Various Types of Double Eyelid Surgery

Did you know that there are various types of double eyelid surgery?

There are minimally invasive double eyelid surgery to more invasive double eyelid surgery that is offered at Dream Medical Group in Los Angeles. The surgery is for both men and women and all of these various types of double eyelid surgery are safe and effective ways to create a double eyelid fold. The surgeries are customized for specific patients and they are cost-effective ways to create a natural-appearing double eyelid fold.

Dr. Kenneth Kim offers all types of double eyelid surgery to give an ideal double eyelid fold to bring balance and beauty to the face. Depending on the type of double eyelid surgery needed, the procedure typically takes between 15 minutes to 1.5 hours to perform.

For those of you who would like to improve your eyelid crease and create a beautiful and natural double eyelid shape, schedule a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Kenneth Kim at Dream Medical Group.

What Are All The Different Types of Double Eyelid Surgery?

Double eyelid surgery can be broken down into 2 main types. One is a non-cutting or suture method. The other is cutting or open method double eyelid surgery. There is also partial incision double eyelid surgery. This is essentially cutting only the central part of the eyelid, but not excising any excess skin.

In the office of Dr. Kenneth Kim, MD, FACS, Dr. Kim offers all types of double eyelid surgery. He will examine your unique eyes and determine which method will be the most optimal for you to achieve your goal of having beautiful double eyelid folds or creases.

Contact us today to learn which type of double eyelid surgery is right for you in order for you to have your ideal Asian eyelids today!

Why are there different types of double eyelid surgery?

The reason for different types of double eyelid surgery has to do with a patient’s anatomy. If the patient does not have any excess skin, then a non-incision double eyelid surgery can be performed. However, if there is excess skin that has to be removed, then an incision double eyelid surgery should be performed. One may think that only older patients have excess skin. However, it is not uncommon for young patients to have excess upper eyelid skin hooding. In these patients, if the excess skin is not removed, then the double eyelid fold will appear too small. In addition, the double eyelid fold can loosen over time.

If you would like to know which method is right for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kim.

Another reason for different types of double eyelid surgery has to do with the healing time and scarring after surgery. The minimally invasive non-incision double eyelid surgery will typically heal faster than the cutting method. Furthermore, the non-cutting method double eyelid surgery will look natural as there are no incisions that are made.

Suture Technique Double Eyelid Surgery

Suture technique, or non-incision double eyelid surgery came to practice 20 years ago. This method was, and still is, a popular method to create double eyelids. The popularity of this method is because the surgery is quick, less expensive than the traditional incision method, and does not leave any scars. This method is ideal for patients who do not have any eyelid ptosis (drooping) and for those who do not have any excess skin.

The surgery is performed by making small stab or pin-prick incisions. Fat in the eyelid can be removed from one of these small openings in patients with fatty or puffy eyelids. Then, a permanent nylon suture can be passed from the skin to the deeper layer of the eyelid. There are various patterns and amounts of the passing of sutures that can be done. In general, the more the sutures are passed from the skin to the deeper layer of the eyelid, the stronger the double eyelid fold will be. One of the negatives of the suture technique or the stitched, non-cutting double eyelid surgery is that the double eyelid fold can loosen over time. The fold loosening occurs because of the permanent suture tears or cheese-wire through the eyelid skin. The effect is that the double eyelid fold will appear small or the fold will completely disappear.

The recovery process takes about 1-3 weeks. The stronger the double eyelid fold is made, the longer the recovery will be. If you would like to see if you would qualify for a non-incision suture method double eyelid surgery, then make a call to Dr. Kim’s office at Dream Medical Group.

Dr. Kenneth Kim is an expert in this method of minimally invasive double eyelid surgery and a trademark holder for a three-dimensional suture technique (3DST) double eyelid surgery.

Incision (Open) Double Eyelid Surgery

In Dr. Kenneth Kim’s practice, he also performs incision double eyelid surgery. This method of surgery involves cutting the eyelid skin. The advantage of this method is that you can excise any excess eyelid skin that is hooding over. In addition, you can take out or insert fat, as needed, for eyelid volume adjustment. Lastly, you can perform complex or advanced eyelid ptosis correction though this open approach.

Dr. Kim will show you how natural and beautiful the incision cutting method double eyelid fold will look in a high definition video screen. By seeing for yourself how natural the folds look, you will be confident to undergo double eyelid surgery!

As you can see, incision or open method double eyelid surgery is a versatile method to create a double eyelid fold or crease. However, one of the negatives of this surgery has been the visible scar on the double eyelid fold itself! A visible scar can show when the patient closes her or his eyes as the suture is firmly fixed to the deeper layer of the eyelid. The good news is that Dr. Kenneth Kim from Dream Medical Group created a method where there is minimal visible scar after making an incision on the eyelid. The advanced method of incision double eyelid surgery is truly revolutionary in that all patients can now have the ideal double eyelid fold and crease without worrying about having a scar! Furthermore, the result should last many years without having to worry about the double eyelid fold loosening!

Am I A Candidate for Suture Technique Double Eyelid Surgery?

The best way to tell if you are a candidate for a suture method double eyelid surgery is by seeing Dr. Kenneth Kim, who is a board-certified plastic surgeon for a private consultation. Dr. Kim will apply a curved wire on your eyelid and see if a double eyelid fold can be made. If a fold can be made and it says in place for more than a few seconds, then you can qualify for the non-incision method double eyelid surgery. Another important factor if you do not have any excess eyelid. 

If you have excess eyelid skin, then the double eyelid fold will be covered and the fold will appear smaller than ideal height. The last way to determine whether you are a candidate for non-cutting double eyelid surgery is by applying tape or glue on your eyelids. For Asian patients who have successfully applied tape or glue on their eyelids are a good candidate for this stitch method double eyelid surgery. These patients have relatively thinner eyelid skin and have good eyelid elevating muscle (levator muscle) to lift and make the double eyelid crease.

Before the creation of the three-dimensional suture technique double eyelid surgery, a patient having eyelid ptosis was a contraindication for a suture method double eyelid surgery. However, now with this 3DST method, eyelid ptosis can be corrected without making an incision.

The best way to determine for sure if you are a good candidate for this minimally invasive way to create a double eyelid fold is by seeing Dr. Kenneth Kim in Los Angeles, California.

Consultation

Dr. Kim will ask questions about your ideal eyelid shape and inquire about any specific eyelids you may have in mind. Patients are encouraged to bring photos of their favorite celebrities with their dream double eyelids! Dr. Kim will then thoroughly examine your eyelids. He will first check for your eyelid skin to see if you have any excess eyelid skin hooding.

Then, Dr. Kim will check for any pre-existing double eyelid fold or creases. He will also check for eyelid asymmetry. Lastly, Dr. Kim will ask you to open your eyes with a normal gaze and with a maximal opening. This is to check for your eyelid muscle strength to see if you have any eyelid ptosis or not.

All potential candidates for double eyelid surgery will meet with Dr. Kenneth Kim.

Afterwards, Dr. Kenneth Kim will show you various types of double eyelid folds. He will also show you individuals who may look similar to you. By showing before and after photos of people who look similar to you and your eyelid, you will be able to determine how your eyes will transform.

At this point, you and Dr. Kim will discuss which method of double eyelid surgery will be right for you. He will offer his professional medical opinion and you will have the chance to ask questions about the pros and cons of each method.

Lastly, Dr. Kenneth Kim will show you videos of the recovery process. This way you will know how you will heal and how long the recovery process will take. In addition, he will show you high definition videos of the patients’ eyelids and what the scar will look like once it is fully healed. By seeing actual patient results for yourself, you will feel confident that Dr. Kim will perform naturally appearing double eyelid surgery!

Procedure

The duration of the double eyelid surgery depends on the type of surgery that the patient will undergo. For a non-cutting or non-incision suture method double eyelid surgery, the procedure typically takes about 15-20 minutes. For the incision or cutting double eyelid surgery, the procedure takes about 1-1.5 hours.

In the preoperative room, Dr. Kenneth Kim will mark where the double eyelid fold should be. For patients with excess skin, Dr. Kim will determine how much skin should be removed. All these areas are marked with a marking pen.

In order to prepare for the double eyelid surgery, the entire face is sterilized. A local anesthetic is injected into the eyelid. Once the eyelid area is numb, Dr. Kim will pass the sutures through the skin and the deeper layer of the eyelid to create the fold.

In patients with excess skin, Dr. Kim will also remove the excess skin. In patients with excess eyelid fat or patients with puffy eyelids, Dr. Kim will also remove some eyelid fat. For patients with eyelid ptosis, ptosis repair is also performed at this time. Next, the incision will be closed with nylon sutures.

Immediately, you will notice a newly created double eyelid fold. Of course, your eyelids will be swollen. Therefore, it will be slightly more difficult for you to raise your eyes fully.

Recovery

You can resume your normal activity the day after your surgery. You should avoid driving on the day of surgery, as it will be difficult to open your eyes fully. You should apply ice packs that are given to you from Dr. Kenneth Kim’s office for the first 3 days post-op. You will notice that swelling increases for the first 2 days, but will begin to decrease starting postoperative day 3. For the first week, you should apply Lacrilube or Refresh (ophthalmic) eye ointment along the eyelid 2-3 times per day.

In terms of daily activity, you should avoid any contact sport that may hit your eyelid. In addition, you should avoid direct sun exposure and applying makeup along the newly formed double eyelid for at least 1 month. Therefore, you should wear sunglasses and wear a hat when you go outside during the day.

About 50 percent of the swelling will resolve within 2 weeks.

1 month after surgery you should expect 80 percent of the swelling to have subsided. For the non-incision or suture technique double eyelid surgery, the final result will occur at the 2 month period! For the incision method double eyelid surgery, at the 3 month period, 90% of the swelling will be resolved. Again, for the incision method double eyelid surgery, the final result will occur at about 6 months after surgery.

Results

You will notice a double eyelid right after surgery. However, the swelling will persist until your eyelids are completely healed. The newly created double eyelid fold or crease will make your face look beautiful and much brighter. It will also bring balance and harmony to your overall appearance.

Your friends and family will be impressed by your new beautiful double eyelids and will be amazed by how natural the double eyelid folds look!

The non-incision or suture method double eyelid surgery is not a permanent double eyelid fold. Therefore, you can lose the fold within a few years after surgery. The duration of the surgery is anywhere from 1-15 years. However, for the incision or cutting method double eyelid surgery, the results will last much longer as the double eyelid fold is significantly more secure.

FAQ

WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS DOUBLE EYELID SURGERY METHODS OR TECHNIQUES?

There are two main types of double eyelid surgery. One is the non-incision method double eyelid surgery where there is no skin cutting. The other method is cutting the eyelid skin and excising the excess eyelid skin. This second method is the incision or cutting method double eyelid surgery.

HOW LONG DOES MY DOUBLE EYELID FOLD LAST?

Your double eyelid fold duration is dependent on the type of the method. For the non-incision or non-cutting suture method, the results will last anywhere from 1-15 years. For the incision or cutting method double eyelid surgery, Dr. Kim will make a firmer double eyelid fold fixation. Therefore, the result will last much longer!

IS DOUBLE EYELID SURGERY SAFE?

Double eyelid surgery is one of the safest plastic surgery that is performed. This is because the surgery is performed under local anesthesia only. Double eyelid surgery should also be performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon who understands patient safety.

CAN DOUBLE EYELID SURGERY MAKE MY EYES BIGGER?

Double eyelid surgery will make your eyes bigger if you have excess skin hooding. If there is no excess skin hooding and you wish to make your eyes bigger, then you should also undergo eyelid ptosis surgery.