Here’s What Idols Go Through When They Get Double Eyelid Surgery

Just what happens during a double-eyelid surgery?

Double-eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is a very common occurrence in Taiwan, South Korea, and other East Asian countries. The idea behind the surgery is to go from having a “monolid” to having an eyelid with a a visible fold, referred to as a “double eyelid”.

One clinic in South Korea reported performing the surgery over 10,000 times in 2015. South Korea is also considered the plastic surgery capital of the world.

 

When people consider this surgery they will first go to a specialist and come up with a design for how their eyes will look. This step is very important since everyone has different eyes and different expectations for the surgery.

 

The next step is for the patient to be sedated. At this point, their eyelid will be flipped to measure the ideal crease. Then, the eyelid will be flipped back and a design will be drawn on the eye. Once the design has been drawn the patient will receive a local anesthetic.

Depending on the doctor, a patient’s sedative may wear off at this time or they may continue sleeping throughout the procedure.

 

Once the anesthetic has been administered, the doctor will carefully trace their design with a scalpel and remove the skin from the area.

 

Next they will remove any extra fat and tissue. At this point the doctor will attach the skin and eyelid muscle with stitches to create a crease.

With the final stitches in place the surgery is over! The patient will be able to open their eyes immediately afterwards and the whole procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

 

Due to the surgery, the patients eyes will swell. They will need to keep the area disinfected and apply ice to reduce the swelling. Patients will also often experience bruising from the event.

Photo: Han Jae-Ho / Reuters

5 to 7 days after the procedure the stitches can be removed, although exactly when they are removed is often on a case by case basis. Within 2 to 4 weeks after the stitches are removed, the swelling and bruising will disappear and the patient’s eyes will look natural again.

 

K-Pop idols are commonly known to undergo the procedure, it’s the most common cosmetic surgery procedure in Asia, and even the former South Korean President has done it! Super Junior‘s Kyuhyun has also openly admitted to receiving the surgery.

Pre-debut Kyuhyun without double-eyelids.

 

Along with the Kyuhyun, Min Hyo Rin, Park Hyo Shin, and Goo Hara have also admitted to undergoing the procedure.