Can I get double eyelids without surgery it's generally understood that half the people of Asian
ethnicity including people of Chinese Japanese and Korean descent are born without an eyelid
crease often referred to as a monolid an eyelid crease also called a double eyelid is considered
desirable by many because it makes the eyes appear more open and brighter I'm frequently asked if an
eyelid crease can be created without surgery I'll explain how an eyelid crease occurs naturally and
how I help my who are interested in having double eyelids I'm Dr Amiya Prasad I'm a Board-certified
cosmetic surgeon and a Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon
I've been practicing for over 25 years in New York City and Long Island I routinely perform all types
of cosmetic eyelid surgeries including different types of Asian double eyelid surgery I also
routinely perform non-surgical eyelid procedures such as cosmetic fillers for hollow eyes
in addition I perform laser and radiofrequency treatments to improve and tighten eyelid
skin as well as using PRP or platelet-rich plasma to improve eyelid skin rejuvenation
looking more broadly at all ethnicities it's clear that most non-Asian people have a natural
eyelid fold an eyelid fold is created naturally with fibers from the muscle that lifts the eyelid
called the levator muscle like the word elevator without the letter e this connects to the upper
eyelid skin now this area of the skin to muscle connection is where the eyelid skin folds
thereby creating a natural eyelid crease people born without an eyelid crease don't have this
type of skin to muscle connection some people can have multiple but shallow or undefined creases
other people can have a crease that is sometimes visible and sometimes not these are typical
situations where there is a weak connection between the eyelid skin and the levator muscle
the key concept to understand is that these connections are
internal between the skin and the muscle therefore the only way to establish a connection
where it doesn't exist or is weak is through surgery unfortunately there is no non-surgical
method to create a skin-to-muscle connection such as an injectable filler or a neurotoxin although
we can do a lot of things with lasers the external application of a laser cannot create the necessary
internal connection needed for double eyelid surgery so what do I do in my practice the
procedure i recommend to my patients are based on specific anatomic and tissue quality factors
during consultation I help my patients understand what a potential result can look like by lifting
the eyelid skin with an instrument or a Q-tip to reveal how nature would likely have created a
crease given a patient's unique anatomy this also applies when there are multiple creases a defined
crease can be created with this same method in general for younger people with no redundant
eyelid skin or prolapsed fat sutures can be passed through small openings in the eyelid to create a
skin-to-muscle connection thereby forming a crease this is a minimally invasive procedure called a
non-incisional Asian double eyelid surgery or non-instant incisional Asian blepharoplasty
for people with significant hooding over their eyes often seen in people who are older some of
that redundant eyelid skin needs to be removed the art is in determining the pattern of skin removal
such that a natural double eyelid fold will be achieved this is in contrast with
non-Asian eyelid surgery where a double fold after surgery is just not expected design and precise
measurements are critical in Asian double eyelid surgery the presence of prolapse fat can also be
addressed to avoid the fat from interfering with the skin to muscle sutures skin and fat removal is
part of what we call incisional Asian double eyelid surgery I perform both non-incisional
and incisional Asian double eyelid surgery for my patients with local anesthesia and LITE IV
sedation my patients routinely leave our office feeling good and go home to recover for a few days
this contrasts with the use of general anesthesia which is associated with more risk and prolonged
recovery our patients typically get back to work in a week after surgery with minimal swelling
now there are non-surgical ways people do use to create temporary eyelid creases
these include eyelid tape or eyelid glue but these don't create long lasting creases
and the use of adhesive on a thin eyelid skin can cause irritation and even damage your delicate
eyelid skin which is only half a millimeter in thickness repeated eyelid manipulation
can potentially cause the levator muscle to stretch resulting in eyelid ptosis where the
eyelid actually droops eyelid ptosis surgery would be necessary if ptosis were to occur
adding more complexity and greater expense to Asian double eyelid surgery
in conclusion creating a lasting and defined eyelid crease can really only be done with surgery
the combination of art and science in Asian double eyelid surgery cannot be overstated in
my opinion the goal is to have a safe procedure with as predictable results as possible and a
natural appearance as if you've always had a double eyelid fold I hope this information
from my experience helped you if you're interested in recommendations for your individual situation
you may contact us through our websites or call our offices to schedule a consultation thank you
you