I wish I knew about canthoplasty to fix my “sad” looking eyes when I was a teenager.
The Resting Face I Couldn’t Change
As a teenager, people were always asking me if I was sad or tired. I had naturally downturned eyes, a “negative canthal tilt,” that gave me a permanent look of melancholy. I’d try to smile more, but my resting face was my resting face. I wish someone had told me then about canthoplasty, a surgery that can change the tilt of the eye. Knowing that my “sad” look was a solvable anatomical issue, not an unchangeable part of my personality, would have saved me years of feeling misunderstood.
I wish I knew that permanent eye color change surgery existed before I spent a decade wearing colored contacts.
The Daily Hassle vs. the One-Time Decision
From 18 to 28, I wore colored contacts every single day. They were my “signature,” but they were also a decade of hassle, expense, and low-key anxiety about them looking fake or getting irritated. I wish I had known at the start of that journey that permanent options, like iris implants, existed. The idea that I could have made a single, one-time decision and investment to have the eye color I wanted, instead of dealing with a decade of daily chores and upkeep, is a frustrating one.
I wish I knew a lower blepharoplasty could have permanently removed my under-eye bags when I was 25.
The Concealer Crutch
At 25, I already had prominent under-eye bags. I blamed genetics and became completely dependent on heavy-duty concealer to look awake and professional. Every morning was a spackling job. I wish I had known that a lower blepharoplasty wasn’t just for “old people.” A surgeon could have permanently removed or repositioned those fat pads, solving the problem for good. I could have saved myself thousands of dollars in concealer and, more importantly, years of feeling like I was wearing a mask just to look normal.
I wish I knew about epicanthoplasty to make my eyes look bigger when I was relying on makeup tricks.
The Illusionist’s Toolkit
I spent my early twenties mastering every makeup trick to make my eyes appear bigger and more open. I had a whole toolkit of liners and shadows dedicated to creating an illusion. I wish I had known about epicanthoplasty. The procedure, which removes the small fold of skin at the inner corner of the eye, would have permanently created the wide-eyed look I was spending 15 minutes faking every single morning. I could have thrown out my illusionist’s toolkit and just woken up with the eyes I wanted.
I wish I knew that LASIK was so safe and effective before I spent years dealing with glasses and contacts.
The Lens I Lived Behind
For years, I saw the world through a lens. Whether it was glasses that fogged up in the rain or contacts that felt dry and gritty by the end of the day, there was always something between me and the world. I was nervous about LASIK, thinking it was risky. I wish I had known how incredibly safe and routine the procedure has become. I finally did it at 28, and the freedom is indescribable. I regret every single day I spent dealing with the hassle of corrective lenses.
I wish I knew that tear trough implants were a permanent solution for hollow eyes when I was getting filler.
The Filler Treadmill
I started getting under-eye filler for my hollow tear troughs when I was 26. It looked great for the first six months, but then began the endless cycle of expensive top-ups. I was on the filler treadmill, and it was a costly ride. I wish I had known then that tear trough implants offered a permanent solution. A single surgery could have placed a soft, custom-fit implant to permanently fill the hollow. I would have saved thousands of dollars and been free from the cycle of appointments and fading results.
I wish I knew that ptosis surgery was a real thing and not just something for old people when I had a slightly droopy eyelid.
The Asymmetrical Gaze
Since I was a kid, one of my eyelids drooped slightly more than the other. It was a small thing, but it made me look sleepy or asymmetrical in photos. I just assumed it was a quirk I had to live with. I wish I had known about ptosis surgery, which isn’t just cosmetic but functional. A surgeon could have tightened the tiny muscle in my eyelid, correcting the droop in a simple outpatient procedure. I could have had a symmetrical, alert look my entire life instead of just accepting the flaw.
I wish I knew how much a brow lift could change the entire frame of my face when I was in my late 20s.
The Forgotten Feature
In my late twenties, I was focused on my skin, my lips, my nose—everything but my brows. I didn’t realize that my naturally low brow position was giving my face a heavy, crowded look. I wish I had understood then that the brow is the upper frame of the face. A simple, endoscopic brow lift would have opened up my entire eye area, making me look more refreshed, feminine, and alert than any other procedure could have. It’s the most impactful feature that most people, including my younger self, completely ignore.
I wish I knew that you could surgically create a “deep-set” eye look when I was just admiring it on models.
The Look I Thought Was Impossible
I spent my youth admiring male models with intense, deep-set “hunter eyes.” I thought it was a look you were either born with or not—a genetic gift. I wish I had known it was an architectural feature that could be surgically created. Procedures like orbital decompression or custom orbital rim implants can physically alter the bone around the eye socket to create that coveted depth and intensity. Knowing that the look I admired was an achievable result, not just a genetic lottery win, would have been a game-changer.
I wish I knew that the sclera could be surgically whitened when I was using eye-whitening drops.
The Rebound Redness Trap
I used to be addicted to Visine to keep the whites of my eyes bright. I loved the initial effect but hated how they would get even redder a few hours later. It was a vicious cycle. I wish I had known that surgical scleral whitening was an option. The idea that a specialist could permanently fix the underlying blood vessels, giving me consistently clear, bright white eyes without any drops, would have saved me years of irritation and money wasted on a temporary, and ultimately counterproductive, fix.