Eyelid ptosis can be either hereditary or developed later on in life. Acquired ptosis denotes eyelid ptosis that occurs later on in life, while hereditary ptosis is ptosis that one is born with.
People with hereditary ptosis display differences in the levator muscle in terms of the levels of severity and muscle function. Ptosis that develops later on is caused when a physical volume, such as tissue, interferes and affects the function of the eyelid called “mechanical ptosis”.
Ptosis that is acquired may also develop due to muscular or aponeurotic ptosis. This refers to the stretching, thinning and eventual weakening of the levator muscle and can occur after a patient has had eye cataract surgery or Lasik vision surgery.