Fully ablative laser eyelid tightening

A surgical-grade CO2 or Erbium laser vaporises the thin outer layers of eyelid skin. The heat makes the skin visibly shrink during the procedure, and over the following months new collagen thickens it and improves elasticity. Metal shields are placed over the eyes for protection.

Done under local anaesthetic and numbing eye drops, so the treatment itself is bearable. Afterwards the area is raw, swollen and stings, like a bad graze. Your vision is blurry for a few hours, so someone must drive you home.

How much downtime: High — 10–14 days of raw, crusting, swollen skin before you can go back to work; pinkness can last several weeks.

Cost for that downtime: $2,000–$5,000 per treatment, usually 1 treatment.

Is it worth it? Our verdict (4/5): Worth it for crepey eyelids if you want to avoid surgery — but only with a specialist laser surgeon who does this regularly. Very few do; the operator matters more than the machine.

• Tightens loose, crepey eyelid skin
• Smooths crow's feet and under-eye wrinkles
• Thicker, firmer skin around the eyes

• Remove large amounts of excess skin or fat bags (that needs surgery)
• Fix hollows or dark circles caused by volume loss
• Work in one gentle, no-downtime session

• Prolonged redness
• Infection or cold-sore flare
• Lightening or darkening of the skin
• Rarely scarring or the lower lid pulling down (ectropion)

Darker skin tones: Higher risk of pigment changes and lightening; only a very experienced laser surgeon should treat darker skin around the eyes, if at all.

Good fit

• Crepey, wrinkled eyelids with mild to moderate laxity
• People who want to avoid or delay eyelid surgery and can take two weeks off

Avoid or ask a doctor first

• Pregnancy
• Recent isotretinoin use
• Heavy excess eyelid skin or fat bags
• Providers using lower-powered 'aesthetic' CO2 devices for this

Typical cost: $2,000–$5,000 per treatment (USD, varies by city and provider)

Sessions: Usually 1 treatment

• Dr Asif Hussein (London laser surgeon) — Laser eyelid tightening
• American Academy of Dermatology — Laser resurfacing
• PubMed research: ablative laser periorbital resurfacing

General information only, not medical advice. Consult a qualified dermatologist.