophthalmology and oculofacial aesthetics to treat all conditions of the eyelids and the eye contour with and without surgery.

Dr. Sandra Planella, ophthalmologist at the Barraquer Ophthalmology Centre