Eyelid surgery, which can be performed on either the upper or lower lids, is designed to remove excess fat and skin that may have formed around the lids. It can also address excess bags and circles under the eyes, as well as droopy upper eyelids. It is one of the more popular facial rejuvenation procedures that are performed to make the upper portion of the face look more youthful and rejuvenated.

In 2015, more than 200,000 eyelid surgeries were performed by surgeons that are members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (the largest professional plastic surgery organization), which made the procedure the fourth most popular for that year. Interestingly, eyelid surgery was the second most popular procedure for men in 2015, with almost 30,000 surgeries performed by ASPS member surgeons.

Many of Dr. Pin’s male patients have also expressed interest in eyelid surgery in order to provide their facial features with a younger appearance. However, the approach that Dr. Pin uses for eyelid surgery on men differs from that he uses on women. There are two main reasons for this. First, men and women often have different ideas in mind of how to make their eyes appear more youthful. Second, there are some important differences in the structure of male versus female eyelids that require somewhat different approaches in terms of surgical technique.

Correcting the Effects of Aging for Men vs. Women

Most women have relatively thin skin around their upper eyelids, so Dr. Pin must be careful to only remove enough fat and excess skin to achieve the desired look. If too much is removed, it can leave the patient with upper lids that look extremely sunken or hollowed. Dr. Pin avoids this by leaving the center of the upper eyelids more full and focusing on removing fat from the outer areas of the lids. Additionally, female patients may benefit from having the upper eyelids lifted in order to open the eyes wider. This also provides the eyes with a rounder appearance, which is a desirable feature for the female eyes.

Conversely, the focus for men is on correcting for droopy eyelids rather than opening the eyes as a whole. The reason for this is because the male eyelid is naturally heavier than the female eyelid. In addition, Dr. Pin will not usually remove as much excess skin and fat from the male eyelids as he will from female ones. He will also usually not opt to do an eyelid lift, as that may result in too much rounding to the eyes, which can produce a more feminine look than most men want.

In this current youth-oriented culture, it is only natural for both men and women to want to look young for as long as possible. Cosmetic surgery can provide a way for them to do so. However, the techniques that are used may be somewhat different to account for differences in the natural structure of male and female features, including the face. This is why it is important to select a cosmetic surgeon who understands those structural differences.