What does eyelift mean?
An eyelift is a cosmetic surgical procedure — known medically as blepharoplasty — in which excess skin, fat, or sometimes muscle is removed from the upper or lower eyelids to correct drooping, puffiness, or bags under the eyes. Although sought chiefly for aesthetic reasons, an eyelift can also be performed for functional reasons: when sagging upper lids obstruct vision, the surgery may be deemed medically necessary and even covered by insurance. The term is also used informally to describe non-surgical treatments, such as injectables or thread lifts, that create a similar lifting effect. Written either as one word or two, 'eyelift' belongs to the same family of coinages as 'facelift' and combines the everyday verb 'lift' with 'eye'. It carries a neutral-to-clinical tone in medical writing but appears widely in beauty and lifestyle media, where it has become shorthand for one of the most commonly performed facial rejuvenation procedures in the world.
nounA cosmetic surgical procedure to lift and tighten the skin of the eyelids, typically to remove drooping skin or puffiness; also called blepharoplasty.
- A cosmetic surgical procedure (blepharoplasty) that removes excess skin, fat, or muscle from the upper or lower eyelids to reduce drooping or puffiness.
- Informally, any non-surgical treatment or cosmetic effect that gives the appearance of lifted eyelids (e.g., injectables, thread lifts).
"After years of considering it, she finally booked an eyelift to correct the sagging upper lids that impaired her vision."
"The surgeon recommended an eyelift on both upper lids to restore her peripheral vision."
"A subtle eyelift left him looking rested rather than obviously 'done'."
Regular plural; 'eye lifts' is an equally common variant spelling when the term is written as two words.
"Upper eyelifts are among the most frequently performed cosmetic procedures each year."
The eyelift is the third most popular cosmetic surgery worldwide — and for some patients with severely drooping lids, insurance actually pays for it because blocked vision makes it medically necessary.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eyelift
The word eyelift is formed transparently within English from the noun 'eye' plus the verb/noun 'lift', on the model of the older compound 'facelift', which became widespread in the mid-twentieth century. It arose as a popular label for the surgical procedure formally termed blepharoplasty, itself derived from Greek roots meaning 'eyelid' and 'moulding'. No single first-attested date is firmly established, but the word gained currency alongside the boom in cosmetic surgery in the latter half of the twentieth century.
How eyelift is actually used
Usually written as one word ('eyelift') in modern usage, though 'eye lift' as two words is also common. The formal medical term is blepharoplasty. The word carries a mildly clinical register; in advertising contexts it is often applied loosely to non-surgical treatments.
Easily confused with eyelift
An eyelet is a small hole with a metal or stitched ring (as on shoes or fabric), whereas an eyelift is a cosmetic surgical procedure on the eyelids.
An eyelash is one of the hairs growing on the edge of the eyelid, not a procedure involving the eyelid.