Cindy Crawford Shares the Health Condition She Quietly Lived with for 10 Years

The supermodel, actress, and television personality has opened up about a condition affecting her eyes that she quietly dealt with for nearly a decade before finally finding a solution that restored her confidence.

Cindy Crawford, who turned 60 in February, has revealed that she spent close to a decade struggling with a medical condition that caused her eyelids to droop and visibly affected her appearance on camera — something she had never addressed publicly until now.

Cindy Crawford at the RE/DONE x Kaia Gerber 'Short/Cuts' Launch Event on May 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

Crawford opened up about living with acquired blepharoptosis, a condition in which the muscle controlling the upper eyelid weakens over time, causing the lids to fall and the eye opening to appear smaller. For a woman whose livelihood depends on her face — and particularly her eyes — the condition quietly took a toll.

"I remember probably 10 years ago after I turned 50 when I would be doing early morning calls, they would be like, 'Are you fine to start at 6:00?'" Crawford shared.

Cindy Crawford walks the runway during the Gucci Cruise 2027 collection fashion show at Times Square on May 16, 2026 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Her candid response at the time? "I can get up whatever time you want, but my face doesn't wake up until 9:00, so just don't plan any closeups or anything."

It was humorous in delivery, but the reality behind it was anything but.

Cindy Crawford at the 2026 WWD Style Awards held at the Regent Santa Monica Beach on January 9 in California. | Source: Getty Images

A Condition She Could See for Herself

Crawford was no stranger to cameras — she had been in front of them since 1986, when she shot her first Vogue cover with legendary photographer Richard Avedon.

That early experience had, in fact, taught her just how much the eyes communicate. Avedon, she recalled, would instruct her to always have a thought in her head every time she looked into the lens, because he could see it in her eyes.

Cindy Crawford during the Perry Ellis Fall 1986 Ready to Wear Advance show. | Source: Getty Images

That lesson stayed with her for decades, which made it all the more difficult when she began to notice her eyes changing. "I could see on camera that my eyes just weren't quite as perky as they once were," Crawford admitted.

On set, makeup artists would have to physically lift her lids to apply eyeshadow properly — a small but telling detail that something had shifted. The condition, as board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman explains, is more common than many people realize.

Cindy Crawford during the 21st Annual St. Jude Hollywood Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 1, 2001 in California. | Source: Getty Images

As the body ages, the muscle responsible for holding the upper eyelid in place gradually weakens. Combined with a natural drop in eyebrow positioning, the result is a noticeably reduced eye aperture — a smaller, more hooded appearance.

It took Crawford the better part of a decade to find something that worked.

Cindy Crawford attends the 2017 Harper's Bazaar Icons at The Plaza Hotel on September 8 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

The Solution That Changed Everything

About two years ago, Crawford's dermatologist introduced her to Upneeq, an FDA-approved prescription eye drop and the only clinically proven non-surgical treatment designed to lift low-lying upper eyelids in adults.

The drops work by activating the weakened eyelid muscle, with visible results in as little as five minutes that can last up to eight hours. Crawford was initially cautious.

Cindy Crawford during the Fashion Awards 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall on December 10 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

She began using Upneeq only for shoots or high-stakes appearances — moments when she needed to look fully alert and present. But once she realized it was safe for daily use, her mindset shifted entirely.

"When I realized you can use it every day, I was like, 'Why not?'" she shared. "It's one of those little things we can do to feel like the best version of ourselves. And when women feel more confident, they present themselves in the world in a more confident way."

Cindy Crawford poses ahead of her appearance on "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" on July 22, 2024. | Source: Getty Images

Crawford has since become a partner with the brand, helping raise awareness about the condition and its treatment. She was announced as a partner in May, though she had already been a quiet user long before any official collaboration.

"The thing I love about Upneeq is it's not a big commitment. You're not going under the knife," Crawford said.

Fans React

The revelation struck a chord with many online. "Health battles don't always show on the outside. Wishing her strength and healing.🙏," one follower wrote warmly.

Another chimed in with enthusiasm, gushing, "She's still gorgeous! Yes some people have to get surgery for her drooping eye lids. It is a real condition!" A third kept it beautifully simple, sighing, "Still beautiful."

One commenter was a little more measured, musing, "Barely notice [sic]." And another offered some encouragement, urging, "Hope she stays strong all through."

Cindy Crawford at the Diane von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion Exhibit held at Skirball Cultural Center on October 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

60 and Unapologetic

Crawford's openness about her eyelid condition fits neatly into a broader shift in how she now approaches beauty and aging. Turning 60, she says, was surprisingly easier than turning 50.

"50 was really hard for me. That was the one that I was like, 'Wow, there's nothing girlish about 50,'" Crawford reflected. Her response then had been to write a book — to run toward the milestone rather than away from it.

Cindy Crawford attends Raising Brows LIVE hosted by Anastasia Soare, Founder & CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Oprah Winfrey at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on October 23, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

But 60 arrived differently. "Then this year I turned 60 and honestly, it was easy," she said. "I'm not trying to be 20 or 25. I think that's my biggest change in how I approach beauty: I just want to feel like the best version of me. I don't want to look tired. I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard."

Cindy Crawford attends the 2025 LACMA Art+Film Gala at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on November 1 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

Her wellness routine these days reflects that same deliberate, grounded energy. Each morning begins with her Bible app, followed by dry brushing, gua sha, and red light therapy. She then steps outside, comes back in for coffee, works out, and showers.

Getting ready — which she does every single day, even at home — happens around 9:30 a.m. and takes less than two minutes, anchored by her Upneeq drops and her own Meaningful Beauty skincare line.

Hair color, she added with a laugh, is the one element of her routine that demands real effort:

For a woman who built an empire on her image, Crawford's willingness to name a condition she quietly struggled with for years — and share how she found her way through it — may turn out to be her most powerful close-up yet.