Asian blepharoplasty is a popular Asian eyelid surgery. Also called double eyelid surgery, this procedure aims to create a natural-looking upper eyelid crease.

The procedure can be executed either by using an incision or a suture (non-incision) technique to create a double eyelid fold. While most races have this fold, it isn’t present in about half of the Asian population.

In the suture technique, a stitch creates the fold. This noninvasive procedure works well for a very limited patient population. It’s a good solution for those with thin-skinned eyelids who aren’t looking for dramatic, full eyelid height.

The suture technique’s primary challenge is that there is a high incidence of failure and relapse. This is because the eye is an incredibly dynamic structure that opens and closes thousands of times, which weakens the sutures.

ESK Facial Plastic Surgery in New York City also practices a minimally invasive partial incision technique that uses two small incisions (6 to 8 millimeters in length) on each eyelid. This technique, while requiring a slightly longer recovery time than the suture method, creates better attachment and results in a more permanent and dramatic fold with more predictable long-term outcomes.

As with every procedure, patients interested in double eyelid surgery typically have questions about healing time and when they can return to work and social events. The partial incision technique requires just a slightly longer healing time than the suture procedure. Patients choosing the incision technique can expect swelling and bruising to disappear in under two weeks. In comparison, most people who opt for the suture procedure can return to work and social engagements within a week.

We invite you to make an appointment with ESK Facial Plastic Surgery in Manhattan to discuss both techniques and discover which is right for you.

As the rates of travel for cosmetic surgery procedures increase, so do the misconceptions that Korean plastic surgery is best performed abroad. But that's not always the case.

Here are three things to consider about traveling for your plastic surgery:

1. Surgeons in Korea are more qualified to do Asian cosmetic procedures.

The medical education here in the United States is globally regarded as the best in medical training. Surgical advances along with research in plastic surgery are still regarded as the best in the world. While it is true, surgeons in Korea only operated on “Asian faces” quality over quantity should be the ultimate factor when choosing a plastic surgeon.

2. It will be cheaper to have the surgery done in Korea.

While fees for surgery maybe slightly lower in Korea, one must factor additional costs associated with traveling to a foreign country to have surgery. Airline tickets, hotels fees, and meals can easily push the cost of the surgery higher than prices here in the US. Additionally, stress of traveling to a foreign country and the risks of potential complications are also inherent costs associated with having surgery in Asia.

3. I can fly into Asia and come back home soon after without any worries.

A major role in achieving optimal results is having close postoperative care with your surgeon. Having the ability to reach your surgeon and freely communicate your concerns is one of the most important things I recommend for a prospective patient.

Almost every perspective patient inquiring about asian eyelid surgery, or double eyelid surgery, has concerns regarding healing time. Appropriately so, since many of my patients have highly demanding professions in the New York City metropolitan area.

As such, I thought I'd post a general outline for the typical healing process of Asian eyelid surgery.

For the incisional double eyelid technique, the typical postoperative healing time is as follows:

The first day after surgery - we have you come back to the office to have your eyes evaluate.  You can expect swelling and some bruising during this time.

On day 3-5, you will make a second post-operative visit to our office. On this visit, some of the skin sutures will be removed.

On day 7, you will make a third post-operative visit to have all of your skin sutures removed.

Typically, the first 48 hours after surgery is when most of the swelling of the surgery is seen. During this time to minimize this swelling, use of cold compresses over the eyes will help.

Usually by the 7th-10th day after surgery, the eye swelling has reduced to the point when most patients feel comfortable to return to work.

For patients with high profile events to attend, (such as weddings or photo sessions) we recommend considering surgery at least one month prior to the event.

Asian double eyelid surgery is one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed on patients of east Asian decent.  This procedure is done to create an upper eyelid crease.  Approximately 50% of east asians, are born without a supratarsal fold (aka double eyelid crease).  

This procedure can be performed using several techniques.  But the major differences in techniques is whether the surgeons approaches this surgery using an incision or a suture technique (non-incision) to create a double eyelid fold.

Below, I have broken down some of the major differences between the two surgical approaches.  

Incisional technique          

Pros: more predictable long-term outcomes, more control to create precise placement of the desired fold, able to address other anatomic factors to the eyelid (such as addressing upper eyelid fat deposits, excess muscle, and redundant upper eyelid skin).

Cons: increased healing time, increased potential for a conspicuous scar,  and irreversible

Non-incision-suture technique

Pros: relative ease of performing the procedure, quick recovery time, reversible

Cons: Unable to address other structures in the eye (redundant skin, fat, or muscle), increased potential for loss of crease over time, increased potential for asymmetry.

In addition to performing both techniques, I also perform a limited incision technique.  The approach I use depends on several factors, including your desired changes, your eyelid anatomy, and your lifestyle.

I welcome you to come in and learn more about the different techniques I perform for asian eyelid surgery, as well as other facial cosmetic procedures.

ESK