{
  "what": "A droopy eyelid is an upper lid that sits lower, or looks heavier, than it should, from one of three look-alike causes: lax lid skin folding down (dermatochalasis, the common hooding), the lid margin itself sitting low (ptosis, a muscle-tendon problem), or a descending brow. At Dr Sin Yong's practice on Orchard Road, Singapore, he sorts skin, brow and muscle first. Brow-led and early skin hooding can be lifted non-surgically; ptosis and marked skin excess are referred for surgery.",
  "key_facts": [
    "Three causes: dermatochalasis is surplus lid skin over a lid margin in its usual position; ptosis is the lid margin riding low across the iris because the levator complex has stretched or slipped; brow descent takes lid space from above; many people over 50 carry a blend",
    "Self-checks: in a relaxed mirror view a lid margin crossing well into the iris suggests ptosis; hooding that vanishes when the brow is lifted with a finger lives at the brow; old photographs show whether the lash line has dropped",
    "Medical flag: a droop that is new, one-sided, fluctuating through the day or accompanied by double vision is examined medically first; a sudden droop with double vision, pupil change, severe headache, facial weakness or trouble speaking needs an emergency department",
    "Non-surgical options: with an intact crease and brow descent or early hooding, the VF Periorbital Eyelift (monopolar radiofrequency on Volnewmer) or Time Freeze Laser LCLR®; FSX or fractional CO2 laser (Tetra Pro) for lax lid skin, with protective eye shields",
    "Does not: no non-surgical option corrects ptosis or removes marked skin excess; creams, serums, eyelid tape and exercises do not lift a lid, and complete correction is not promised",
    "Referred on: Dr Sin Yong does not perform eyelid surgery; upper blepharoplasty, ptosis repair and double eyelid surgery are referred to a plastic surgery or oculoplastic specialist",
    "Asian eyes: a lower or absent crease and a fuller upper lid are common anatomy and can hide an early droop; inherited hooding has nothing that needs correcting",
    "Assessed by: Dr Sin Yong personally, checking the lid margin against the iris, the brow, the crease and whether the droop changes; energy settings around the eye are kept conservative and treatment is staged"
  ],
  "references": [
    "Blepharoptosis (Ptosis): Classification, Evaluation, and Surgical Management. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539828/",
    "A Review of Acquired Blepharoptosis: Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Current Treatment Options. Eye (Nature). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-021-01547-5",
    "Acquired ptosis in the young and middle-aged adult population. Ophthalmology 1995. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7777300/",
    "A Review of Complications Due to the Use of Botulinum Toxin A for Cosmetic Indications. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33051718/"
  ],
  "owner_url": "https://drsinyong.com/droopy-hooded-eyelids/",
  "doctor": "Dr Sin Yong, aesthetic physician, Orchard Road, Singapore",
  "updated": "2026-10-31"
}