Hooded Eyes: Causes & How to Lift with Makeup & Other Treatments

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Find out if you have this eye shape & how to flatter them

Co-authored by Cordelia Frost and Devin McSween

Last Updated: September 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What are hooded eyes?
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• Makeup Tips
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• Hooded Eye Treatments
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• Signs of Hooded Eyes
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• Causes
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• Hooded vs Non-Hooded Eyes
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• Hooded vs Droopy Eyes
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• FAQs
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Hooded eyes are a common eye shape that lots of people are born with. This eye shape is characterized by skin below the eyebrows partially or fully covering the eyelid creases. If you think you may have this eye shape and want to learn more, read on! We spoke with professional makeup artists and beauty experts to learn how to determine if you have hooded eyes and apply makeup on this unique and beautiful eye shape. We’ll also discuss different procedures that can lift hooded eyes if your hooded eyes are affecting your vision or confidence.

Hooded Eyes vs Non-Hooded Eyes

Makeup artist Cordelia Frost says hooded eyes mean excess skin below the eyebrows folds down and may partially or fully cover the creases. On non-hooded eyes, there is no excess skin under the brow so the entire eye crease is visible. Hooded eyes are usually caused by genetics, aging, or body composition.

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Section 1 of 8:

What are hooded eyes?

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1. 
   Hooded eyes are when skin under the brows covers the eye creases. According to Frost, hooded eyes are a common eye shape that means you can’t see a part of or the entirety of your eyelid creases. People with hooded eyes have excess skin under their eyebrows that naturally folds down to the upper lash line and covers the crease.

   • Hooded eyes can be partial, meaning that the skin under your brows covers a portion of your eyelid crease, or full, meaning the skin covers the entirety of your crease so it’s no longer visible.
   • Celebrity examples: Sarah Snook, Samira Wiley, Barry Keoghan, Michelle Williams (actress), Blake Lively, Chris Hemsworth, Gabrielle Union, Cate Blanchett, Dua Lipa, Robert Pattinson

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Cordelia Frost is a makeup artist with 10+ years of experience. She specializes in cruelty-free beauty, hooded eye makeup and tutorials, and gothic fashion.

   Nini Efia Yang is a makeup artist based in San Francisco, California and the owner of Nini's Epiphany, a makeup and hair studio.

   Joseph Harwood is a beauty, DEI & social media expert and CEO of Joseph Hartwood Ltd. They have over 15 years of experience.

   Alana Schober is a professional makeup artist at Pout by Lipsticknick, an inclusive beauty bar in Los Angeles, California, with over a decade of experience.

   Janet Miranda is a professional hair stylist, makeup artist, and founder of Be.NYLA. She has over 15 years of experience.
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Section 2 of 8:

Makeup Tips for Hooded Eyes

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1. 
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   Apply eyeshadow primer all over your lids. Makeup artist Nini Efia Yang always suggests applying eyeshadow primer onto your lids before you put on eyeshadow or eyeliner. She says this acts as a base for your makeup, helping it to stick better and prevent it from fading throughout the day.

   • Use your finger or an eyeshadow brush to swipe on the primer. Then, let it dry for about 30 seconds.
2. 
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   Place light eyeshadow on the center of your lid. To help brighten your eyes and make your eyelids appear larger, concentrate a lighter eyeshadow shade on the center of your lids. For instance, take a cream, light brown, soft taupe, or pale pink shade and dab it onto your lid using your finger or a packer eyeshadow brush.

   • Feel free to use a matte or shimmer shadow—both look great on the lid!
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   Apply darker eyeshadow slightly above your crease. Because the skin under your brow folds over your crease, any shadow you apply to the crease usually appears invisible. Instead, apply your darker shade slightly above the crease. Starting at the outer corner, use a small blending brush to sweep the color over the crease, taking it about midway down the eye.

   • Make sure to blend the shadow out so no harsh lines are visible.
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   Highlight the inner corner and brow bone. To make your eyes pop and appear even bigger, take a light, shimmery highlighter and dab it on the inner corners of your eyes using your finger or a brush. Then, sweep a bit of the highlighter directly under the arch of your eyebrows.
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   Apply a thin line of waterproof eyeliner. Thick eyeliner can often transfer onto the skin below your brows, so beauty expert Joseph Harwood suggests keeping your eyeliner on the thinner side. He also recommends using waterproof eyeliners, like a pen eyeliner, to help prevent the product from imprinting on the hoods of your eyes.

   • Instead of applying eyeliner, consider tightlining your upper lash line. This is a great way to define your eyes without using up any of your lid space.
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   Do winged eyeliner using a modified technique. To create a dramatic wing that shows up on your lids, draw an angled line starting from the outer corner of your lower lash line. Then, draw another angled line from the tip of the first line to the crease of your eye; this creates a triangle shape. Simply draw a vertical line from the crease to your lash line to finish the wing.

   • Pro makeup artist Alana Schober suggests outlining the wing with eyeshadow and an angled brush first to get the shape you want. Then, go over it with an eyeliner pen or other waterproof eyeliner.
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   Apply mascara to finish off your look. No makeup look is finished without applying some mascara. Simply curl your lashes with a curler and then sweep on your favorite mascara.
8. 
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   Brush your eyebrows upward. Another quick way to make your eyes appear larger and more lifted is to comb up your brows. Use an eyebrow brush or spoolie to brush your brows up. Fill in any sparse areas with an eyebrow pencil. Then, set your brows by combing a brow gel through the hairs.
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Section 3 of 8:

Ways to Get Rid of Hooded Eyes

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1. 
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   Eyelid tape Eyelid tape is a non-invasive and temporary way to help lift hooded eyes. Simply grab a piece of tape with a pair of tweezers, close your eye, and place the tape on the center of your eyelid crease. Then, push the tape into your eyelid and then open your eye.

   • The tape sticks to the skin above the crease, creating a larger lid space and helping your eye look more open.
   • If you wear makeup, it’s fine to put on eyeshadow before or after you apply the eyelid tape.
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   Eye cream Many eye creams are formulated with ingredients to help tighten and lift the skin around your eyes. Some of these creams are long-term treatments that can help your eyes appear firmer over time, like the Dr. Loretta Tightening Eye Gel or Clarins Total Eye Lift Cream. Other creams provide a temporary lift, like the Peter Thomas Roth Temporary Eye Tightener.

   • While eye creams can help your eyes appear firmer and tighter, know that they can’t get rid of the excess skin below your eyebrows.
3. 
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   Botox brow lift A botox brow lift is a non-surgical option that can help lift your brows and the skin underneath, lessening the appearance of your hooded eyes. A certified aesthetician or doctor injects the Botox between your brows and at the corners to help lift the skin and reshape your brows.

   • The results of a Botox brow lift are not permanent. Botox treatments typically last 3 to 4 months.
4. 
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   Laser resurfacing Laser resurfacing is a non-surgical procedure that uses a laser device to remove the top layer of your skin. Dermatologists can concentrate the laser on your eyelids to reduce wrinkles and stimulate collagen production, which can help your eyelids appear tighter and more youthful.​​

   • After the procedure, your skin can appear red and swollen. This usually goes down after 1 week.
   • You typically need 2 to 4 laser sessions to receive noticeable results.
   • The results from laser resurfacing typically last for several years, but they’re not permanent.
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   Upper blepharoplasty An upper blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure where excess skin is cut away from your upper eyelid, removing loose skin and helping your eyelids appear tighter and more open. A surgeon makes an incision along the crease of your eyelid, cuts away the excess skin, and then closes the incision.

   • Upper blepharoplasties are typically done under local anesthesia.
   • It can take several months to fully heal from a blepharoplasty.
   • While a blepharoplasty permanently removes the excess skin, it doesn’t prevent additional skin from sagging as you age.
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   Brow lift A brow lift is a surgical procedure where your brows are raised on your face. This lifts the skin under and above your brows to reduce sagging and wrinkling. During the procedure, your surgeon makes an incision along your hairline. Then, they tighten the skin and remove any excess, as needed.

   • Depending on the type of brow lift and your surgeon, you may be put under local or general anesthesia.
   • It can take several months to recover from a brow lift and up to 6 months to see your final results.
   • Brow lifts are considered permanent procedures—your results typically last even as you age.
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Section 4 of 8:

How to Tell If You Have Hooded Eyes

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1. 
   1
   Examine your eyelid crease and skin below your brows in a mirror. Look straight ahead into a mirror and keep your gaze relaxed. Do you have excess skin under your eyebrows that folds down to your upper lash line? Does the skin cover parts of or the entirety of your eyelid crease?

   • Frost agrees that if you can’t see part of or the entirety of your eyelid crease due to the skin below your brow, you likely have hooded eyes.
   • If you’re still not sure if you have hooded eyes, professional hair stylist and makeup artist Janet Miranda suggests searching for images of hooded eyes online and comparing your eyes to the pictures.
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   Think about how your makeup applies and wears throughout the day. If you wear eye makeup, reflect on how easy it is to apply eyeliner and eyeshadow, how visible they are on your eyes, whether they transfer onto the skin below your eyebrows, and how quickly they fade.

   • People with hooded eyes often have less eyelid space to apply makeup, making it less visible on their eyes. The skin below the brows often rubs against their makeup, causing it to transfer, smear, and fade relatively quickly.
   • If you have hooded eyes, don’t worry—makeup still looks beautiful on your eyes! We’ll provide you with some makeup application tips to increase wear time and make your eyes pop.
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Section 5 of 8:

What causes hooded eyes?

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1. 
   Hooded eyes are caused by genes, aging, fat distribution, and agitation. Your eye shape is largely determined by your genetics, so for the most part, hooded eyes are something you’re born with and simply a part of your DNA. However, other factors can cause people to develop hooded eyes or experience increased hooding:

   • Aging: Your skin loses elasticity as you get older, so the skin under your brow might start to hang over your eyelid crease. People born with hooded eyes often notice the hood dropping further and covering more of their crease as they get older, too.
   • Fat distribution: Some people may carry more fat around their eye area and under their eyebrows. If they gain weight, they might notice more hooding.
   • Rubbing the eyes: Regularly rubbing your eyes can stretch and weaken the skin, causing it to hang over your eyelid crease.
   • Eye injuries or trauma: An injury to your face or eyes can potentially damage the skin and tissues around your eyes, leading to hooding.

Section 6 of 8:

Hooded Eyes vs Non-Hooded Eyes

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1. 
   Hooded eyes don’t have a visible crease while non-hooded eyes do. Hooded eyes are characterized by excess skin under the brow bones that lies over the eye creases, causing them to be partially or fully obscured. On non-hooded eyes, like almond-shaped, round, and protruding, there is no excess skin under the brow and the entire crease is visible.

   • People with hooded eyes often have very little eyelid space between the lash line and crease, while people with non-hooded eyes usually have more visible eyelid space.
   • Both hooded and non-hooded eyes are beautiful—one isn’t more “normal” or “better” than the other. All of the eye shapes have unique features that make them stand out and look beautiful.
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Section 7 of 8:

Hooded Eyes vs Droopy Eyes

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1. 
   Hooded eyes are an eye shape, while droopy eyes are a condition. Hooded eyes are simply a common eye shape that people are born with. On the other hand, droopy eyes (also called ptosis) is a medical condition that causes your upper eyelid to sag over your eye. This is usually caused by the muscles that lift your eyelid weakening or functioning improperly.

   • Both hooded eyes and droopy eyes can affect your vision.
   • With hooded eyes, the skin above your brows can sag further down as you age and lower your eyelid, affecting your range of vision.
   • With droopy eyes, the weakened eyelid muscle can reduce your field of vision. If left untreated, it can lead to blurry vision (astigmatism) or lazy eye. This is usually treated with prescription eye drops or ptosis surgery.

Section 8 of 8:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1. 1
   Are hooded eyes attractive? Yes, hooded eyes are considered an attractive eye shape. Lots of people think hooded eyes are beautiful and a desirable trait. They often give people an alluring and seductive look.

   • Lots of models are well known for their captivating hooded eyes, like Gisele Bündchen, Claudia Schiffer, Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, and Karlie Kloss.
2. 2
   Are hooded eyes common? Yes, hooded eyes are considered a common eye shape. Lots of people have hooded eyes—just take a look at all of the celebrities in Hollywood who have them, like Blake Lively, Robert Pattinson, and Dua Lipa.
3. 3
   Do hooded eyes change with age? Yes, hooded eyes typically change with age. Because your skin loses elasticity as you get older, people with hooded eyes may notice that the skin under their brow starts to hang lower.
4. 4
   When should I seek medical advice about hooded eyes? Talk to your doctor about medical treatments for your hooded eyes if they start to impair your vision or cause eye irritation, like dryness or itchiness. Consult your doctor if your hooded eyes interfere with your daily life, too.

   • Generally, hooded eyes aren’t something you need to “fix” unless they impair your vision. There’s nothing wrong with having hooded eyes—this is a beautiful eye shape that many people have.
   • However, it is understandable if you don’t like your hooded eyes and want to change them. If your hooded eyes are affecting your confidence, talk with your dermatologist about non-surgical and surgical options to get rid of them.
5. 5
   Are certain ethnicities known for having hooded eyes? Hooded eyes aren’t unique to any specific ethnicity—people from all backgrounds can have hooded eyes. Additionally, it’s common for most people to develop some hooding as they age due to the loss of skin elasticity.
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