Measurements of upper eyelid and eyebrow dimensions in healthy white individuals

Facial appearance is influenced by the anatomic relationship of the eyebrow and eyelid, and surgical procedures on these structures attempt to restore or preserve not only symmetry but also normal appearance. To provide useful benchmarks for such interventions, we measured the eyebrow height, upper eyelid crease height, and amount of visible pretarsal skin of 143 white subjects who had no facial abnormalities. An age effect was observed for all measures, indicating a direct relationship with age until the middle age range (41 to 60 years), when mean estimates leveled off or decreased somewhat relative to younger age groups. Within the 41- to 60-year age group, for example, the average (S.D.) values for pretarsal skin height, eyelid crease height, and eyebrow height were 1.4 mm (1.1 mm), 6.4 mm (1.2 mm), and 6.4 mm (1.8 mm), respectively. Eyebrow and pretarsal skin heights were greater in females than males, and eyelid crease height showed similar gender-related trends. With increasing age, variation around the mean estimates for eyelid and eyebrow measurement increased, which may be indicative of variability across individuals in the physiologic response to the aging process. As expected, a high degree of intereye correlation was observed (correlation coefficients of 0.87 to 0.96). These results emphasize the importance of providing a normal anatomic relationship that relates to the patient's age and gender, as well as an outcome that is symmetric, in corrective or cosmetic procedures on the eyelid and eyebrow.