East Asian blepharoplasty, also known as "double eyelid surgery", is a type of

cosmetic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes cranio ...

where the skin around the eye is reshaped (

blepharoplasty Blepharoplasty ( Greek: ''blepharon'', "eyelid" + ''plassein'' "to form") is the plastic surgery operation for correcting defects, deformities, and disfigurations of the eyelids; and for aesthetically modifying the eye region of the face. With ...

). The purpose of the procedure is to create an upper eyelid with a crease (i.e. "double eyelid") from an eyelid that is naturally without a crease (also known as a "single eyelid" or "monolid"). Anatomically, there are a number of subtle differences in the upper eyelids of

East Asian East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

s, compared with the eyelids of

Europeans Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both. Pan and Pfeil (20 ...

and

Sub-Saharan Africans Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the African co ...

. While some East Asians have a double eyelid and some do not, there is also a large variation in the crease position (double eyelid size) of the East Asian upper eyelid. The upper lid fold can range from above the eyelash line to about . Several methods can be used to create the double eyelid—including the full-incisional, partial incision and no incision methods (e.g. the DST method). Each has its advantages depending on the patient's anatomy and desires. East Asian blepharoplasty have been reported to be the most common aesthetic procedure in Taiwan,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

and other parts of East Asia and is also frequently performed in

Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...

n states such as

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

. The procedure has been reported to have some risk of complications, but is generally quite safe if done by an expert plastic surgeon. Practitioners of East Asian blepharoplasty include

plastic surgeons Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniof ...

(facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons),

otolaryngologists Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...

, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and ophthalmologists (oculoplastic surgeons). A procedure to remove the

epicanthal fold An epicanthic fold or epicanthus is a skin fold of the upper eyelid that covers the inner corner (medial canthus) of the eye. However, variation occurs in the nature of this feature and the possession of "partial epicanthic folds" or "slight e ...

(i.e., an

epicanthoplasty Epicanthoplasty is a rare eye surgery to modify the epicanthal folds. It can be a challenging procedure because the epicanthal folds overlay the lacrimal canaliculi (tear drainage canals). Although an epicanthic fold can also be associated with a ...

) is often performed in conjunction with an East Asian blepharoplasty.

References

Health in East Asia Oculoplastic surgery Stereotypes of East Asians {{Surgery-stub

See also

References