Korean eye surgery is popular for correcting the shape of the eye to be the desired shape an individual wants. The eyes are usually considered to be one of the first feature on a person’s face that people are drawn to. What eye shape is attractive eyes varies in different cultures but in Korea eyes that are wider in shape, more open and have a double eyelid are considered the most attractive. So what surgical procedures are available to achieve this?
Who is eye surgery for?
Korean eye surgery is for anyone who is not satisfied with the shape of their eyes. This could be because of the shape and position of their eyes such as the eyes being far apart, eyes being slanted, not symmetrical and the general shape being small. These types of surgeries are also for people who are having complications due to the shape of their eyes. This can be seen in Ptosis condition where the eyelids are droopy because the eyelid muscle is weak. These type of conditions can cause blurry vision and other issues. Finally, Korean eye surgery is also really helpful when dealing with the aging appearance of eyes such as baggy eyes, drooping eyelids and eyebrows.
What types of surgery are available?
Double Eyelid Surgery
This is one of the most popular surgeries in Korea. It gives the best result for those who have a monolid and want a double eyelid. This surgery is great for creating defined eyes and targeting drooping eyelids due to old age or naturally droopy eyes. It also corrects abnormal upper eyelid shape. There are many types of surgeries, some have deeper incisions than others while others don’t have any incisions, depending on the starting eye shape and what the patient prefers. However all procedures aim to connect the muscle that is responsible for opening the upper eyelid with the inner skin to create a natural crease and removing any excess fat that is stopping this from happening naturally.
Epicanthoplasty
This surgical procedure gives the best result for those who want to make their eyes bigger and wider. It horizontally increases the eye shape to achieve this by correcting either the inner eye corner or the outer one. Usually, the corners are extended outwards and the eye folds are adjusted according to the new shape. This type of surgery can also be used to correct downward facing corners and the inner corner extension can help those who have eyes that are far apart. The stitches are hidden in the newly formed creases.
Ptosis Correction
This type of surgery will give the best results for those who have a droopy upper eyelid due to ptosis which is a condition in which the muscle that is responsible for opening the eye is weak. Using just double eye lid surgery in this case will not be effective as the muscle will still be weak. This condition can give a look of tiredness, aging and make the eyes have an asymmetric shape. During the surgery, an incision is made which will form the new crease and the weak muscle is tightened by making it shorter. The tissue and fat in the eyelid is then readjusted to the new crease. There is a non incisional alternative to the surgery as well if a person has thin eyelid skin.
Lower Eyelid Surgery
This type of surgery gives the best results for those who want to remove dark under eye circles or eye bags. This type of surgery removes excessive fat on the lower eye lid or around the lower regions of the eye. If the issue is dark circles due to hollowness under the eye then this type of surgery can reposition the fat under the eye too, so that it is more evenly spread out.
Anti-Aging Eye Surgeries
This type of surgery gives the best results for those dealing with aging affecting the appearance of the eyes. Usually aging results in drooping eyelids, sagging skin under the eyes and drooping eyebrows. There are three types of surgeries that target this issue: Eyebrow lift surgery, lower and upper blepharoplasty (an example of this is double eyelid surgery. Upper and lower blepharoplasty creates incisions in natural creases where it then removes excess fat, tightens loose skin and a minor ptosis correction surgery can be done too (this surgery tightens the muscles which is good to correct drooping eyelids). Eyebrow lift surgery focuses on tightening eyebrow muscles so that it can give a natural lift to the eyebrows which gets rid of the sagging.
Revision Surgery
This type of surgery will give the best results for those who have already gone through an eye surgery procedure but they are not happy with the results. Someone may not be happy with their surgery if there is noticeable scarring, the creases are unnatural, the fat repositioning is too much and just generally not being happy with the final look. Doctors recommend waiting at least 3 to 6 months before going for this type of surgery after the one that is already done because some issues can be fixed over time so the surgery might not be needed. Also it will give the eye area time to heal. The surgery duration, downtime, price and result are all case by case as each of these things are unique to the patient.
| Type of surgery | Surgery duration | Downtime | Anaesthesia | Maximum result | Price |
| Double eyelid surgery | 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on if the surgery is incisional or not | After the surgery, 4 days later the stitches are usually removed and then there is some swelling and redness for 1 to 2 weeks after. Non incisional surgeries have shorter downtime and they don’t have sutures to remove. | Requires sedation and local Aneasthesia is provided | 3 weeks to 1 month after the surgery | $500 to $2000 USD |
| Epicanthoplasty | 30 to 45 minutes | 1 week after the surgery the stitches are removed and then can take up to 2 weeks for the swelling to settle | Local Aneasthesia provided | 3 weeks to 1 month after the surgery | $500 to $650 USD |
| Ptosis Correction | 40 to 60 minutes, depending on whether the person has a surgery with incisions or without | After the surgery, 4 days later the stitches are usually removed and then there is some swelling and redness for 1 to 2 weeks after. | Local Aneasthesia provided | 3 weeks to 1 month after the surgery | $500 to $2000 USD |
| Lower eyelid surgery | 45 minutes to 1 hour | After the surgery, 4 days later the stitches are usually removed and then there is some swelling and redness for 1 to 2 weeks after. | Requires sedation and local Aneasthesia is provided | 3 weeks to 1 month after the surgery | $500 to $650 USD |
| Anti aging eye surgery | 1 hour | After the surgery, 4 days later the stitches are usually removed and then there is some swelling and redness for 1 to 2 weeks after. This can vary depending on the combination of surgeries done. | Requires sedation and local Aneasthesia is provided | 3 weeks to 1 month after the surgery | Combination price of the above surgeries |
Why is Korean eye surgery so popular?
There are many reasons for this. The biggest reason is that people going through eye surgery in Korea are very happy with their results as they are always performed by experts. Korea is a popular destination for tourists to get surgery and many of the people already living in Korea get these procedures too. This means the doctors perform these surgeries many times and are able to perfect the technique. This is very important when it comes to eye surgeries as the area to operate on is sensitive and small, so even minor mistakes are noticeable in the end result. Also revision surgeries to correct those mistakes are very difficult to perform.
Ready to book your first procedure after reading the above, but not sure where to start? Here’s where we come in. At Jivaka Care, we identify licensed and reputable clinics with English-speaking doctors and staff. We also deploy designated Care Planner to take care of you and your treatment process from start to end. With Jivaka Care, foreigners can look forward to a seamless healthcare and aesthetic treatment experience.
If you need any guidance or healthcare related advice in Korea, message us on Kakaotalk and our website, or contact us via Facebook, and Instagram pages!
