What are hooded eyes, and do I have them?
What are hooded eyes?
Hooded eyelids are a common facial feature that owe their appearance to a small flap of excess skin under each eyebrow. They can also be referred to as “hooded eyes.” Like the color of your hair or the presence of attached earlobes, the shape of your eyes is just one of many genetic traits.
Glance in the mirror and you’ll probably be able to tell whether you have hooded eyes or not. Open your eyes comfortably — if most (or all) of your upper eyelids are covered by the skin under your brow bones, there’s a good chance you have hooded eyelids.
Hooded eyes tend to become more pronounced as people age.
Celebrities with hooded eyes
Hooded eyes might be more common than you think. Some of the most recognizable names in fashion and entertainment have hooded eyes:
Jennifer Lawrence
Taylor Swift
Blake Lively
Miranda Kerr
Brad Pitt
Charlotte Rampling
Michelle Williams
Namoi Campbell
Tom Cruise
Emma Stone
Eva Green
People who wear makeup, including many of these celebrities, are more likely to be aware of their eye shape. Since their brows create a “hood” over their eyelids and hide any shadow or glitter applied to the lid, those with hooded eyes have ways of getting creative when it comes to applying eye shadow.
Hooded eyes can be confused with droopy eyes
Hooded eyes can be confused with droopy eyes, but they’re a little different — droopy eyelids can affect a person’s ability to keep their eye(s) open all the way.
While hooded eyes are a normal hereditary trait, droopy eyelids can be a medical condition — either on their own or as the result of an underlying condition or injury. When one or both eyelids droop, it often points to a condition called ptosis. Although less common than hooded eyes, there are celebrities with ptosis too.
Drooping can be mild, but severe cases of ptosis can affect vision and cause other problems as time passes, especially when present in babies. Hooded eyelids, on the other hand, have no effect on eyesight or eyelid function.
SEE RELATED: Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) for a more youthful appearance
Should you see an eye doctor for hooded eyes?
Since hooded eyes are just a harmless facial trait, they don’t require any sort of medical attention.
However, if you start to notice one or both of your eyelids starting to droop, or you have difficulty seeing clearly because of your drooping eyelids, schedule an appointment with an eye care provider to examine your eyes and determine the best course of treatment.
Page published on Tuesday, 17 May 2022
