As the name indicates, fox eyelift is a cosmetic aesthetic that uplifts the supporting skin around the eyes to emphasize eyes or a desirable ‘designer eyes’ look.
Let’s explore the benefits, costs, risks, before-and-after, and different fox eyelift procedures!
What is the Fox Eye Lift?
Fox eyelift has become a very popular beauty trend. Cosmetic treatments similar to it, most notably ‘fox eye thread lift’ have become a public favorite and offer a permanent lifted look. [1]
Fox eyelift is a process to make the eye look fresh and youthful, giving it an attractive almond shape. Just imagine having invisible strings on the outer corner of your upper eyelids pulling them towards your temple. Essentially, you’re giving the eyes a ‘foxy’ look. Hence, it is also a treatment option for those who want to alter their asymmetric or hooded eyes.
Fox eyelift has become a popular aesthetic treatment as the non-surgical aesthetics industry has expanded in the past few years due to open discussions and fewer interruptions than surgical procedures.
Why Has Fox Eye Lift Become So Popular?
Much of the reliability of this cosmetic trend is by the notable celebrities, particularly on social media, who have undergone the fox eye lift procedures, proving it to be a pleasant, time-saving, and spend-worthy technique.
Very few people are known to have naturally almond shape eyes. Still, we owe a lot to science and technology for providing us with the measures to attain our desired looks without invasive procedures. [2]
Why is Eyelift Needed?
The eyes are the primary sites to be affected by aging—think loose and saggy eyelids, underneath eye hollows, dark circles and bags, and heavy-looking brows. It is an unavoidable fact that our eyes can make an important component of facial expressions. So, some people may feel their eyes make them look tired, bored, or sad when they are feeling quite the opposite.
Over time the collagen in our skin breaks and is not repaired simultaneously. Therefore, we get loose skin over the cheek area that fails to support the skin beneath the eyes. [2]
Invasive Surgical Fox Eyelift Procedures
Surgical processes were fairly common. They have been replaced by non-invasive methods such as the PDO thread lift technique.
Surgical processes are invasive and carry the risk of scarring, slow healing, and pain. The three most notable surgical procedures are:
Blepharoplasty or Plasmage
Blepharoplasty is an invasive procedure that cuts away the mass of hooded eyelids in small portions. It has remained one of the most usual types of facial aesthetic surgery. It has since been used to decrease the development of crow’s feet lines and wrinkles over the eye skin area.
This option is reserved for those who would like a permanent fox eyelift. It is considered the best choice as it removes unwanted saggy skin and lifts the corner of the eye up. [3]
Temporal Lift
It is a procedure that raises eyebrows to stiffen the skin around the eyes. Most eyebrows have a natural arch; if not, this procedure can uplift the outer corner of the brows to lift the eyes.
This procedure requires injectable fillers such as hyaluronic acid and Botox®, with the results being temporary. Recovery time depends on stitch removal and can last from 10-14 days. [4]
Canthoplasty
Canthoplasty also has a therapeutic value, as it is used to correct visual acuity problems since it mainly elongates the eyes. It can be used for fox eye surgery purposes. This procedure then involves small incisions made outside the eyes to elongate the eyes giving a characteristic almond-eye look. The procedure roughly takes two hours to complete, and the effects are long-lasting. [5]
Non-Invasive Options: Thread-Based Eye Lifting Techniques
The thread-based eye lift technique has grown in popularity as it only takes about 30 minutes and the effects last for about six months to a year.
In this type of eye lift, soft dissolvable medical-grade threads or Polydioxanone (PDO) threads are used to lift the area around the eyes, specifically pulling the edge brow edges. This type of brow lift resembles a cat’s eyelift treatment.
It can refabricate the widespread fox eye fashion giving a delicate gradient up towards the outer brow area. It can then effectively lift and extends the upper eyelids, thus, forming an attractive ‘almond-like’ eye shape.
This procedure offers an indirect, alternative resolution for other eye concerns such as asymmetry of the lids, heavy brows, hooded lids, and surgical procedures. For instance, only a single brow can be lifted to correct the eyelids’ symmetry, and as a tool to lift hooded, heavy eyelids that can develop over time with normal aging to produce a more ‘awakened’ or ‘fresh’ area around the eyes.
Thread Based Fox Eye Lift: The Procedure
This particular technique to eyelid wonders is backed by a simple, painless process involving a soft thread inserted beneath the skin and the sharps of the threaded peg below the skin to give the area a lift. The person undergoing the process remains awake throughout.
It takes only about 20-30 minutes; thanks to the anesthetics, the process is painless as the aesthetician will numb the area before the process. Also, the thread lift procedure stimulates healing and collagen repair and gives instant results, and the recovery takes a couple of days.
What to Expect Before and After the Fox Eye Lift Procedure
If you are thinking of undergoing the procedure you research, you really should go for it. You should also prepare yourself mentally about why you would like to have such a procedure.
Also, consider going to a trustworthy, medically-qualified aesthetic practitioner who cares to describe what exactly the treatment can offer you, the risks and benefits, and the side effects associated with it.
Although side effects are rare, they can occur with this type of treatment. So, visiting a practitioner who has the right qualifications to correct any problems associated with the process that might happen.
Fox Eye Lift Recovery Period
Although there is little downtime, patients may experience minor swelling and bruising. As swelling and bruising subside, the Fox Eye Thread lift will recover in 2-10 days.
Non-invasive Thread Procedures
Usually, the process, if non-invasive, will involve sutures that dissolve over time with negligible untoward effects. The skin folds and needle marks are completely resolved in about 3-10 days leaving behind a natural lift.
The recovery time for cat eye surgery depends on the procedure you opt for. Avoid eye makeup or applying anything on the skin area treated for two days, and always ask your practitioner for advice. [6]
Likewise, PDO threading entails a slight recovery period because it is non-invasive. Slight bruising after the process is noticeable, but you can return to daily activities 1-2 days after the procedure.
Surgical Invasive Procedures
Particularly, for temporal lifts, no recovery period is necessary, and you can return to work instantly. The recovery time for invasive processes like blepharoplasty or canthoplasty will be a little longer. The complete healing of the scarred tissue is essential to eliminate the chances of infection.
It is advisable to rest according to the practitioner’s instructions, avoid work for a week, and to avoid wearing eye makeup for a week or longer till the swelling lasts.
A new shape for the eyes can be risky if you go under the sun without sunglasses, so take proper care to safeguard them from sun rays. On the other hand, the scars typically heal fully and are no longer obvious once the recovery period is over. [7]
Cost of the Fox Eye Lift Procedure
Surgical procedures are costly depending upon the geographical area and expertise of the offering clinics. The surgical processes for fox eye lift can cost up to 1000s of dollars. Surgical charges may also involve the surgeon’s fee, surgical facility costs, anesthesia charges, prescriptions for medication, and medical tests.
The cost of the thread lift procedure varies across practitioners and countries. However, it ranges from about 300$ to a maximum of 600$.
How Long Does Fox Eye Lift Take & How Long Does It Last?
The invasive surgical procedures take about a maximum of two hours, having a slow healing period with long-lasting results as the results are permanent.
However, the thread-based non-invasive procedures are carried out in a maximum of 30-40 minutes, have faster healing times, and results lasting up to 6 months or a year. [8]
The Bottomline: Benefits, Costs, and Procedure of Fox Eye Lift
Due to developments, surgical fox eyelift methods may be a more permanent fix; however, they are now less popular due to the costs, risks, and long recovery times.
Non-surgical fox eye lift options offer a valuable alternative that is much less costly and offer extended results for a decent amount of time
Still, non-surgical fox lifts are not the permanent solution to droopy eyelids or a medically progressed eyelid condition. The non-invasive thread-based treatments must be repeated yearly to maintain results.
Disclaimer: This article is only a guide. It does not substitute the advice given by your own healthcare professional. Before making any health-related decision, consult your healthcare professional
Editorial References And Fact-Checking
- Mcalees, M. (2020). Aesthetic tweakments: the rise of the ‘fox eye.’ Journal of Aesthetic Nursing, 9(4), 154–155. https://doi.org/10.12968/joan.2020.9.4.154
- Naik, M. N., Honavar, S. G., Das, S., Desai, S., & Dhepe, N. (2009). Blepharoplasty: an overview. Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery, 2(1), 6–11. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.53092
- Gaboury, M., & Swennen, G. R. (2015). Minimally Invasive Temporal Brow Lift. The Journal of craniofacial surgery, 26(6), 2021–2022. https://doi.org/10.1097/SCS.0000000000001898
- Carraway, J. H., Shorr, N., Sasaki, G., & Patipa, M. (1998, July 1). The Role of Canthoplasty in Aesthetic Blepharoplasty. Https://Academic.Oup.Com/Asj/Article/18/4/277/191560. Retrieved August 22, 2022, from https://doi.org/asj/article/18/4/277/191560
- Oestreicher, J., & Mehta, S. (2012). Complications of Blepharoplasty: Prevention and Management. Plastic Surgery International, 2012, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/252368
- Fukaya M. (2017). Long-term effect of the insoluble thread-lifting technique. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 10, 483–491. https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S150738
- Halepas, S., Chen, X. J., & Ferneini, E. M. (2020). Thread-Lift Sutures: Anatomy, Technique, and Review of Current Literature. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 78(5), 813–820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joms.2019.11.011