Asian people have many distinct features that make them look the way they do.
But this one here in particular, may be the most recognizable.
It is perhaps the most referenced physical attribute for Asian people.
But what exactly makes an eye look Asian, and is THIS actually accurate?
I'll get into just how many types there are, but first
let's take a closer look at the distinctive features.
You may envision the Asian eye to be smaller and more slanted,
and while there is some truth to it, it's not the case for all Asian people.
And I mean that even for East Asians.
Nonetheless, if we zoom up here, you can see a skin fold on the upper eyelid
that extends to the inner corner of the eye.
This is called the epicanthic fold,
and is the reason why most Asian eyes look smaller and slanted.
In actuality, the eye itself is just as big as any other race,
but the epicanthic fold gives the eye a smaller, narrower appearance
as well as shaping it into a slant.
In doing so, it can also cover a portion of the upper eyelash.
Another distinctive feature is the absence or lack of an eyelid crease.
This is called the supratarsal crease and you can see this crease in most non-Asian people.
This is what differentiates between a single eyelid (monolid) and a double eyelid.
Many Asian people can still have the crease but it often lacks definition.
In case you were wondering, it is possible for you to have both the epicanthic fold
and the supratarsal crease,
you can have one and not the other,
as well as the rare case of having neither.
East Asian people can have any of these combinations.
A type of eyelid that is less common amongst Asians is the hooded lid where there is an
excess of skin that hangs low, just above the eye.
Not to be confused with the epicanthic fold which is positioned lower and reaching the corner.
You can see this represented in many European eyes.
Sometimes this can make a non-Asian eye look somewhat Asian.
Now, it's about to get even more complicated so bear with me.
But don't worry, I will be showing a complete graphic near the end of the video
with all the classifications I mentioned.
Ok, let's dive deeper.
The epicanthic fold itself can come in several types.
You can have no fold, a faint fold,
a clear fold partially covering the corner of the eye,
a curved fold completely covering the corner of the eye,
and in what is considered an anomaly even for Asian people,
the reverse epicanthic fold where it is the lower eyelid that curves upwards.
About 90% of East Asians come under this range, with 10% having faint to no fold.
Although these statistics can vary depending on the study.
There's also the puffy eyelid, the sunken eyelid
and the flat eyelid, which lies somewhere in between.
You will notice that many Asian people have the puffy eyelid look combined with a monolid.
But don't get the puffy eyelid confused with the hooded eyelid.
One is an excess of fat, while the other is an excess of skin.
If this wasn't confusing enough, you can also add in crease types.
There is the no crease, the faint crease, the defined crease, and the multiple crease.
More than 50% of East Asian people come under this range.
South East Asian people are more likely to have a crease
whereas 75% of Korean people have no crease.
What about the direction of the crease?
You can have it tapering towards the nose, where the outer edge appears to be a double
but tapers into a single, very common for East Asians,
there can be a lateral flare, where the distance B is greater than A,
or it can be parallel with the lid line.
By now, you may be a bit lost, so here's a graphic of all the types and variations I mentioned
If you're able to figure out what combination you have, tell us in the comments below.
Keep in mind your eyes can change with time so it is not uncommon - for example
to start with single eyelids that slowly change into double eyelids.
Even strong epicanthic folds can become less-defined over time.
I tried to classify my own Asian eyes and it did get a bit confusing.
I seem to have a pretty weak epicanthic fold, with a relatively flat eyelid.
I'm unsure if this is considered hooded for an Asian, but there's a clear supratarsal crease
and it is moving in a parallel direction.
Just to clarify, I am full East Asian,
even though there always seem to be some people who don't believe that.
Ok, now let's go back for a second, back to the most recognizable and stereotypical version
of 'Asian eyes',
and compare them with the rest of the world.
A question you may be asking yourself is, do you have to be Asian to have this feature?
And if not, how common is it among non-Asian people?
I will be answering this in a future video so make sure you're subscribed to get that.
But if you want to know why Asians have yellow skin, you can find that out by clicking the video on top,
otherwise click the one below if you prefer something else.
I hope you enjoyed this topic, and if you have any questions or thoughts, let us know down below.
Thanks for watching, hit that like button, and stay tuned for more interesting Asiany videos!