Hooded Eyes

The skin of the eyelids is among the thinnest on the body, with few oil glands and a thin dermis that holds less collagen and support to begin with. Made deep down by cells called fibroblasts, that collagen also declines with age, so an area that started with little support loses firmness, crepes and loosens earlier than thicker areas like the cheeks.

Heavy upper eyelids are not always about the lid alone. As the brow drifts downward with age, it presses extra skin onto the upper lid, adding to any looseness already there. This is why the brow and the eyelid are usually assessed together rather than separately.

Eyelid skin is the thinnest on the body, with almost no oil and very little collagen, and it moves with every blink, many thousands of times a day. With so little support to start, repeated blinking, rubbing and makeup removal wear on its elasticity, so the lid skin stretches and stays looser over time.

The eyelid skin is the thinnest on the face, and the area around the eyes takes plenty of sun. UV degrades its scarce collagen and elastin quickly, and squinting in bright light adds constant creasing. Together they speed the loss of elasticity that lets the upper lid skin sag and form a hood.

Daily strain affects the eyes more than most areas. Smoking, alcohol, pollution and poor sleep generate free radicals that wear down the eyelid's delicate fibres, and a sugar-rich diet stiffens them through glycation. Because this skin is so thin and moves constantly, that wear loosens it quickly, deepening the hooded look.