One of the first features that people notice are the eyes, so wanting more symmetrical eyes to impress people is completely natural. However, not everyone wants to get surgery to correct asymmetrical eyes.
Some common ways to fix asymmetrical eyes without surgery are eyelid tape, Botox injections, and a thread lift. However, some people may need to get surgery to correct asymmetrical eyes depending on the cause (like an underlying condition), severity, etc.
What Causes Asymmetrical Eyes?
It is extremely rare to be perfect or nearly perfectly symmetrical. Some people may have asymmetrical eyes naturally. It may be more obvious in some people than others.
However, certain lifestyle factors can cause asymmetrical eyes, such as smoking. Liu et al., 2014 found that environmental factors affected identical twins’ facial symmetry. The researchers stated that smoking could cause upper eyelid ptosis or droopy eyelids.
Sun damage can also make your eyes asymmetrical because the UV rays can damage the skin around the eyes. If there is more sun exposure on one side of your face, you may notice gradual asymmetry.
Aging is another common cause of asymmetrical eyes. The skin loses elasticity and collagen as we age. Our eyes are very susceptible to becoming droopier and “sag” above our eyes with age, potentially making the eyes look uneven.
However, asymmetrical eyes can be a symptom of an underlying condition, like Bell’s Palsy or Graves disease. If you have asymmetrical eyes because of an underlying condition, you may need to opt for another procedure, like blepharoplasty.
For instance, let’s say that you have ptosis. If the ptosis progresses further and makes it difficult to open your eyes, then you would likely need to get surgery.
How to Fix Asymmetrical Eyes Without Surgery
Botox
Botox is a neurotoxin that can help correct asymmetrical eyes. Botox injections work by blocking signals from nerves that make your muscles contract. Strategic Botox injections can relax and open up the eyes.
For instance, let’s say that you have narrow, tired-looking eyes. A surgeon may inject 1-2 units of Botox directly under the eyes to relax the muscles surrounding the eyes. The Botox should make the lower eyelid open up to make the eyes look more awake.
Another example will be if one eyelid looks smaller than the other. A doctor can inject a small amount of Botox into one eye, letting it relax and open up to be the same size as the other eye.
However, a doctor may perform a snap test to see if Botox is suitable for you. The snap test will check if your skin is loose or tight in the targeted area. A doctor will pull the skin away from the face then release it, letting it retract. Retraction will be easy to see if the skin is tight. However, it will retract to the face slowly if the skin is loose. A doctor may suggest an alternative option if you have loose skin.
People with loose eyelid skin may find it hard to blink and close their eyes if they get Botox injections. Additionally, it can make your eyes dry, potentially causing other issues.
Another thing to be wary of is the side effects. Most doctors will do their best to minimize the side effects, but you may still deal with them for a few weeks. For instance, bruises usually take two weeks to go away if you do not treat them. Some patients may get laser treatment the day after Botox injections to treat the bruises immediately.
You may see minor results a few days after your Botox injections. However, you may only see the final results 2-3 weeks after the injections. You will also need to get Botox again once it wears off (after 4-6 months) to maintain your results.
Thread Lift
Thread lifts are non-surgical brow lifts. A surgeon inserts a small, dissolvable thread into the face then pulls up the skin, lifting the skin as desired. The dissolvable threads have microscopic barbs that hook onto the skin tissue. The microscopic barbs help the thread pull up the skin and keep it in place.
Typically, a thread lift for the eye area is for the “fox eyes” trend, which you can see in celebrities like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. However, your doctor could use this method to correct asymmetrical eyes, especially if your asymmetry is in your eyes’ outer corners.
However, thread lifts could also be a win-win if you want to correct droopy eyelids. As seen above, you can also use the thread lift to get more up-turned, fox-like eyes.
The results of thread lifts are not as dramatic as a traditional facelift. However, thread lifts are a great choice if you do not want to get surgery.
Keep in mind that there are no studies available about the long-term efficacy of thread lifts. Some people say that their results last for 1-3 years. However, the thread lift results may be at their “peak” for the first few weeks or months after the procedure. You may notice that your results “dwindle” after that because your body will start to absorb the threads, making your lift go down.
Luckily, your body creates new collagen around the area where it absorbs the thread. Therefore, you might keep the slight “lifted” effect even when you do not have the threads. Of course, you still need to get them again if you want to get the same results as before.
Keep in mind that you should not rush into another thread lift immediately. Most doctors suggest that you get a thread lift no more than twice a year.
Getting thread lifts more than twice a year can increase your risk of trauma and scar tissue. It can also increase the risk of rejection, which can be painful. Your body will destroy and push out the threads, wasting your money and health.
Eyelid Tape
Eyelid tape is what it sounds like; tape for your eyelids. It is trendy in East Asia because women frequently use it to create “double eyelids” to make their eyes look bigger.
Luckily for you, you could also use eyelid tape to make your eyes more symmetrical. It is a good idea if you have two different eyelid shapes.
For instance, you may have a large, defined crease above one eye, but the other eyelid is a monolid. You can use eyelid tape to create a crease above the monolid eye, matching it with the other eye.
Eyelid tape works as a quick fix that you can do at home. It may take some time to figure out what method works for the results that you want. While it may take some time out of your day, it might be good if you want a simple solution.
You can experiment with different types of tape. Some tape will stay in place to keep the crease that you want. Some people opt for “double eyelid” glue, making your skin stick together to create a crease.
It may be wise to use tape that is strictly made for eyelids. Trying to use other adhesives could damage your eyes’ skin, especially because the skin around the eyes is more sensitive.
For instance, using the wrong kind of adhesive or using it excessively can lead to redness, peeling, dryness, itchiness, etc.
