The plastic surgery for eyes that’s becoming a craze among young people thanks to ‘Ozempic face’ and social media

Forget nose jobs, the hot plastic surgery trend among Americans is the blepharoplasty - or “bleph.”Two-thirds of facial plastic surgeons say more patients are requesting the $3,000 outpatient procedure, wanting to look younger by removing excess skin or fat from their eyelids. “Patients increasingly want to look refreshed rather than transformed,” Dr. Anthony Brissett, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, explained in a statement.Blepharoplasties are now among the top three facial plastic surgeries, alongside nose jobs and facelifts, and rank fifth on a recent list of the top cosmetic surgeries overall.Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes told NBC’s TODAY that she had a blepharoplasty in 2023. "It was one of the best things I could’ve ever done for my self-confidence, and it made me feel a lot better in my skin," she said. Nearly 119,000 people got blepharoplasties in the U.S. last year, up nearly 20 percent over 2024 (AFP/Getty)A sudden surgeThere has been a sharp increase in cosmetic eyelid surgeries around the world in the last few years. Roughly 119,000 of these surgeries were in the U.S. in 2025, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons says, an increase of 19 percent over 2024.While young adults are having blepharoplastics in smaller numbers than those over 45, the percentage rise year-over-year was highest in those aged 25 and under.This increase has been traced to social media, celebrities and the rise of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, which can result in a sunken look that’s dubbed “Ozempic face.” “With social media, people get excited and they think, ‘OK, I’m just going to swipe right and I’m going to look like this,’” Dr. C. Bob Basu, past president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, told The New York Times Wednesday. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles says she got a blepharoplasty last fall, citing her ‘Biles eye bags’ (AFP/Getty)Celebrities have also discussed getting blepharoplasties over the last two years, including Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles, 29, and actress Denise Richards, 55."I got a lower bleph because me and my family have, I call it the 'Biles eye bags,'" Biles told People last November. "We've just always had them, hereditary, and so that was just a big flaw."Richards told Allure in March that she wanted to “put things back up, where they were before.”“Being in the public eye since my 20s, people know what I look like - a facelift is not something that I could hide,” she said.Under the knifeDoctors say blepharoplasties - typically done while patients are awake - are widely regarded as safe with appropriate planning and care. But all surgeries carry risks. Common side effects include bruising or swelling and dry eyes. There’s a small risk of complications, such as vision issues, scarring, infections, injury to eye muscles and bleeding from the eyes, according to the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics.People who get blepharoplasties typically recover after a couple of months, but usually see bruising and swelling in the first few weeks (AFP/Getty)Though most patients recover well at home after a couple of months, and may return to regular routines in just a week or two.Not everyone may be able to get a blepharoplasty, including people with conditions that can complicate the surgery, such as high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes or cardiovascular disease, Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center says.Only blepharoplasties done to help fix obscured vision from drooping skin are covered by health insurance.Face the issuesEven if you are medically qualified, experts insist patients should be realistic about what they’re really getting from the surgery. You may have to get more than one blepharoplasty.An altered appearance can help people feel more confident, experts say.“But you shouldn’t expect the surgery to drastically change your look,” the Cleveland Clinic says. “It’s important to know your face well before you decide to have surgery. Think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.”