There are many reasons why our eyelids can droop or sag. Most are natural and are to do with age, yet one reason why our eyelids can sag is actually a result of Botox itself.

This makes treating hooded eyelids with Botox an incredibly specialist procedure. And while there should be no unqualified individuals performing cosmetic treatments, this is especially true for this treatment.

Nobody should be performing Botox for hooded eyes without first completing some form of Botox training and filler course, such as our foundation course at Dr Hennessy Academy. We have included some information surrounding the topic of droopy eyelid Botox in this article to help you understand what to expect if you are a Botox practitioner or a prospective patient.

Will Botox help hooded eyes?

To an extent, Botox can help reduce the appearance of hooded eyes.

Hooded eyes are when the upper eyelid droops down and covers a portion of the eye. This can be as a result of any number of issues, including your genetic structure or age-related factors. The medical term for this condition is ptosis.

If there is very minimal drooping and it is a result of your skin sagging with age, muscle laxity or a result of a low brow, then Botox may be able to be used to address this and make you appear refreshed and more awake. This can be done through a hooded eye Botox eyebrow lift.

However, if the cause of your hooded eyelids is excess skin, then unfortunately Botox will not be a successful method of treatment for you. If you want to remove excess skin from your eyelid so that it no longer hangs over the eye then you will need to have surgery.

Can Botox cause droopy eyelids?

Yes, Botox can cause droopy eyelids if it is injected in the wrong place or if too much is used.

Because Botox is a muscle relaxing toxin, if it is injected into the muscles that hold the eyelids or eyebrows up, then this can cause the muscles that pull the eyelids down to be more emphasised. The margin for error during these procedures is very small as the injection sites need to be accurate within the millimetre.

Fortunately, as long as a trained medical professional is delivering the Botox, then the chances of this occurring is very slim (less than 1%). This is because they will have extensive knowledge of facial anatomy, something that an untrained Botox practitioner will not have.

Botox for hooded eyelids before and after

Before treatment for hooded eyelids, the hooding will be noticeable with folds in the upper eyelid that will result in a portion of the eyeball being covered. It will likely be more visible from the outside rather than an obstruction to vision.

After treatment, there will be a reduction to the droopiness of the eyebrow and as a result the patient will look more vibrant and awake. Because the treatment will involve raising the brow, there will also be a noticeable lift to the eyebrow – especially the tail end of the brow.

Nevertheless, to be eligible for Botox treatment for hooded eyes, there needs to be minimal droopiness. In this area of the face ever millimetre really is noticeable, so while results should be measured in their effectiveness, there does not need to be dramatic changes for successful treatment.

Where to inject Botox for hooded eyes

The Botox treatment for hooded eyes is a brow lift, so the injection sites will be located within the procerus and the orbicularis oculi muscles.

This is because they are depressor muscles and pull the eyebrow down. They work in opposition to the frontalis muscle which raises the eyebrow.

By weakening the strength of the depressor muscles surrounding the eyes, the muscle that raises the eyebrows will be more pronounced and able to lift the eyebrow into a higher position.

Learn more at Dr Hennessy Academy

At our training centre in Preston, we provide extensive Botox courses, lip filler courses and dermal filler training for medical professionals. This includes our incredibly popular foundation course where you can learn everything that you may need to begin administering Botox in the most requested areas on the face.

Then we also have more advanced cosmetics courses where you can learn how to perform alternative Botox treatments such as neck Botox and over 14 more advanced procedures.

FAQs

What causes upper eyelids to sag?

Upper eyelids can sag as a result of age or there being a presence of excess skin.

When we grow older, our muscles in our face can become weaker which means our eyelids may not be held as firmly in position as they once were. Eyelids can even sag more if we frequently rub our eyes.

What is the difference between ptosis and dermatochalasis?

Ptosis is when the upper eyelid droops over the eye, whereas dermatochalasis is when the skin above the eyelid droops over the eye.