GREENSBORO, N.C. — If you want to fit into your clothes better, you can watch what you eat and exercise. But for your droopy eyelids, there's no exercise or eating right that will lift those lids. So what if you could change them, lift them, with one single eye-drop? It’s called Upneeq. It’s FDA-approved to temporarily lift your lid.
Droopy eyelids can be due to many things, age, Botox use, genes, and long-time contact lens wearing. In my case, droopy lids seem to run in my family. My cousin Alana has had droopy lids for as long as I can remember.
“I could tell I looked droopy. I don’t know if you would describe me as looking angry or mad, but it was getting worse and worse,” said Alana.
After wanting surgery for years, she finally did it in 2022, and what a difference!
“It brightened everything. I see better, I look better. You can actually see my eyes,” said Alana.
Even in everyday pictures, you can see the difference. I have pictures of us before her surgery and after.
“It was worth every penny and I would do it again and not blink an eye,” said Alana.
All puns are intended, but the price of the surgery is nothing to laugh at. You're looking at $3,000 to $5,000. This is why the before and after pictures of we’ve included here may have you doing a double-take when you realize the cost of the temporary eye lift is less than $10.
IT'S JUST ONE DROP IN EACH EYE
“Look straight up. Alright, that’s it,” said Dr. Neil Hutto of Triad Eye Associates.
A drop in each eye. That's it. The prescription drop Upneeq is .01% of oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution. Dr. Hutto uses it himself and prescribes it to patients.
“I would say 75% of people who use the drop that will continue to use the drop daily. Some just use it when they take pictures or go to church or when they're going to drive at night. It doesn’t have to be an everyday drop, but some people do,” said Hutto.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The drop goes into the eye and is absorbed by the Superior Tarsal muscle known as Muller's muscle.
“It activates the Muller's muscle and raises your upper lid. You put it in your eye and it's absorbed by the eyelid and the muscle there in the lid and it works in five to ten minutes,” said Hutto.
Three of us used the drops and took before and after pictures within about 15 minutes. The results vary from person to person.
The opening or lift lasts between 6 and 8 hours and is more than just cosmetic.
“You do see more. When your upper lid is occluding a part of your pupil, you're not getting as much light in. So I have a lot of my patients who say they see better,” said Hutto.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
Upneeq is the only FDA-approved drop to lift your lids. It's cheaper than surgery, but it's not inexpensive. We looked for a 30-day on several websites including Good RX. A supply can cost you anywhere from $150 to $250 dollars.
Again, you don't have to use it every day for it to be effective, so that supply could last you a while.