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Asian Blepharoplasty (Double Eyelid Surgery)
Asian blepharoplasty in London is a precise procedure that creates a natural double eyelid by forming a defined crease, enhancing eye shape and symmetry while maintaining a soft, balanced, and natural-looking appearance.
Asian Blepharoplasty in London
Asian blepharoplasty, commonly known as double eyelid surgery, is a specialised procedure designed to create or refine a supratarsal crease (the "double eyelid" fold) in patients who have a monolid anatomy or a poorly defined crease. It’s one of the most requested cosmetic procedures among East Asian patients worldwide — and one where surgical technique, understanding of East Asian eyelid anatomy, and respect for ethnic identity matter enormously.
It’s worth being clear about what Asian blepharoplasty is and isn’t. It is a procedure that creates a defined upper eyelid crease. It is not — and should not be — a procedure that "Westernises" East Asian eyelids. Competent modern Asian blepharoplasty preserves the distinctive characteristics of East Asian eye anatomy (eye shape, epicanthal area, natural eyelid position) while refining the crease. The results look like you — with a defined crease — not like a different ethnicity.
At Centre for Surgery, Asian blepharoplasty is performed by specialist oculoplastic and plastic surgeons with dedicated experience in East Asian eyelid anatomy. The procedure is typically performed under local anaesthetic (with or without light sedation) at our Baker Street clinic, takes 1 to 2 hours, and is a day case. Most patients return to desk-based work at 7 to 10 days.
The technique, crease height, and degree of definition are tailored individually — there’s no "one-size" Asian blepharoplasty, and a careful consultation is essential to understand what you want and what’s surgically achievable for your specific anatomy.
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What is Asian blepharoplasty?
Asian blepharoplasty is surgery that creates or refines a supratarsal crease — the horizontal fold in the upper eyelid that defines a "double eyelid" — in patients whose natural anatomy doesn’t have one, or whose existing crease is poorly defined, asymmetric, or incomplete.
Standard removes excess skin and fat from an already-defined upper eyelid crease — it’s an anti-ageing procedure. Asian blepharoplasty creates the crease itself. The anatomy is genuinely different: East Asian upper eyelids have a lower levator aponeurosis insertion, often a thicker preseptal pad of fat, and in many cases a visible epicanthal fold at the inner corner. These anatomical differences mean the surgical approach, planning, and aftercare all differ from standard Western-style upper blepharoplasty.
Well-performed Asian blepharoplasty produces:
The crease can be tailored in several ways — the height above the lash line (taste varies; commonly 6–8 mm for in-fold creases and 8–10 mm for out-fold creases), whether it tapers or runs parallel, and whether a medial epicanthoplasty is included. Your surgeon will work through these choices with reference photos at consultation.
Asian blepharoplasty does not change your ethnicity, erase ethnic features, or create Western-looking eyes. The goal is a refined version of your own eye — not a different eye. Skilled Asian blepharoplasty respects your anatomy and produces a result that harmonises with your face. Patients who arrive seeking a "Westernised" appearance are redirected to think more carefully about their goals — surgery can’t deliver that, and patients who pursue it often find the results looking unnatural precisely because they’re fighting their own anatomy. Our surgeons will discuss this honestly at consultation.
A small incision is made along the planned crease line, selected skin and a small amount of fat are removed as needed, and the upper lid tissues are anchored to the underlying levator aponeurosis so that when the eye opens, a defined crease forms. Variations include incisional (full-length incision), partial-incision (short incision), and non-incisional (suture-only, also called DST — double suture and twisting) techniques. The next section covers the trade-offs between these.
Asian Blepharoplasty Before & After Photos
A selection of Asian blepharoplasty results from our surgeons at Centre for Surgery. A wider gallery is available to view at your consultation — we only publish photos of patients who have given written consent for their images to be used.
Creation of a well-defined in-fold supratarsal crease while preserving the natural eye shape and inner canthal region.
Asian blepharoplasty with conservative crease height producing an open, refreshed appearance that reads as natural.
The most successful Asian blepharoplasty results look like you — with a defined crease. Anyone glancing at the before-and-after photos should recognise the same person, not a different-looking one. If a clinic’s before-and-after photos appear to show ethnic transformation rather than natural refinement, that’s a warning sign about their surgical philosophy.
Understanding East Asian eyelid anatomy
Understanding why East Asian upper eyelid anatomy differs from Western eyelid anatomy helps clarify what Asian blepharoplasty can and can’t achieve.
In most Western (Caucasian) eyelids, a distinct crease forms several millimetres above the lash line because the levator aponeurosis (the muscle that lifts the upper eyelid) inserts into the overlying skin. In many East Asian eyelids, the levator inserts lower — often at the tarsal plate border — and the fibrous connections to overlying skin are weaker or absent. The result is a monolid (no visible crease) or a low, partial, or incomplete crease.
Approximately 50% of people of East Asian descent have some form of crease naturally; about 50% have a monolid. Both are entirely normal variants.
The epicanthal fold is a small fold of skin that extends from the upper eyelid over the inner corner of the eye, partially covering the medial canthus. It’s most common in East Asian anatomy but also appears in other populations. Some patients with epicanthal folds choose to have a separate procedure called medial epicanthoplasty (also called "inner corner surgery") to reduce the prominence of the fold. This is a distinct procedure from blepharoplasty and can be combined with it where indicated.
An epicanthal fold is also a normal feature in young children before growth completes, and is a clinical feature of certain congenital conditions. Our surgeons do not operate on patients under 18 regardless of anatomical features.
East Asian upper eyelids often have a thicker preseptal fat pad compared with Western eyelids, contributing to a fuller upper lid appearance. In creating a crease, the surgeon may remove a small amount of this fat to allow the crease to form cleanly — but conservative fat management is important, because over-aggressive removal produces a hollow, aged appearance.
The target crease can be:
Your surgeon will discuss which crease type suits your anatomy and aesthetic preferences. Reference photos are extremely helpful for this conversation.
Surgical techniques — which one is right for you?
Asian blepharoplasty can be performed using three main techniques. Each has different trade-offs in terms of visibility of scar, durability, and scope — and the right choice depends on your specific anatomy.
A full-length incision is made along the planned crease line. Through this incision, the surgeon can address excess skin, reposition or remove fat, remove a small portion of the orbicularis muscle if needed, and fix the lid tissues to the underlying levator aponeurosis with permanent sutures. This creates a robust, permanent crease.
Best for: patients with excess upper eyelid skin, fuller eyelids with significant preseptal fat, asymmetric eyelids needing correction, or those wanting the most durable, definite result.
Main advantages: most reliable and permanent result; can address skin and fat at the same time; the preferred technique for any patient with excess skin.
Main limitations: visible scar along the incision line (fades over 6–12 months but initially pink); longer recovery than suture techniques.
Also known as the suture technique or double suture and twisting (DST) method. Small punctures — not a continuous incision — are made along the planned crease. Permanent sutures are threaded through these to anchor the eyelid tissues to the underlying levator, creating the crease without removing skin or fat.
Best for: patients with thin skin, minimal fat, no excess skin, and simple crease creation needs. Typically younger patients under 30 with slim eyelids.
Main advantages: no visible scar; faster recovery (typically 5–7 days rather than 10–14); easily reversible if the patient changes their mind early on.
Main limitations: not suitable for patients with excess skin or significant fat; higher rate of crease loss or weakening over time (some reports suggest 10–20% of patients experience crease attenuation within 5–10 years); limited ability to correct asymmetry.
A compromise between the two. Short incisions — typically 5 to 10 mm — are made along part of the planned crease, allowing limited fat removal and secure fixation without the full scar of an incisional technique.
Best for: patients with minimal excess skin but fuller fat pads, who want a more durable result than suture alone but with less visible scarring than full incision.
Main advantages: more durable than suture technique; less visible scar than full incision; faster recovery than full incision.
Main limitations: intermediate profile — less ideal than full incision for significant anatomy and less ideal than suture for very slim eyelids.
At consultation your surgeon will examine your skin thickness, upper lid fullness, any excess skin, asymmetry, and your desired crease characteristics. For most patients over 30 or with any excess skin, the incisional technique is recommended. For younger patients with thin lids wanting a simple crease creation, suture technique can be appropriate. Partial-incisional fills a middle ground. Be wary of clinics that default to one technique regardless of anatomy — the right approach is the one that matches your individual features.
What Asian blepharoplasty can and can't treat
Asian blepharoplasty is a targeted procedure. Here’s what it addresses and what it doesn’t.
Many patients benefit from combining Asian blepharoplasty with related procedures:
Your surgeon will assess all of these at consultation and recommend the best overall approach.
Am I suitable for Asian blepharoplasty?
At your consultation, your surgeon will assess whether Asian blepharoplasty is right for your specific anatomy and goals, and which technique is most appropriate. Here’s what we look at.
The best candidates are making this decision for themselves — they want a more defined crease, or to even out asymmetry, or to be able to apply eye makeup more easily. Patients who feel pressured by partners, family, or social norms — or who are hoping the surgery will achieve something it can’t, like ethnic transformation — are not good candidates. We’ll discuss your motivation openly and without judgement at consultation.
Asian blepharoplasty creates or refines a crease. It doesn’t transform your eye shape into something it’s not naturally. Patients who arrive with heavily filtered reference photos or who reference specific celebrities should understand that their own anatomy, skin, and facial proportions will shape their result — they won’t look like the reference, they’ll look like themselves with a defined crease.
If you have excess skin or fuller upper eyelids, you’re a candidate for incisional technique. If your lids are slim, young, and simply need crease creation without other work, suture technique may be appropriate. Don’t lock yourself into one technique before consultation — your surgeon will recommend the approach that matches your anatomy.
You should be 18 or over (we don’t operate on minors), in good general health, at a stable weight, and either a non-smoker or willing to stop for several weeks. No active eye infection, no significant untreated dry eye. Pause blood-thinning medications and supplements as advised.
Tell your surgeon about any history of dry eye, thyroid eye disease, previous eyelid surgery (especially previous double eyelid surgery, which complicates planning significantly), glaucoma, or any other eye condition.
If you’ve been fixating on your eye shape for years, or your motivation is rooted in not liking your ethnic features, it’s worth pausing before surgery. Our article on is a useful read before booking. We’d rather patients work through this fully before surgery than after.
We decline Asian blepharoplasty for: patients under 18, patients whose motivation is primarily about achieving a different ethnic appearance, patients with unrealistic expectations based on filtered imagery, patients with uncontrolled thyroid eye disease or significant untreated dry eye, and patients who haven’t engaged with the realistic-outcome discussion at consultation.
Preparing for your Asian blepharoplasty
Good preparation makes for a smooth recovery. Asian blepharoplasty is usually performed under local anaesthetic with or without sedation — so preparation is simpler than for general-anaesthetic surgery, but the right pre-op steps still matter.
Once you’ve decided to proceed, our pre-op assessment team will contact you to confirm you’re medically fit. This usually involves medical history review and basic checks. Relevant eye conditions may need specialist assessment first.
Stop at least 4 weeks before surgery and 2 weeks afterwards. Smoking raises the risk of delayed healing and visible scarring — and Asian blepharoplasty scars matter more than most because the incision sits in a cosmetically visible area. Vaping and nicotine replacement have the same effect.
Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, and other NSAIDs for two weeks before surgery. Stop supplements that thin the blood: fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, garlic supplements, and St John’s wort. Paracetamol is fine. Flag any prescribed blood thinners for management with your GP.
Stop alcohol for at least 3 days before and 3 days after surgery.
One specific thing worth preparing for mentally: in the first 2 to 6 weeks, one side often heals faster than the other, and the crease height or definition can look different between the two sides. This almost always evens out — but it can be unsettling if you’re not expecting it. Photos of other patients’ early healing are helpful, and your surgeon will reassure you at follow-up.
If local anaesthetic alone: eat normally. If sedation or general: follow fasting instructions. Shower before arriving. No eye makeup. Wear comfortable button-front clothing.
Expect visible swelling and bruising for the first 7 to 10 days. With the incisional technique, bruising can extend into the cheek for some patients. By days 10 to 14, most patients can appear in public with sunglasses or makeup cover. The crease height often appears higher than the final result in the first few weeks — this settles as swelling resolves. Final result emerges at 3 to 6 months.
The Asian blepharoplasty procedure
Asian blepharoplasty is performed as a day case at our Baker Street clinic. Standalone cases are typically done under local anaesthetic (with or without light sedation). Combined procedures (with epicanthoplasty, lower blepharoplasty, or brow lift) may be performed under TIVA general anaesthetic. Operative time is 60 to 120 minutes depending on technique and whether other procedures are combined.
You’ll arrive at the clinic at your scheduled time. A nurse will admit you and confirm observations. Your surgeon will examine you sitting upright and mark the planned crease line. This marking step is critical — the crease is essentially drawn where the surgeon plans to create it. You’ll look in a mirror and confirm you’re happy with the planned height and shape before any surgery starts. If something doesn’t look right to you, speak up now.
Local anaesthetic is infiltrated along the planned crease line — a few seconds of stinging, then full numbness. Light sedation or general anaesthetic is added if planned. Corneal shields protect the eyes throughout.
Incisional technique: A fine incision is made along the marked crease line. Through this incision, a strip of excess skin is conservatively removed (only if needed), a small amount of orbicularis muscle and preseptal fat are adjusted as required, and access is achieved to the levator aponeurosis.
Partial-incisional: Shorter incisions (5–10 mm) are made at strategic points along the planned crease, allowing conservative tissue work without a full-length scar.
Non-incisional (suture/DST): Small punctures — typically 3 to 5 along the planned crease — rather than a continuous incision. These allow sutures to be passed without removing any skin.
The key step: permanent sutures are used to anchor the skin edge (incisional) or subcutaneous tissue (non-incisional) to the underlying levator aponeurosis. When the eye opens, the aponeurosis pulls the anchored point upward and a visible crease forms. Careful suture placement at the right depth, spacing, and symmetry is what separates a natural-looking crease from an unnatural one.
Incisional: The skin is closed with fine non-dissolvable sutures that are removed at day 5–7.
Partial-incisional: Small incisions are closed similarly.
Non-incisional: No external suture removal needed; the anchoring sutures remain permanently in place.
If medial epicanthoplasty is part of your procedure, the inner canthal fold is reduced through a small V- or Z-shaped incision. Done at the same time as blepharoplasty, this combined approach addresses both crease creation and inner corner prominence in a single surgery.
You’ll sit up gradually, have cold compresses applied, and rest in our recovery area for 30 to 60 minutes (longer for sedation or general anaesthetic). You’re then discharged with your post-op pack: eye drops, ointment, written instructions, and 24-hour contact numbers.
Recovery and aftercare
Recovery from Asian blepharoplasty depends on which technique you’ve had. Non-incisional cases are typically presentable by 5 to 7 days; incisional cases take 10 to 14 days before you’ll feel comfortable in public. Either way, final refinement continues for 3 to 6 months.
The upper lids will feel tight, swollen, and possibly numb. Discomfort is usually mild and controlled with paracetamol. Apply cold compresses for 10 minutes every hour while awake for the first 48 hours — this is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce swelling. Sleep propped up with head above heart. Use prescribed eye drops and ointment as directed.
Swelling peaks at days 2-3 and bruising peaks at days 3-5. The crease height often looks high and unnatural in these early days — this is swelling distorting the result, not the final outcome. Avoid bending over, lifting, and exertion. Wear sunglasses outside.
For incisional cases, sutures come out at day 5 to 7. For non-incisional cases, there are no external sutures to remove. At this appointment the crease looks more natural as swelling reduces, but it’s still visibly healing.
Most patients return to desk-based work: day 5-7 for non-incisional, day for incisional. Bruising fades over weeks 2-3 and is easily concealed with eye makeup. The scar line (if incisional) is pink and visible close-up but covered well with eyeshadow. Light exercise from week 2, full exercise from week 3-4. Avoid swimming for 3 weeks.
Subtle swelling continues to resolve. The crease height progressively settles to its final position — often 1-2 mm lower than it appeared at 1 month, as the last of the swelling goes. Any scar line fades from pink to pale. Most patients consider themselves "recovered" at 6-8 weeks.
Final result emerges. The crease appearance is stable. Any scar line continues fading — by 6 months it’s usually barely detectable, and makeup easily conceals any remaining pink.
Full scar maturation completes. The result is typically stable for many years (for incisional cases) or at least several years (for non-incisional cases, where some attenuation may occur over 5-10 years).
Call the clinic if you experience: sudden severe pain, significant vision loss beyond mild blurring, signs of infection (heat, spreading redness, pus), persistent crease disappearance or loss within the first 6 weeks (particularly with non-incisional technique, where early suture failure can cause crease loss), or any concern that feels unusual.
Suture removal at 5-7 days for incisional cases. Surgeon reviews at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.
How much does Asian blepharoplasty cost?
Asian blepharoplasty is a technically demanding procedure that requires specific expertise in East Asian eyelid anatomy. Pricing reflects the specialist skill required and is typically slightly higher than standard upper blepharoplasty.
At Centre for Surgery, Asian blepharoplasty typically costs £4,500 to £6,000. The range reflects:
Common combined-procedure pricing:
Asian blepharoplasty is a cosmetic procedure and is not covered by the NHS or private medical insurance. Exceptional cases involving functional components (severe hooding blocking vision) may have a functional element that’s insurance-eligible, but this is rare.
Medical tourism for Asian blepharoplasty (particularly to South Korea) is well-established, and we respect patients’ choices — but it’s worth being aware of the trade-offs. Complications arising after surgery are far harder to manage from overseas. Follow-up care is logistically impossible. Revision, should it be needed, is more complex and expensive. And the legal recourse if something goes wrong is much weaker than surgery performed in the UK under CQC regulation. Our surgeons have performed revision work on patients who had their original surgery elsewhere, and the experience shapes how we counsel patients on this question.
Centre for Surgery is partnered with Chrysalis Finance, a specialist medical finance provider. Plans start from around £120 per month, and 0% APR options are available subject to status. Full details of our are on our dedicated finance page, or speak to a patient coordinator directly on .
Why Choose Centre for Surgery for your Asian blepharoplasty
Asian blepharoplasty is one of the most specialist procedures in cosmetic eyelid surgery — not because the surgery itself is unusually complex, but because getting a natural, ethnically-appropriate result requires specific expertise in East Asian eyelid anatomy that many general plastic surgeons don’t have in depth. Centre for Surgery’s team includes surgeons with focused experience in Asian blepharoplasty who take a respectful, anatomy-preserving approach.
Our surgeons are on the and include plastic surgeons and oculoplastic surgeons with dedicated experience in Asian eyelid surgery. They’re members of recognised bodies including , the , and in the case of our oculoplastic surgeons, the .
We don’t perform Asian blepharoplasty to Westernise East Asian eyelids. We perform it to refine what you already have — creating a defined crease while preserving the character of your eyes. Our before-and-after photos reflect this: patients still look like themselves, just with a more defined crease.
Because there’s no single "best" technique — the right choice depends on your specific anatomy — our surgeons offer all three approaches (incisional, partial-incisional, non-incisional). You’ll get a recommendation based on your features rather than whatever technique the surgeon happens to default to.
If your motivation for surgery isn’t quite right, or if your expectations are shaped by filters rather than what’s achievable, we’ll tell you directly. If you’d benefit from a combined procedure (epicanthoplasty, ptosis correction, lower blepharoplasty), we’ll recommend that. If you shouldn’t have the surgery you’re asking for, we’ll say so.
Poorly performed Asian blepharoplasty — too-high creases, over-aggressive fat removal creating a hollow appearance, asymmetric creases, visible scarring — sometimes comes to us for revision. This first-hand experience of what goes wrong shapes how we approach primary cases. We aim never to create a problem we’d later be asked to revise.
Centre for Surgery is fully registered and regulated by the . Our aftercare programme was rated "outstanding" — the highest rating. Follow-up extends to 6 months for this procedure.
A mandatory two-week cooling-off period before surgery is booked. Take it, come back for further consultations if you have questions. No chasing, no pressure.
Our clinic is at 95–97 Baker Street, London W1U 6RN — a short walk from Baker Street tube. Consultation, procedure, and follow-up all take place in one location. Learn more about .
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Learn More About Asian Blepharoplasty
If you’d like to read more about Asian blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery) from independent sources before your consultation, these are verified working resources:
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