For PatientsPrescribing InformationProvider Login
learn-more-background

What is
acquired ptosis?

Acquired ptosis involves the sagging of the upper eyelid, in one or both eyes, leading to a partially obstructed field of vision. If your patient is experiencing drooping eyelids that make their eyes look tired, they might have acquired ptosis.

Get Your Patients Started

This condition, also known as low-lying eyelids and acquired blepharoptosis, can be caused by aging, trauma, muscle weakness or stretching, or nerve damage. Understanding its causes, symptoms, evaluation, and treatment options is crucial for managing it effectively.

Ptosis can sometimes be caused by more serious conditions, including stroke, brain aneurysm, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and eye infections. If you suspect your patient is experiencing any of these more serious conditions, they should be instructed to seek additional medical evaluation.

How prevalent is acquired ptosis?

In an online survey of 2,272 female aesthetics patients* between the ages of 20–70 years old

64%
of patients identify with having low-lying eyelids.1

Forms of acquired ptosis

Patients can experience mild, moderate and severe forms of acquired ptosis. Unlike congenital ptosis, which is present from birth, acquired ptosis develops later in life due to factors such as:

  • Age-related weakening/stretching of the levator muscle, which lifts the eyelid.
  • Trauma to the eye or eyelid.
  • Nerve damage.
  • Complications from eye surgery.
  • Long-term contact lens wear (particularly rigid contact lenses).
  • Side effects from wrinkle reduction injections.

DEGREES OF ACQUIRED PTOSIS

Normal ptosis

Normal

Mild ptosis

Mild

Moderate ptosis

Moderate

Severe ptosis

Severe

Common symptoms of acquired ptosis

Patients may report symptoms related to drooping eyelids, such as always looking tired (even when well-rested). The severity of your patient’s symptoms can vary but may include:

One eyelid drooping lower than the other
Difficulty keeping your eye open
Eye strain or fatigue
A feeling of heaviness in the eyelid
Close-up of an eye with ptosis

In severe cases, your patient’s vision may be obstructed, making activities like reading or driving challenging. This condition can also affect their appearance, creating an asymmetrical or tired look, and complicate makeup application or contact lens wear.

get-started-section-background-mobile

Introduce your patients to the eye drop that lifts.

Get Your Patients Started
References
1. RVL Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Data on file. Market research, 2021. *Respondents said they used cosmetic neuromodulators, dermal fillers, chemical peels, and/or microneedling.

INDICATION

UPNEEQ® (oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution), 0.1% is indicated for the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis in adults.


IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

  • Ptosis may be associated with neurologic or orbital diseases such as stroke and/or cerebral aneurysm, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, external ophthalmoplegia, orbital infection and orbital masses. Consideration should be given to these conditions in the presence of ptosis with decreased levator muscle function and/or other neurologic signs.
  • Alpha-adrenergic agonists as a class may impact blood pressure. Advise UPNEEQ patients with cardiovascular disease, orthostatic hypotension, and/or uncontrolled hypertension or hypotension to seek medical care if their condition worsens.
  • Use UPNEEQ with caution in patients with cerebral or coronary insufficiency or Sjögren’s syndrome. Advise patients to seek medical care if signs and symptoms of potentiation of vascular insufficiency develop.
  • UPNEEQ may increase the risk of angle closure glaucoma in patients with untreated narrow-angle glaucoma. Advise patients to seek immediate medical care if signs and symptoms of acute narrow-angle glaucoma develop.
  • Patients should not touch the tip of the single patient-use container to their eye or to any surface, in order to avoid eye injury or contamination of the solution.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

Adverse reactions that occurred in 1-5% of subjects treated with UPNEEQ were punctate keratitis, conjunctival hyperemia, dry eye, blurred vision, instillation site pain, eye irritation and headache.


DRUG INTERACTIONS

  • Alpha-adrenergic agonists, as a class, may impact blood pressure. Caution in using drugs such as beta blockers, anti-hypertensives, and/or cardiac glycosides is advised. Caution should also be exercised in patients receiving alpha adrenergic receptor antagonists such as in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, or benign prostatic hypertrophy.
  • Caution is advised in patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors which can affect the metabolism and uptake of circulating amines.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS or product complaints, contact RVL Pharmaceuticals at 1-877-482-3788. You may also report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS to the FDA by calling 1-800-FDA-1088 or visit www.fda.gov/medwatch.

INDICATION

UPNEEQ® (oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution), 0.1% is indicated for the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis in adults.


IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

  • Ptosis may be associated with neurologic or orbital diseases such as stroke and/or cerebral aneurysm, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, external ophthalmoplegia, orbital infection and orbital masses. Consideration should be given to these conditions in the presence of ptosis with decreased levator muscle function and/or other neurologic signs.
  • Alpha-adrenergic agonists as a class may impact blood pressure. Advise UPNEEQ patients with cardiovascular disease, orthostatic hypotension, and/or uncontrolled hypertension or hypotension to seek medical care if their condition worsens.
  • Use UPNEEQ with caution in patients with cerebral or coronary insufficiency or Sjögren’s syndrome. Advise patients to seek medical care if signs and symptoms of potentiation of vascular insufficiency develop.
  • UPNEEQ may increase the risk of angle closure glaucoma in patients with untreated narrow-angle glaucoma. Advise patients to seek immediate medical care if signs and symptoms of acute narrow-angle glaucoma develop.
  • Patients should not touch the tip of the single patient-use container to their eye or to any surface, in order to avoid eye injury or contamination of the solution.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

Adverse reactions that occurred in 1-5% of subjects treated with UPNEEQ were punctate keratitis, conjunctival hyperemia, dry eye, blurred vision, instillation site pain, eye irritation and headache.


DRUG INTERACTIONS

  • Alpha-adrenergic agonists, as a class, may impact blood pressure. Caution in using drugs such as beta blockers, anti-hypertensives, and/or cardiac glycosides is advised. Caution should also be exercised in patients receiving alpha adrenergic receptor antagonists such as in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, or benign prostatic hypertrophy.
  • Caution is advised in patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors which can affect the metabolism and uptake of circulating amines.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS or product complaints, contact RVL Pharmaceuticals at 1-877-482-3788. You may also report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS to the FDA by calling 1-800-FDA-1088 or visit www.fda.gov/medwatch.

About UpneeqBefore and AfterWhat is Acquired PtosisResourcesContact Us
Prescribing Information
Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
FacebookTikTokInstagram

Distributed by: RVL Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Bridgewater, NJ 08807.©2025 RVL Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All rights reserved. PM-US-UPN-1741 03/25

Upneeq® is a registered trademark of RVL Pharmaceuticals, Inc.