The Complete Guide to Korean Double Eyelid Surgery

Double eyelid surgery is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries in South Korea. South Korea is known to have the highest rate of surgeries per capita in the world and double eyelid surgery is a very popular procedure. In fact, double eyelid surgery is a popular birthday gift for high school/college students. This procedure often help people to achieve bigger and more lively looking eyes, or even correct any asymmetry to achieve a more perfect looking eyelid shape. 

Types of Surgery Method

There are mainly 3 different surgery methods for double eyelid surgery: Non Incision, Incision, and Partial Incision.  

1. Non Incision

The non incisional method is used to create natural looking eyelids without any incision. This was the first method out of the three that was founded many years ago, and was widely popular back then. As opposed to making incisions, it is done by making a few small slits/sulcus on the upper eyelid, and then connecting the levator muscle to the skin with the use of thread to create a crease.

Source: Mina Plastic Surgery

This method is suitable for people who have thin eyelids and are looking for a procedure with fast recovery and natural results. 

Surgery Duration & Recovery

Local anesthesia with sedation will be used in the process and the whole duration of the procedure is approximately 30 minutes. No hospitalisation will be required thereafter. Stitches will be removed after 3 days and recovery usually takes about 5 days.

2. Incision

The full incision method is the most common type of double eyelid surgery in South Korea. It is a surgical method that can remove excessive fat, muscle and skin, and control various tissues to achieve a long-lasting natural and defined eyelid crease. It can be considered the best technique among the three if you are looking for something that will be more permanent. The surgeon will also extend the line of the eyelid beyond the last third portion of the eye to create a more natural look. The downside for this method would be the longer time to heal. 

Source: Mina Plastic Surgery

This method is suitable for people who have thick and droopy eyelids with excess fat, or for people who are looking to do a revision of their existing double eyelids. 

Surgery Duration & Recovery 

Local anesthesia with sedation will be used in the process and the whole duration of the procedure is approximately 1 hour. No hospitalisation is required thereafter. Stitches will be removed after 5-7 days and recovery usually takes about 1-2 weeks.

3. Partial Incision 

The partial incision method is an alternative to the non-incisional and incisional methods and it uses a combination of both methods. When this method was introduced, people believed it to be more effective than the full incisional method because of its smaller and less noticeable scars. However, that is no longer an issue today as doctors are better able to minimise scars. In this method, small incisions are made in segments along the eyelid to remove the fat and skin tissues while the crease is formed by connecting the levator muscle to the skin with thread. The double eyelid lines extend up to the last third of the eyes, as opposed to the full incision method where the lines go beyond the last third of the eyes. 

Source: Mina Plastic Surgery

This method is suitable for people with thicker eyelids than non-incisional procedure could cover. It is effective for those who want a more ensured result with minimal scarring, keeping the look natural. This method also works for eyelids that have gotten a non-incisional surgery before but have loosened over time. 

Surgery Duration and Recovery

Local anesthesia with sedation will be used in the process and the whole duration of the procedure is approximately 30 minutes-1 hour. No hospitalisation is required thereafter. Stitches will be removed after 3-7 days and recovery usually takes about 1 week.

Different Styles of Double Eyelids 

There are mainly 3 different kinds of double eyelid shapes that people may choose to achieve. It is important to note that everyone has their own desired style of double eyelids and there is varying suitability of styles for different people. The main 3 styles are: Infold, Outfold and In-Out Fold. 

1. Infold 

Source: Banobagi Plastic Surgery

An infold is the fold that is most common among Asians and also the simplest to form on the eyelid. Asians who are already born with a crease mostly have an infold and most double eyelid surgeries in the past achieved infold creases. The double eyelid starts from the inside of the mongolian fold and the width becomes wider along the eye line. As seen in the picture, the infold creates a crowded, innocent and traditional look on the eyes. Women who are more conservative and shy may choose to pursue an infold over an outfold for surgery. Recovery period is also short since the double eyelid is thin. Thus, this look is suitable for women who do not use bold makeup and want a more natural look with fast recovery. 

2. Outfold 

Source: Ruby Plastic Surgery

For the outfold style, the double eyelid line starts from the outside of the Mongolian fold and goes straight to the eye-tail part. As seen in the picture, an outfold yields a much more sophisticated, modern and westernised look; this is also a look that has a very high popularity as more and more women are drawn towards looking more flashy and glamorous. Women who like to experiment with bold makeup generally will choose an outfold over an infold because of the extra space of skin that is visible within an outfold crease. The outfold look will be suitable for people who want to achieve big and defined eyes. 

3. In-Out Fold

Source: Banobagi Plastic Surgery

The In-Out fold style is currently the trendiest look in Korea. It is a look where the double eyelid line starts at a very low point from the outside of the Mongolian fold, and becomes wider along the eye line. As a result, it will look like an infold style from afar. This type of eyelids will be suitable for people who want a mix of both the infold and outfold style to achieve big and natural looking eyes. 

 

Double Eyelids Surgery vs Ptosis Correction

Ideal eyes have clearly opened eyelids and appropriately exposed pupils for a clear vision, but double eyelid surgery simply creates an additional line on the eyelid without correcting one’s pupil exposure. This is where Ptosis correction comes in - it is a procedure that is catered towards people who lacks eye-opening muscles. On top of creating a clearer and more attractive double eyelid for individuals with this condition, ptosis correction strengthens the eye-opening muscles themselves to present a more distinct and spacious eye shape. Therefore, it is a more advantageous procedure in creating an ideal eye shape for this situation. As our main focus is still double eyelid surgery in this journal, we will write more about the ptosis correction procedure in our next series. 

Add-ons 

There are several other procedures that people commonly do together with their double eyelid surgery. It includes: Canthoplasty, Under Eye Fat Repositioning and Forehead Endotine / Brow Lifting.

1. Canthoplasty 

The aim of canthoplasty is to improve the shape of the eyelids by toning them up to leave a more lively and refreshed appearance. There are mainly 3 types of canthoplasty: upper lateral canthoplasty, lateral canthoplasty, and lower canthoplasty. It is performed at the outer corner of the eye (the canthus), in the section where the upper and lower eyelids meet (the lateral canthus) with the tightening of the muscles or ligaments that give support to the outer corners of the eyelid. It should be noted that this is a procedure that helps to enhance our appearance rather than to alter the way we look. It is often recommended in conjunction with double eyelid surgery for optimal results.

Source: Banobagi Plastic Surgery

 

2. Under Eye Fat Repositioning (Eye Bags Removal)

Bulging eye bags, fine wrinkles, and uneven tone under our eyes are the main causes of dark eye circles which gives off a tired, older, and haggard appearance. Under eye fat repositioning surgery removes eye bags and unnecessary fat while filling up sunken areas and wrinkles under eye areas with removed fat, which results in a brighter and younger look. It is often recommended in conjunction with double eyelid surgery for optimal results. You can also check out our under eye fat repositioning promotion here.

 

3. Forehead Endotine / Brow Lifting

Forehead / brow lifting is a surgical procedure that helps to correct sagging of the forehead, eyebrows and upper eyelids. This procedure can improve the signs of aging on the upper face (by removing wrinkles) and lift the brow height at the same time. It is performed by making small incisions (1-2 cm long) behind your hairline, where thereafter specialized lifting devices called ‘Endotine’ will be inserted to pull up the sagging skin/tissue. Endotine is an absorbable device which will aid in giving natural and long-lasting results. Through this procedure, you can achieve a naturally youthful and soft image. It is suitable not only for older people who want to fix their wrinkles, but also for people with low set brows. It is often recommended in conjunction with double eyelid surgery for optimal results.

Source: JK Plastic Surgery

 

Price Range

We have also compiled a price list that could give you a better gauge of the price ranges for the different procedures. With top board-certified surgeons in Korea, 

1. Double Eyelid Surgery - starting from $1000 USD
2. Ptosis Correction - starting from $2200 USD
3. Canthoplasty - starting from $1000 USD
4. Under Eye Fat Repositioning - starting from $2000 USD 
5. Forehead Endotine / Brow Lift - starting from $5000 USD 

As a disclaimer, we are not recommending any particular procedure in this write up. If you are interested in going for double eyelid surgery (or any other surgery), it is best to have a consultation with a doctor so that he/she can better understand your situation and come up with an optimal solution for you.