What Is Scleral Show? Causes & Treatments

Download Article

Plus, discover male & female celebrities who have scleral show

Co-authored by Brian Boxer Wachler, MD and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: May 2, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Scleral Show Explained
|
• Causes
|
• Treatments
|
• Is it bad?
|
• Celebrities
|
• Sanpaku Eyes
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

If you can see the whites of your eyes above and/or below your iris, you have a condition called scleral show. The good news is that it's normal and usually harmless—in fact, many of your favorite celebrities have this type of eye! The bad news is that scleral show can also be a side effect of a harmful eye condition or disease. For that or cosmetic reasons, it can usually be corrected with fillers or plastic surgery. Keep reading to learn more about the meaning of scleral show, what causes it, how to get rid of it if it bothers you, and more!

What is scleral show?

Scleral show is when the whites of your eyes above or underneath your iris are visible. It's typically a normal, harmless condition caused by genetics or aging. It can also be caused by ectropion, a condition where your eyelids turn inside out, or Graves' disease. Treatments are hyaluronic fillers and plastic surgery.

Steps

Section 1 of 6:

Scleral Show Explained

Download Article

1. 
   Scleral show is when the white (sclera) above or below your iris is visible in a neutral gaze. For most people, when they wear a neutral expression, the sclera directly above and underneath their irises is covered by their eyelids. You can only see white to the left and right of their irises. But for some people, this white area is visible, says Board-Certified Ophthalmologist Brian Boxer Wachler, MD.

   • For most people, scleral show is just aesthetic with no uncomfortable side effects. But in serious cases of scleral show, you might have trouble blinking or closing your eyelids completely. If you can't blink, your eyes might feel chronically dry, red, and irritated due to a lack of tear film.
Advertisement

Section 2 of 6:

Causes of Scleral Show

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Genetics According to some studies, about 50% of adults have some degree of scleral show. This means it's a completely normal condition! Some people have it their whole lives without any other complications. It's simply a result of their genetic makeup.

   • Look at old pictures of your family members (i.e., your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles) to see if any of them also have scleral show.
2. 
   2
   Aging As you age, your lower eyelid may lose elasticity along with the rest of your skin and start to sag. This would cause the lower part of your sclera to show, even though it hasn't been visible for most of your life. Again, this is normal and nothing to worry about!
3. 
   3
   Ectropion Ectropion is a condition where the eyelids, especially the lower lid, turn inside out, exposing the waterline and more of your sclera. This condition causes extreme dryness and irritation, and it's also extremely uncomfortable.

   • Ectropion is most common in older people and is usually caused by a weakening of the muscle that holds the lower eyelid taut. It can also be caused by facial paralysis, such as that which often results from a stroke.
4. 
   4
   Blepharoplasty complications Blepharoplasty is a common plastic surgery that removes fat and tissue from around your eyelids to tighten them. Sometimes during the procedure, the surgeon removes too much tissue and displaces the eyelid. This causes scleral show.
5. 
   5
   Graves' disease Thyroid disease, or Graves' disease, is an autoimmune disease in which your thyroid produces too many hormones. Dr. Wachler says that one of the side effects is bulging eyes and swollen eyelids. So while you may not have been born with scleral show, you can get it later in life if you develop Graves' disease.
Advertisement

Section 3 of 6:

How to Get Rid of Scleral Show

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a substance that occurs naturally in your body. It surrounds your joints, providing a nice, hydrating cushion so they move more easily. It's also a source of hydration and plumpness in your skin. The older you get, however, the more your body loses its stores of HA. With regular HA injections, you may be able to restore your eyelids so they cover more of your sclera.

   • Average cost: $715
2. 
   2
   Canthoplasty During a canthoplasty, the plastic surgeon makes an incision near the eye and pulls on the muscles and tendons surrounding it. Then they suture it into place. This gives the eye a tightened, more elongated shape that covers more of the upper and lower sclera.

   • Average cost: $5600-$8900
3. 
   3
   Spacer grafts Another way to treat scleral show surgically is to take cartilage or fat from another part of the body and insert it behind the eyelid. This is called a spacer graft, and it's designed to add volume to the eyelid so it covers more of the sclera.

   • Average cost: Unknown
Advertisement

Section 4 of 6:

Is a scleral show good or bad?

Download Article

1. 
   Scleral show is only bad if it negatively affects your vision or your eye health. If your scleral show is caused by genetics or aging, you shouldn't worry about it unless you just really don't like how it looks. The only time it should concern you is if it makes it harder for you to see, it negatively impacts your eye health, or your eyes don't normally have a scleral show.

   • For example, if your scleral show is caused by ectropion, your eyes are probably watery, extremely dry, and constantly irritated. In that case, it would be a good idea to seek treatment, so you can feel better and avoid vision problems.
   • If you don't normally have scleral show and it comes on suddenly, see a doctor. You could have an underlying condition, like thyroid eye disease, that's causing your eyes to bulge and more of your sclera to show.

Section 5 of 6:

Celebrities with Scleral Show

Download Article

1. 
   Popular celebrities with scleral show are Billie Eilish and Jeremy Allen White. Lots of your favorite celebrities have scleral show. Since this condition is fairly common, it's not surprising that a lot of recognizable names have it! Below is a full list of famous people who have (or had, when they were living) scleral show:

   • Billie Eilish
   • Jeremy Allen White
   • Princess Diana
   • Michael Jackson
   • Aubrey Plaza
   • Marilyn Monroe
   • Lily Rose Depp
   • Olivia Rodrigo
   • Anya Taylor-Joy
   • Amanda Seyfried
   • Robert Pattinson
   • President John F. Kennedy
   • Ella Purnell
   • Sylvester Stallone
   • Sydney Sweeney
Advertisement

Section 6 of 6:

What are sanpaku eyes?

Download Article

1. 
   "Sanpaku eyes" is a Japanese term for eyes with scleral show. "Sanpaku" is Japanese for "three whites." It refers to the sclera showing white in 3 areas of the eye: to the left and right of the iris, as well as above or below it. According to some Japanese superstitions, a person with white showing under the iris is more susceptible to illness and death. Meanwhile, a person with sclera showing above the iris is (supposedly) more prone to be sociopathic (Charles Manson had eyes like these).

   • Sanpaku eyes are just a superstition! They have no actual impact on a person's life, health, or mental state!

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!