CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new FDA-approved eye drop is designed to make your eyes look brighter and bigger. It's the first noninvasive treatment of its kind.

What You Need To Know

  • Upneeq is a prescription eye drop for acquired ptosis, or low-lying eyelids

  • It can be used daily and usually takes up to 30 minutes to take effect

  • The eye drops cause a muscle in the midportion of the eyelid to contract and lift the eyelid

Most mornings before work Heather Sendler applies some makeup. She is an interior design store manager and wants to look good in front of her clients. But she admits, most days she prefers to go without the cosmetics.

“I actually hate putting makeup on,” Sendler said. “I despise it and much prefer to just put a hat on and some yoga clothes.”

She recently noticed that her eyelids were sagging, which doctors say is a common condition with age known as acquired ptosis. When she found out about a new FDA-approved product that could help, she was all on board.

“I could feel my eyelids lifting,” Sendler says. “I had clients come in and they could tell something was different and they couldn’t believe it was from an eye drop.”

The product is called Upneeq. Sendler says he was glad there was no burning sensation from the eye drops and she had no side effects.

Infinity MedSpa nurse practitioner Caroline Clippard explains how it works.

“These eye drops work by stimulating what is called the Muller’s muscle, which is a muscle in the mid-portion of our eye,” Clippard said. “Once you put the eye drops in, it causes that muscle to contract, which lifts your eye up.”

She says those who want the eye drops have to fill out a medical form to make sure they are safe to take.

“There are no actual contraindications for the eye drops, but there are warnings for people, especially those with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease,” Clippard said.

Sendler says the eye drops aren’t a necessity every day, but she’s happy to have them.

“This day and age, we are all so busy and no one gets enough sleep,” Sendler says. “To have an alternative where you can have an eye lift without surgery is just very simple and easy and it’s the way to go.”

The FDA reports there were side effects in 1%-5% of patients who took the eye drops. Those include dry eyes, blurry vision, eye irritation and headaches.