Almost half of all Asians around the world are born with the condition called “single fold†eyelid. This condition results in a much more pronounced drooping of the eyelids because their upper eyelids lack a fold or a crease. Asian eyelids have a higher tendency of having thicker skin with larger amounts of fat deposits compared to the Western eyes that have upper eyelid folds. A lot of people with Asian ancestry say that having only a single eyelid makes them appear tired and sleepy. While most of them want to enhance the appearance of their eyes, most of them also want to ensure that they keep the natural shape of their eyes. This is one of the major reasons as to why a lot of people with Asian ancestry choose to undergo surgical procedures to improve the overall look of their eyelids. This surgical procedure for Asian eyes is referred to as the double eyelid surgery.
Overview of Double Eyelid Surgery
The main goal of double eyelid surgery is to make the eyes appear larger and wider. Aside from the use of the blepharoplasty procedure, double eyelid surgery also involves adding a crease or a fold of skin in the upper eyelid, which will then make the eyes appear larger and rounder. Creating an additional upper eyelid fold is a relatively simple and quick cosmetic plastic surgery method.
Asian double eyelid surgery is a specialized surgical procedure that has the ability to change not only the appearance of the upper eyelid itself, but that of the entire eye as well. Since almost fifty percent of Asians are born with the condition called “single fold†eyelid, a lot of them undergo this specialized procedure in order to get rid of this problem.
Because of the efficacy of double eyelid surgery in making the eyes of Asian people appear rounder and larger; this type of surgery is now very popular in almost all Asian nations. However, this type of surgery has a long and rich history, being performed for many decades now. Double eyelid surgery has been used by people with Asian descent long before Hollywood movie stars and Western media have influenced their country. In fact, the first reported double eyelid operation was in 1896 in Japan.
Factors that a Surgeon should consider before Performing a Double Eyelid Surgery
Asian cosmetic double eyelid surgery requires that the plastic surgeon have intimate knowledge as to where he or she should create the incisions. A double eyelid surgeon should also know how much fat and tissue to remove as well as where to put the additional crease.
Before a double eyelid surgery starts, the surgeon should already have taken into consideration the epicanthal fold of the patient. The epicanthal fold is one of the structures of the eyes that consist of a web of skin. This piece of skin overlaps the corner of the eye where the nose meets the eyelid. Depending on how pronounced the epicanthal fold is, the surgeon should be able to use a special technique in order to create a double eyelid.
How the Double Eyelid Surgery Procedure is performed
Double eyelid surgery involves a simple and a quick cosmetic plastic surgery procedure. It involves the removal of a miniscule amount of excess skin, a very small amount of fat pads, as well as under-skin tissue. The procedure that this type of surgery follows is similar to the more traditional upper eyelid surgery, but is not identical.
Before the double eyelid surgery is performed, the surgeon will give the patient either a local anesthesia or a general anesthesia. If a patient is under a local anesthesia, this means that the patient is awake while the procedure is being performed but will not feel any kind of pain. On the other hand, with a general anesthesia, the patient is asleep and will only wake up once the procedure has been completed and the anesthesia loses its effects.
Once the patient has been administered with a local or a general anesthesia, the surgeon will create an incision on the upper eyelid. This incision will be the opening that the surgeon will use in order to remove excess skin and fat as well as a tiny amount of muscle tissue. The incision will then be carefully closed using fine sutures to prevent conspicuous scars from developing. In fact, there are some cases wherein the sutures are responsible for creating the additional “fold†or crease in the upper eyelid.
The Results of Double Eyelid Surgery
After undergoing a double eyelid surgery, the new fold or crease in the upper eyelid is most likely to appear higher than where the patient would have imagined it to be. However, this is only going to be for the first few days after the successful double eyelid operation. After a month or two, the patient will notice that the additional fold or crease is already settling into the area where the plastic surgeon has intended it to.
The Required Recovery Period after a Double Eyelid Surgery
While the double eyelid surgery is a quick and simple cosmetic plastic surgery method, it is still a surgery nonetheless. This type of cosmetic surgery has a lot of benefits and advantages, but patients should also be aware of what to expect after the surgery. After undergoing a double eyelid surgery, the patient may experience some discoloration, bruising, and swelling around the eye area for a week. However, this can easily be resolved as long as the patient follows the eyelid surgery recovery directions in order to minimize and alleviate the side effects of the procedure.