Double Eyelid Surgery
A clear, balanced crease can make your eyes look more open and in harmony with your face, so you feel more at ease when you look in the mirror.
Is this right for you?
The upper eyelid has a fold when part of the levator muscle (the muscle that lifts your lid) attaches to the lid skin. When that attachment does not form, the eye has a single lid with no crease. Double eyelid surgery rebuilds that connection to create an upper eyelid crease. A consultation with your surgeon will help confirm whether this is right for you.
This may be a good fit if
- You are an adult with monolid eyes.
- Your eyelid is small or the crease is hard to see.
- Your two eyes have creases that are not even with each other.
- One eyelid has several uneven crease lines.
- You are healthy enough for pre-surgery blood tests and can stop aspirin-containing medicines beforehand as directed.
This may not be right if
- You are not yet an adult.
- You want a crease that never changes — some methods can fade over time.
- You expect both eyes to become exactly identical, since faces are naturally not fully symmetrical.
- You cannot pause aspirin-containing medicines, or you have a clotting or bleeding problem that has not yet been assessed.
How it works
Everything begins with a consultation. A specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery, who is also the person who will perform your procedure, will assess the shape of your eyes, your face, and the condition of your lid skin. You will have blood clotting and bleeding-time tests before surgery, and you will need to stop aspirin-containing medicines for 10 days beforehand.
The procedure is usually done under local anesthesia, meaning the lid area is numbed while you stay awake. In some cases combined with another procedure (such as breast augmentation or structural rhinoplasty), general anesthesia may be used. Surgery usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on whether the eyelid has excess skin and fat. Most of the time you will not need to stay in the hospital.
Your surgeon will choose the method that fits your case. For a monolid without excess skin or fat, a suture method may be used: the surgeon measures the lid width, draws a crease suited to your face, then passes non-dissolving sutures through a few very small skin openings (about 1mm) or through the inner surface of the lid without cutting the skin, to form the crease. This approach tends to be less lasting — the crease may fade after about 2 to 3 years.
Double eyelid surgery can also be done with a continuous skin incision: the surgeon measures and draws the crease, makes an incision along that line, removes part of the tissue beneath the skin, then stitches to create the connection between the levator muscle and the skin. If the lid has excess skin and fat, the surgeon will identify and remove the extra skin and fat before forming the crease. These two incision-based approaches give a more lasting result. When there is excess skin or fat on the lower lid, the surgeon may also trim the extra skin and remove the lower-lid fat pad.
Realistic expectations
Surgery can help your eyes look more open and defined, and more in harmony with your face. Your surgeon will talk with you to understand what you want, but there are things this surgery will not do.
What this will not do
- It does not promise that both eyes will be exactly symmetrical, since a natural face is never fully symmetrical.
- It does not always give a crease that lasts forever — the suture methods can fade after a few years.
- It does not change the overall structure of your face; this is surgery for the eyelid area.
- It does not give a final result right away — the lid skin needs time to settle and the incision needs time to fade.
Recovery
Recovery after double eyelid surgery is usually gentle, but the milestones below are a rough guide. Your body and your chosen method shape how it goes.
- The first few days
- You may have mild swelling and bruising around the incision. These signs usually ease over a few days. You will take pain medicine and antibiotics for about 3 to 5 days, depending on the method used and how well you tolerate them.
- The next day
- You can usually return to your normal daily activities.
- After about 1 to 2 days
- You can go back to work, depending on the nature of your job.
- Suture removal
- With the suture methods, no stitch removal is needed. If the crease was made with a continuous skin incision or with skin and fat removal, the stitches will be removed after.
- After about 2 months
- The final result is assessed. This is the time for the lid skin to return to its normal looseness and for the incision to become more discreet.
Risks & safety
When carried out correctly by a specialist surgeon, this procedure usually goes smoothly. Even so, like any surgery, large or small, there are risks you should know about beforehand. These complications are generally uncommon.
- Complications related to anesthesia.
- Infection of the incision.
- Poor scarring.
- Eyes that are not symmetrical.
- A pulled or retracted eyelid.
- A result that does not match what you hoped for, which may need further treatment.
- Swelling and bruising in the first days after surgery.
How we do it
At The Gioi Dep, the person who examines and advises you is a specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery, and that same surgeon performs your procedure. Your surgeon will assess the shape of your eyes, your face, and the condition of your lid skin, then choose the method that fits your case rather than applying one fixed approach to everyone.
To keep you safe, you have blood clotting and bleeding tests before surgery, and you are guided to stop aspirin-containing medicines for 10 days beforehand. The procedure is carried out at a facility licensed for aesthetic surgery — an important factor in keeping complications as low as possible.
Frequently asked questions
Does the surgery hurt?
The procedure is usually done under local anesthesia, so the lid area is numbed. Afterward you will take pain medicine for about 3 to 5 days to manage any discomfort.
How much time off work do I need?
Many people return to normal activities the very next day and go back to work after about 1 to 2 days, depending on the nature of the job.
Will it leave a scar?
With the incision method, the cut sits along the eyelid crease and becomes more discreet over time. After about 2 months the incision usually looks far less noticeable. Poor scarring is an uncommon risk.
Will the result last a long time?
It depends on the method. The suture methods are usually less lasting, and the crease may fade after about 2 to 3 years. A crease made with a continuous skin incision gives a more lasting result.
Will my eyes look natural?
Your surgeon measures the lid width and draws the crease to suit your face. The aim is a crease that looks harmonious, though each face is different, so results vary from person to person.
Will I need to stay in the hospital?
Usually you will not need to stay in the hospital after double eyelid surgery.
How long does the surgery take?
The procedure usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on whether the eyelid has excess skin and fat.
How soon will I see the final result?
The final result is usually assessed after about 2 months, once the lid skin has settled and the incision has become more discreet.
If my two eyes are uneven, can this still be done?
This surgery suits cases where the two lids are uneven or one lid has several crease lines. Your surgeon will assess this during the consultation to advise the right approach for you.
What do I need to prepare before surgery?
You will have blood clotting and bleeding-time tests, and you need to stop aspirin-containing medicines for 10 days before surgery.
The next step
Book a consultation to find out if this is right for you.
The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.