Double Eyelid Surgery: A Popular Procedure in the East

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An increasing number of Chinese people are turning to cosmetic surgery, and it’s often younger women going under the knife, according to Reuters News.

Their favorite procedures often include facial plastic surgery such as double eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty, as well as body enhancement procedures.

In China, many younger people view cosmetic surgery as a way to get an advantage in the competitive job market. Up to 80 percent of cosmetic surgery patients in Beijing last summer were students, according to a study by the China Medical Treatment Orthopedics and Beauty Association.

“Parents want their daughters to be beautiful so they’ll have an easier time finding a job or a husband,” said Ding Xiaobang, a Beijing surgeon. “They’ll often bring the child to get surgery the summer before college or even high school.”

After graduation, Sandra Zheng, a director at a Chinese television station, said she got two injections of hyaluronic acid to raise the bridge of her nose. “I got it to improve my self-confidence,” the 23-year old explains.

Some Chinese are choosing double eyelid surgery to get double-fold eyelids, a procedure also known as “epicanthoplasty.” The procedure can make the eyes appear larger, but some criticize the procedure as a type of “Westernization.”

Some U.S. surgeons are performing this type of eyelid surgery. The technique either creates a fold on the upper eyelids if there isn’t one, or adjusts the height of the existing fold to a higher position.

“Creating a double eyelid fold is a very precise procedure and requires careful pre-operative planning, says facial cosmetic surgeon Dr. Ioannis Glavas. “It is critical to work with an experienced cosmetic surgeon familiar with the procedures and the particularities of the Asian anatomy and skin due to the tendency to hyper pigment, the increased risk of keloids or hypertrophic scars,” “Communication with your doctor is the key factor to success,” he adds.