Eyes tend to tell the truth—sometimes before we’re ready for them to. They show fatigue, stress, and the passage of time. And for me, they also revealed something I’d been quietly bothered by for years: my hooded eyes. No matter how rested I felt, my eyes often looked heavy, tired, or less awake than I actually was.

And for me, they were also the feature that bothered me most for years. I’ve always had hooded eyes, and while some people love that look, I personally struggled with it. No matter how rested I felt, my eyes often looked heavier or more tired than I actually was.

Eventually I realized something: I didn’t want to look different. I just wanted my eyes to look the way I felt—awake.

That’s what led me to start researching blepharoplasty, a surgical procedure that refines the eyelids by removing excess skin or tissue. The more I learned about it, the more I understood why it has quietly become one of the most popular facial procedures. When done well, it doesn’t make you look “done.” It just makes you look refreshed.

Still, choosing a surgeon felt like the most important decision of all. The eyes are delicate, expressive, and central to your entire face. I wanted someone who specialized in that area and had both technical expertise and an artistic eye.

That’s how I found Dr. Christine Bokman.

Dr. Bokman is a board-certified, fellowship-trained cosmetic surgeon who focuses on facial procedures, particularly eyelid and brow surgery. Her background is incredibly impressive—she studied at Princeton University, attended medical school at University of Miami where she graduated with the highest academic honors, and completed her surgical residency at University of California, Los Angeles. She then trained at University of Southern California, working with some of the most respected surgeons in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, including doctors featured on the show Botched.

But what stood out most to me wasn’t just her credentials. It was her approach. Dr. Bokman specializes in face, eyelid, and brow surgery and is known for combining meticulous precision with an artistic understanding of facial balance. Her goal isn’t to change how someone looks—it’s to enhance what’s already there.

During my consultation, she explained something that immediately made sense. Heaviness in the upper eyelid area usually comes from two things: either excess eyelid tissue (skin or muscle) or the brow slowly descending over time. Sometimes people need a brow lift, sometimes an upper blepharoplasty, and occasionally both. The key is identifying the real cause.

In my case, it was primarily excess skin on the upper eyelid creating that hooded appearance that had always bothered me.

The surgery itself was much less intimidating than I expected. Upper blepharoplasty is typically performed with local anesthesia and light sedation and takes only a couple of hours. Recovery involved some swelling and bruising, plus a lot of oversized sunglasses for a little while, but within a couple of weeks I felt like myself again.

What I love most about the results is how subtle they are.

No one immediately says, “You had surgery.” Instead, I hear things like “You look so refreshed,” or “You look really well rested.” That’s exactly what I hoped for. My eyes simply look more open and awake.

And the best part? The results last.

Unlike injectables, which require constant upkeep, blepharoplasty addresses the underlying anatomy, so the results last. For me, it wasn’t about changing who I am—it was about confidence, comfort, and finally seeing myself reflected in the mirror the way I wanted: awake, refreshed, and like me.

For some people with very mild drooping, treatments like Botox or fillers can sometimes create a subtle lifting effect around the brows and eye area. But when there’s true excess skin, surgery is really the only way to fully correct it.

For me, the decision ultimately came down to confidence. My hooded eyes had always been something I noticed in photos or in the mirror. Now, when I look at my reflection, I still see myself—just a more rested version.

And honestly, that was exactly the point.

What to look for in a plastic surgeon:

• Search for an oculoplastic surgey, someone who specializes in eyes
• Make sure they are board-certified by seaching on the American Society for Plastic Surgery site.
• Other considerations: can this be done awake to minimize recovery time
• Ask much skin will be removed
• Have the doctor draw to show you what will be removed

How to plan

1. Lastly for planning, make sure you have a lot of downtime. I didn’t prepare properly, but I would allow two weeks. Everyone is different, I had a lot of bruising (I am anemic).

2. Make sure you have topical arnica to help for healing.

3. Plan on icing constantly the first week.

4. Have drops at the ready, your eyes will be dry.

5.Consider a hyperbaric chamber for quicker recovery

5. As well as red light