Written by Dr Gerard Ee, MBBS (UK), MRCS (Edinburgh), Postgraduate Diploma in Practical Dermatology (Cardiff), sole author. Founder and Medical Director, The Clifford Clinic and The Clifford Surgery, Singapore. Last medically reviewed and updated September 2026.
The AGNES with Secret RF eyelid lift tightens loose skin around the double eyelid and reduces the bulk of a heavy upper lid in one session, without surgery. AGNES, using its W needle over the dermis, heats the skin so that the collagen contracts, the lid lifts and the crease shows again. Secret RF, through an insulated cannula over the fold, reduces the bulk of a thick lid. Together they work especially well on a heavy eyelid. The treatment takes about 20 minutes under numbing cream and a small local injection, causes two to four days of swelling, and allows a return to work from day two. It costs $2,500 a session before GST, one fee for both devices.
What the AGNES with Secret RF eyelid lift treats
The AGNES with Secret RF eyelid lift treats two of the five causes of a droopy eyelid. The first is loose skin that has lost its recoil and folds over the crease, and the second is a thick lid in which the soft tissue itself weighs the fold down. A lid that has both, the heavy eyelid, is where the two devices together are most effective. It does not treat ptosis. A lid margin that sits low over the pupil signals a weak lifting muscle, and AGNES with Secret RF does not work on it, because the treatment tightens skin and the problem lies in the muscle. Ptosis needs surgery. It also does not lift a brow that has dropped, remove a true fold of excess skin, or create a crease in an eyelid that has never had one. The sagging eyelids page compares this treatment with Thermage FLX Eyes and HIFU.
AGNES RF for loose skin around the double eyelid
For the upper lid AGNES is used with its W needle, a fine multi-point tip passed over the dermis of the eyelid skin rather than the single insulated needle placed into fat for eye bags. The energy heats the dermis around the double eyelid, the collagen there contracts, and new collagen is laid down over the following weeks. The effect is a tightening of the skin around the fold and a lift of the lid skin, which is most useful where mild laxity has started to drape over the crease and soften it. It does not create a fold in an eyelid that has never had one, and it does not replace double eyelid surgery for a patient who wants a new crease.
Secret RF for a thick, heavy upper eyelid
Some lids are heavy not because the skin is loose but because the lid is thick. The soft tissue between the skin and the tarsal plate, the firm plate that gives the lid its shape, is full, and the weight of it flattens the crease and adds to the sag. Secret RF, used through the same insulated cannula as for eye bags but advanced over the upper eyelid fold, heats the bulky tissue so that it contracts and reduces, and the lid becomes lighter and the fold shows again. It is planned more conservatively than the lower eyelid protocol, because the upper lid skin is the thinnest on the body and the eye sits directly beneath it.
Why AGNES and Secret RF are done together for a heavy eyelid
A heavy eyelid is usually both problems at once, a thick lid under skin that has loosened over it. Secret RF reduces the bulk that weighs the fold down and AGNES tightens the skin that drapes over it. Each treats a different layer, and treating one without the other on a heavy lid leaves half the problem uncorrected. Both are performed at the same visit under the same numbing, and the fee covers both.
AGNES eyelid lifting treatment, step by step
Numbing cream is applied for about 30 minutes, followed by a small local anaesthetic injection. A protective shield is placed over the eye. Secret RF is passed over the upper eyelid fold first where the lid is thick, then the AGNES W needle is passed over the dermis around the double eyelid. Both lids take about 20 minutes. The patient leaves with the lids swollen and pinpoint marks at the needle sites.
AGNES eyelid lift downtime, recovery and risks
Swelling for two to four days, pinpoint marks for a few days and occasional bruising are expected, and most patients return to work from day two. Burns, prolonged pigment change and injury to the eye are avoided by the insulated needle and cannula design, which release heat only at the tip, together with the eye shield and conservative settings. The upper lid is treated at lower energy than the lower lid because its skin is thinner.
AGNES eyelid lift results, when they show and how long they last
A small tightening shows once the swelling settles in the first week, from collagen contracting under heat. The full result builds over two to three months as new collagen forms. Reviews are held at four weeks and again at eight weeks, and a second session is considered at review where the lid is thick or the laxity is more than mild. The result lasts about a year, sometimes longer. A 2023 study of microneedle radiofrequency around the eye in Korean patients reported improvement in periorbital wrinkle grade and skin elasticity [1]. The lift around the double eyelid and the reduction of a bulky lid are observations from my own practice over more than a decade of using AGNES around the eye, since training on the device with its creator Dr Gun Young Ahn in 2012, and no controlled trial has measured them.
Who is not suitable for the AGNES eyelid lift, and the alternatives
A patient who wants nothing entering the skin is better served by Thermage FLX Eyes, which is FDA-cleared for the upper and lower eyelids and tightens the lid from the surface. A lid that looks hooded because the brow has dropped a little is lifted with HIFU under the brow, which can be added to this treatment or performed with Thermage. Excess skin, ptosis and a brow that has dropped a long way are surgical, and I refer those to The Clifford Surgery at the same address.
AGNES with Secret RF eyelid lift cost in Singapore
The AGNES with Secret RF eyelid lift costs $2,500 a session, before GST, one fee for both devices at the same visit. The consultation fee is waived when treatment proceeds, and the reviews at four and eight weeks are included. Where the upper and lower lids are treated at the same visit, the eyelid lift and the eye bag treatment are quoted together. The eye bag removal cost page lists every eye fee at the clinic side by side.
AGNES upper eyelid questions answered
Does AGNES make the double eyelid fold deeper?
AGNES does not make the double eyelid fold deeper. It tightens the skin around an existing fold so that the crease shows more clearly and the lid skin lifts. It does not create a fold in an eyelid that has never had one, which is the role of double eyelid surgery.
What helps a thick, heavy upper eyelid?
AGNES and Secret RF together help a thick, heavy upper eyelid. Secret RF reduces the bulk of the soft tissue that weighs the lid down, and AGNES tightens the skin over it, in the same visit. Where the heaviness is true skin excess, surgery is the answer instead.
How many sessions of AGNES eyelid lift are needed?
One session is needed, reviewed at four weeks and again at eight weeks. A second session is considered at review where the lid is thick or the laxity is more than mild.
Does the AGNES eyelid lift hurt?
With numbing cream and a small local anaesthetic injection the AGNES eyelid lift is uncomfortable rather than painful, and is felt as warm pressure for about 20 minutes.
Is radiofrequency safe on the upper eyelid?
Radiofrequency is safe on the upper eyelid with insulated needles, an eye shield and conservative settings. The lid skin is thin and is treated at lower energy than the lower eyelid.
How much does the AGNES eyelid lift cost?
The AGNES eyelid lift costs $2,500 a session at my clinic, before GST, one fee for AGNES and Secret RF together, with the consultation fee waived when treatment goes ahead.
Can the upper and lower eyelids be treated at the same visit?
The upper and lower eyelids can be treated at the same visit. The eyelid lift and eye bag treatment are performed under the same numbing and quoted together.
Does AGNES with Secret RF work for ptosis?
AGNES with Secret RF does not work for ptosis. Ptosis is a weak lifting muscle, and the lid margin itself sits low over the pupil. AGNES with Secret RF tightens skin and does nothing for the muscle. Ptosis needs surgery, and I refer it to The Clifford Surgery at the first consultation.
What is the alternative to AGNES for a sagging eyelid?
The alternatives to AGNES for a sagging eyelid are Thermage FLX Eyes for a needle-free lift, HIFU for a brow that has dropped, and upper blepharoplasty, ptosis repair or a brow lift at The Clifford Surgery where the cause is surgical.
Book a consultation with Dr Gerard Ee at The Clifford Clinic
Dr Gerard Ee consults and performs the AGNES with Secret RF eyelid lift at The Clifford Clinic, 50 Raffles Place, Singapore. Consultations are by appointment. Message the clinic on WhatsApp, or call 6532 2048.
Published evidence
- Kim KE, Park JH, Seul TW, Kim IH, Ryu HJ. Periorbital skin rejuvenation of Asian skin using microneedle fractional radiofrequency. Ann Dermatol. 2023;35(5):360-366. PMID 37830418.
- Suh DH, Choi JE, Lee SJ, Kim HS. Tightening of the eyelids with monopolar radiofrequency in Asians. Lasers Med Sci. 2025;40(1):530. PMID 41402632.
Dr Gerard Ee consults and performs these treatments at The Clifford Clinic, 50 Raffles Place, Singapore.
This guide is written from published research and clinical experience. It is for general education, not medical advice. Suitability, results, downtime and cost vary from person to person. Please arrange a consultation for advice specific to your eyelids.
