Have you ever noticed that one of your eyes is smaller than the other? Even in pictures, they look uneven. Do not worry. Having one of your eyes bigger than the other may be completely normal and is usually not a cause for you to be alarmed.
Not everyone has both eyes being the exact same size. While it may be noticeable to you, uneven eyes are barely noticeable to others.
Skin changes can make the eyes appear uneven. Asymmetrical eyes (also known as uneven eyes) can also be caused by a medical condition.
Why is one of my eyes smaller than the other?
One of your eyes can look smaller or is actually smaller than the other because one eyelid is dropping or either your eyebrows look uneven. There may be other cosmetic and non-cosmetic reasons why one of your eyes is smaller than the other.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why one of your eyes may be smaller than the other.
What can cause one of my eyes to be smaller than the other?
There is a wide range of reasons as to why one of your eyes is smaller than the other. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why
Genetics
A common cause of uneven or asymmetrical eyes is genetics. Just like your other facial features, you’re likely to have features similar to that of your parents and other family members.
Older people in your family might have uneven eyes and if this is the case, then the chances of you getting asymmetrical eyes are high.
Ptosis
Ptosis also referred to as droopy eyelid, is a health condition that establishes itself at birth or can be developed in the future. It is more common in older adults.
Ptosis occurs when the levator muscle, which is responsible for holding up your eyelid, stretches or detaches from the eyelid, causing it to droop.
This causes the appearance of uneven eyes. This results in one of your eyes being lower than the other. Ptosis can affect both eyes in certain people.
Aging is the most common cause of ptosis, but it can also be caused by neurological conditions such as tumors, and stroke. If the eyelid droops enough to interfere with your vision, surgery is recommended to correct it.
Enophthalmos
It is the posterior displacement of the eye. This occurs when an injury or health condition affects your eye by changing the space behind the eye, resulting in the eye sinking. Enophthalmos can happen suddenly or even gradually as the years go by.
The most common cause of enophthalmos is trauma. Being hit in the face (either during an accident or in a fight are examples of trauma that can cause enophthalmos). It can also be caused by a number of medical conditions, including those that affect the sinus cavity behind the eyes.
You might also experience a pulling sensation below the eye depending on the cause. Conditions such as bony defects, Paget disease, maxillary sinus tumors, silent sinus syndrome, and chronic maxillary sinusitis can all cause enophthalmos.
Makeup
Another cause as to why your eyes look different is makeup. You can use makeup to make your eyes appear more asymmetrical. Contouring, highlighting, and other techniques can be used to make certain features more prominent to create a look of balance.
Brow lift
A forehead lift or forehead rejuvenation as it is also called a brow lift is a cosmetic procedure to raise your brows. It is performed by a cosmetic surgeon while under a general anesthetic.
Different surgical techniques can be used to perform a brow lift, including coronal brow lift, endoscopic brow lift, hairline brow lift. Brow lift does have side effects such as infection, scarring, and bleeding.
Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic surgery that is used to correct uneven eyelids. The procedure does not make your eyes symmetrical but can make them look even if excess fat or skin is causing your eyes to appear asymmetrical.
During the procedure, excess tissue, such as fat, muscle, and skin, is removed from your upper or lower eyelids. Side effects like incision scars, bruising and swelling are common during blepharoplasty.
These side effects can last for up to 2 weeks. Incision scars can take several months to fade.
Botox
Botox is a drug prepared from botulin, used medically to treat certain muscular conditions and cosmetically to remove wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing facial muscles.
Most times, Botox can be used as a temporary fix for uneven eyes. Botox provides a nonsurgical option to a brow lift.
It can be injected into the area around the brow so that it becomes relaxed to help create a look of balance. Results generally last around four months. Too much Botox can make your eyes look uneven.
How to treat uneven eyes?
Treatment for eyes that do not look alike is not necessarily needed at all. However, some things can be done to make your eyes look even.
- Cosmetic surgery can be done to make your eyes look even
- Botox as stated can make your eyes look uneven if it is not correct. Too much Botox can also cause your eyes to be mismatched. However, Botox can be used as a temporary solution for uneven brows, giving you a non-surgical brow lift and a more symmetrical appearance.
- Orbital surgery can be used to fix uneven eyes. Orbital surgery is surgery of the orbit, which is your eye socket. The orbit is comprised of four walls of bone, your eyeball, eye muscles, optic nerve, and fat. There are a lot of different surgical procedures that can be used to treat trauma and medical conditions affecting this space. This can include surgery to repair fractures or remove tumours, or orbital decompression surgery which is used to treat exophthalmos caused by Graves’ disease and infections.
- Doing nothing is also a way of treating uneven eyes. If there is no medical condition that is causing your eyes not to be even, the best option is just to leave it. Preforming treatments like surgeries can rather affect you.
The takeaway from this article
Having one eye that is smaller than the other is not something that you should be worried about most times. It may be very natural although it can be caused by certain medical conditions. Some treatments named above can help you fix uneven eyes.
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WRITTEN AND EDITED RESPECTIVELY BY:
Dr. Ehoneah Obed is a registered pharmacist and a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana. He has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and has experience working in a Tertiary hospital as well as various community pharmacies. He is also a software engineer interested in healthcare technologies.
His love for helping others motivates him to create content on an array of topics mostly relating to the health of people and also software engineering content.
He is knowledgeable in digital marketing, content marketing, and a host of other skills that make him versatile enough to uplift any team he joins.
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