Dr. Melissa Toyos is an oculofacial surgeon specializing in FUE (follicular unit extraction) hair and eyebrow transplantation, CO2 facial resurfacing, and sculpting faces with injectables. A summa cum laude graduate and board-certified Ophthalmologist, she is a partner at Toyos Clinic and formerly was a partner at one of the largest eye care practices in the country. Dr. Toyos is a national researcher and lecturer. She trains other doctors on surgical techniques as well as cosmetic procedures. Her clinical research has been instrumental in many FDA approvals. She is the former President of the Missouri Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. She has held various leadership positions with the AAO. Dr. Toyos has served as a mentor to young female surgeons, helping them understand how to balance a career and motherhood. 

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Like so many beauty trends – both good and bad – fox eye surgery is all over the internet right now. Some people have rounder eyes anyway but as we age and lose elasticity, our eyes naturally lose some of the almond shape and become rounder. The idea behind the fox eye is to create or re-create young, almond-shaped eyes. Here Haute Beauty expert Dr. Melissa Toyos discusses the variety of methods, both surgical and non-invasive that can help create this look that both Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid have successfully undergone.

The Horrible Internet Warning

One of the biggest warnings on the internet now is the warning to stay away from PDO threads to create fox eyes. PDO stands for polydioxanone threads and they’ve been around for ages: Debby Boone’s Lifestyle lift and for a minute, a business group tried to franchise Lifestyle lift clinics but they never quite caught on.

These threads are less invasive than actual facelifts, but often leave patients with dimpling, slightly unnatural-looking results or in the case of the Horrible Internet Warning for Fox Eyes circulating now, actual horn-looking appendages in the temple area. The results are temporary lasting about 6 months or a year at best but can leave permanent scarring.

 

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Creating a Fox Eye

Really any procedure that boosts collagen is going to help create a fox eye appearance if it is safe to use around the delicate eye area. Qualified practitioners can use radiofrequency, intense pulsed light, ultrasound or my personal favorite: fractional CO2 (MIXTOLite or MIXTOLaserLift) to tighten and firm the skin around the eye to naturally create a more youthful appearance. Botox can be used to lift brows and pull them laterally and fillers like Juvederm XC can also be used to restore volume under brows or at the hairline to help pull eyes and brows upwards and laterally to enhance the fox eye look. Botox lasts anywhere from 3-6 months and the MIXTO CO2 laser can last 5 years or more.

For patients with more advanced eye rounding or wanting more definitive treatments, lateral canthal surgery can remove excessively stretched lower lid skin and re-position the lower lid to create the almond or fox eye appearance. That procedure can be done in the office under local sedation with minimal discomfort and downtime. For those that need it, adding a temporal brow lift (hidden in the hairline) can further enhance the appearance of foxy, youthful appearing eyes.

The Cost of a Fox Eye

The cost of fox eye treatments can range from several hundred dollars up to five thousand for lid and brow surgery. Until then, don’t rub your eyes – you don’t want to unnecessarily stretch out the delicate lower lid skin (I know it feels good, but do your best to refrain) and be sure to augment your skincare routine with known collagen boosters: retinol and vitamin C (ideally an ester form not an acid to avoid irritation and inflammation). For more information, visit our website at www.toyosclinic.com or call at 615.327.4015.