Eye surgery · 쌍꺼풀
Double Eyelid Surgery (Asian Blepharoplasty) in Seoul
Medically reviewed by Dr. Lee Young-geun, board-certified plastic surgeon · Last reviewed:
A crease that suits the face it is on. The method is chosen from the anatomy in front of us — eyelid thickness, skin, muscle strength — and not from a price list.
Quick answer
Double eyelid surgery, also called Asian blepharoplasty, creates or refines the upper eyelid crease. Dr. Lee chooses the non-incisional buried-suture, partial-incision or full-incision method according to lid thickness, skin and fat, and sets the crease height against your own open eye.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Lee Young-geun, board-certified plastic surgeon · Last reviewed
Overview
What double eyelid surgery actually solves
Double eyelid surgery (쌍꺼풀수술) forms a crease in the upper eyelid by creating a controlled adhesion between the skin and the muscle that lifts the lid. There are three common ways to do it, and none of them is universally best.
A non-incisional method suits a thin lid with little skin redundancy and gives a fast recovery with no scar, but it is less durable in a thick eyelid. A partial-incision method removes a small amount of fat or muscle through short openings. A full incision is required when there is skin to remove, a thick lid, or a previous crease to correct.
The most consequential decisions are made before any cut: crease height, shape, and whether the levator also needs strengthening. A crease set too high or too round is the single most common reason patients seek revision, and revision is always harder than the first operation.
Terminology
What double eyelid surgery is also called
Known internationally as Asian blepharoplasty or double eyelid surgery. The method — buried suture, partial or full incision — is chosen by your anatomy, not by preference.
- Asian blepharoplasty
- Double eyelid crease surgery
- Supratarsal crease formation
- Buried suture double eyelid surgery
- Non-incisional double eyelid surgery
- Eyelid crease surgery
If you were told one of these names abroad, you are on the right page — they describe the operation Dr. Lee performs as double eyelid surgery (쌍꺼풀) here in Sinsa, Gangnam, Seoul.
Candidacy
Who this procedure is — and is not — for
We would rather turn an operation down than perform one that will not help you. These are the honest boundaries of this procedure.
A good candidate
- No crease, or a crease that appears and disappears
- Asymmetric or multiple creases
- Eyelids that look heavy or sleepy in photographs
- Patients wanting a natural, moderate crease rather than a dramatic one
Better served by something else
- Patients wanting a specific celebrity's eye shape regardless of their own anatomy
- Significant ptosis treated with a crease alone
- Unstable expectations about height — this is worth another consultation, not a rushed booking
The detail that decides the result
The crease has to match the eye, not the trend
Crease fashions change every few years. The eyelid does not. A height that looks striking in a photograph at twenty can look severe at thirty-five, and a crease that ignores the patient's brow position and lid thickness never settles convincingly.
Dr. Lee simulates the crease with the patient sitting and looking straight ahead, in more than one height, and shows the difference in a mirror before deciding. The goal is a crease that looks as though it had always been there.
Surgical sequence
How double eyelid surgery is performed at SINSA L
Every step below is carried out by Dr. Lee Young-geun himself, from the first marking to the final suture.
Anatomy-led method selection
Eyelid thickness, skin redundancy, fat volume, levator strength and existing creases decide whether the method is non-incisional, partial or full incision.
Crease simulation
Height and shape are tested with a probe while the patient is seated and shown in a mirror.
Formation of the adhesion
A controlled connection is created between skin and levator aponeurosis so the crease forms reliably each time the eye opens.
Combined ptosis assessment
If the lid does not open fully, a crease alone will not fix a sleepy look — ptosis correction is discussed as part of the same plan.
Fine closure and symmetry check
Both sides are compared with the patient looking straight ahead before finishing.
Recovery
What the healing actually looks like
Timelines vary between patients. These are the ranges we tell our own patients to plan around — not best cases.
Every follow-up appointment is with Dr. Lee. If something worries you between visits, you reach the clinic directly — there is no call centre in between.
| Day 0-3 | Swelling most pronounced; cold compression and head elevation. |
|---|---|
| Day 5-7 | Sutures removed for incisional methods. |
| Week 2-3 | Crease looks high and thick at first, then gradually softens. |
| Month 2-3 | The crease settles to its final height and shape. |
Risks & honesty
What can go wrong
Swelling, bruising, asymmetry during healing, crease loosening (more common with non-incisional methods on thick lids), a crease that settles higher or lower than planned, visible scarring early on, and the possibility of revision.
Surgical results differ from person to person according to anatomy, skin quality, age and healing response. Every procedure carries risk, including bruising, swelling, asymmetry and the possibility of revision. The content on this site is general information, not a diagnosis or a guarantee of outcome. A face-to-face consultation with Dr. Lee is required before any operation is planned.
How the eyelid operations compare
Hooded skin, a missing crease and a droopy lid look similar but are different problems with different operations.
| Operation | Best for | What is changed |
|---|---|---|
| Upper blepharoplasty | Hooded eyelids where a skin fold rests on the lashes | Loose skin is removed, measured with the patient sitting up; the scar is hidden in the natural crease. It does not lift the lid margin. |
| Double eyelid surgery | No crease, or a crease that needs refining | The crease is created or refined by the buried-suture, partial-incision or full-incision method, chosen by lid thickness, skin and fat. |
| Ptosis correction | An eyelid margin that sits too low | The levator muscle that opens the eye is adjusted, with the height checked while the eye is open. |
FAQ
Double Eyelid Surgery — frequently asked questions
Which method is right for me?
It depends on your eyelid thickness, how much skin you have and how strong your lid muscle is — not on which method is currently popular. Dr. Lee examines the lid and explains which method suits it and why, including when he thinks you do not need surgery at all.
How long until it looks natural?
Most patients look socially normal at two to three weeks. The crease continues to soften and lower slightly for two to three months.
Can a non-incisional crease come undone?
It can loosen over time, particularly on a thick eyelid or with habitual eye rubbing. For that reason it is recommended selectively rather than as a default.
Do you perform revision cases?
Yes. Revision requires assessment of the existing crease, scar tissue and lid function, and is planned individually — it is not the same operation as a primary case.
Can it be combined with ptosis correction?
Frequently. If the lid margin sits low, a crease alone will not make the eye look more open — the levator must be addressed as well.
What is the difference between incisional and non-incisional double eyelid surgery?
The non-incisional or buried suture method passes fine sutures through the lid to create the crease, with no continuous cut. Recovery is quicker and the result can be revised, but it relies on thin lid tissue with little excess skin or fat. The incisional method opens the lid, allowing tissue to be removed and the crease fixed permanently. Thicker lids, excess skin or a previous loosened crease generally need the incisional approach.
Will the crease look obviously operated on?
That depends entirely on where the crease is set and how much tissue is removed. A crease set too high, or a lid stripped of too much fat, is what makes a result look done. The height is measured against your own lid on the day, with you sitting up and your eyes open, and set within what your anatomy supports rather than to a requested millimetre figure.
Related
Often considered together
Ptosis Correction
A crease makes an eyelid look folded. Only the muscle makes an eye look open. Ptosis correction adjusts the muscle that lifts the lid…
상안검Upper Blepharoplasty
When upper eyelid skin descends far enough to rest on the lashes, the eye stops looking open and the forehead starts working overtime…
눈밑지방재배치Under-Eye Fat Repositioning
The operation this clinic was built around. Rather than cutting the bulging fat away, it is released and laid down into the hollow…
Consultation
Ask Dr. Lee whether double eyelid surgery is right for you
One surgeon, one consultation room. You will be examined and advised by the same person who would operate — in English, in person at the clinic in Sinsa.
Every consultation is carried out by Dr. Lee Young-geun in person — never by a coordinator.