Drooping eyelids can make you look tired and can even impede your field of vision. As you age, the dropping will likely become worse as the skin loses some of its elasticity. Fortunately, there are some solutions for different stages of droopy lids.

Minor to Moderate Drooping: Makeup Tricks

There are a few different makeup tricks you can use to make a droopy eyelid look more lifted. Shape your eyebrows so they have a defined line with an arch that's slightly out past where your iris is when looking forward. Use brow gel and powder to define your brow, drawing attention upwards.

On the lid, focus darker eyeshadows on the outer corner of the eyelid. Sweep that eyeshadow on an upward diagonal until it forms a defined, slanted "v" shape. Use a slightly shimmery nude eye shadow on the center of the lid to keep from drawing too much attention to that area while still making the eye look brighter and more alert. Use a frosty white shade on the inner corners of the eyes and just under the arch of the eyebrows, which highlights the overall shape of your eyes without drawing more attention to the lid.

Only apply eyeliner to the inner third of the bottom lash line to avoid making your lid look even more droopy. Use mascara as desired only on the upper lashes. Avoid heavy mascara formulas that weigh lashes down and use an eyelash curler first if your lashes are naturally straight.

Severe Drooping: Eyelid Surgery

Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, can fix cases of severe droopiness where the lid is actually interfering with daily life. Depending on what's causing the drooping, your cosmetic surgeon will remove skin, muscle or fat -- or a combination of the three -- in order to correct the drooping. Your upper lash line can end up a tiny bit higher than it was originally as a result of the procedure.

This procedure can be performed in minor to moderate cases, too, though it might be considered a cosmetic procedure by your insurance company. The surgery in these cases is easier and often carries a shorter recovery time because less was removed from the lid.

There's no reason you have to suffer low self-esteem or medical problems due to droopy eyelids. Use these simple makeup techniques or consult with a local cosmetic surgeon, like Bruce Moskowitz, MD, to ask how an eyelid surgery could benefit your life.