R Review From Scalp to Soles 85
The makeup and plastic surgery contribute to the passive
messages that eyelids convey, primarily, “I’m young(ish). I’m vibrant.
I’m sexy.” Excess skin around the eyes, even when it occurs in a
juvenile, has an aging effect. It makes a person look less awake,
and more matronly. People with naturally baggy eyes look tired, or
even sad. They don’t photograph well, and when they realize that,
they may go out of their way to stand behind Grandpa in family
photos. Sagging upper lids and puffy lower lids can contribute to
some very self-conscious body language, particularly in men and
women who spent their youth enjoying the adulation of the opposite
sex because of their facial beauty.
An eye twitch signals stress unless it’s associated with neuro-
logical damage. The only way to tell is to observe the person in a
completely relaxed state.
An eye droop means the person feels intense stress. This is
the kind of reaction a prisoner of war might have or person held a
gunpoint by a crazed robber. In addition to stress causing a droop in
the lower lid, stress engages the sympathetic nervous system, which
draws blood from the mucosa and redirects it to the muscles for a
fight-or-flight response. The lack of blood causes the lower eyelid
to sag in addition to other responses, such as a thinning of the lips.
A much more common sight is that of a child just beginning to
understand the concept of object permanence. You see him closing
his eyes to make you disappear. Many children, when they first
discover this, think that closing his eyes means you can’t see