Author: Indra Dalaisaikhan
Edited by: Lina Gallo
“Mom, why don’t we have the same eyes?” I say, colouring out of the lines of my Lion King colouring book. My eyes are flat with no crease whereas my mom has a gentle line gliding across her eyelid. As if in black and white, I had the “small, ugly” monolids and my mom had the “big, beautiful” double-eyelids. “When I was a teenager, I had my eyes done because it made my eyes bigger” my mom answers “but your eyes are even prettier”.
Beauty has become the one-way ticket to success and prosperity in today’s so-called “meritocratic” society, especially in the ruthless and competitive countries of South and East Asia where thin, pale, big-eyed models are the ideal standard. “The first impression is the key to a better future.” my mom says. Countries such as Korea, whose capital holds the title of “the mecca of plastic surgery”, believe that first impressions can get oneself a leg-up through job interviews and overall, life. The appeal and pressure to be attractive are prominent but why has it made our futures and success depend on our looks?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, literally.
The eyes are the most attractive facial feature, and it’s the first thing you see; it’s the first “impression”. Approximately 50% of Asians do not have double-eyelids, instead they have monolids (epicanthic eyelids). Ironically in ancient China and the Korean Joseon era, the traditional beauty depicts a single-folded eyelid, contrasted with today’s idea of beauty: bright double-eyelids, influenced by K-pop, mainstream Asian actors, and models. Double-eyelids make people look more youthful and “alert” whereas monolids appear “sleepy” and “dull”.
“In 2017, an estimated 1.3 million people worldwide underwent double eyelid surgery, according to a report by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.”
Dazed Digital “WHY IS THE DOUBLE EYELID SURGERY SO POPULAR IN ASIA?”
The most popular cosmetic surgery in Asia is blepharoplasty, the procedure that modifies monolids into double-eyelids. According to an article written by the Baylor College of Medicine, the procedure was first introduced by a Japanese plastic surgeon at the end of the 19th century, Dr. Mikamo, who “argued that his intentions were to emulate the common unique Japanese aesthetic characterized by the double eyelid.” The procedure then rose into popularity in the 1960s, Dr. Ralph Millard published his academic journals about post-war South Korean patients who wanted to undergo surgery in order to “appeal and look more like American troops.”
However, a common misconception today is that Asians go through blepharoplasty to look “Caucasian” which is not the case, most Asians go through the procedure with the intention to look like Asians with double-eyelids. Others undergo the procedure due to a condition called ptosis, where the elevating muscle in the eye is weak and does not allow the eyelid to open all the way, allowing eyelashes to poke into the eye.
Changing tides and eyes?
The fixed ideas of double-eyelids are slowly changing. Outside of Asia, monolids are becoming more popular due to the rising phenomenon of K-pop and Asian cultures becoming more popular overseas. Western fans fall in love with the “exotic” monolid look, finding them more unique and different.
“Having your eyes done has now become somewhat a norm in Asia.”
It’s common for South Koreans to get the procedure as a high school graduation present. In China, in order to get a better chance in job-hunting and school, Generation Z-ers have resorted to plastic surgery, most notably, double-eyelid surgery. Popular Korean webtoon, True beauty, follows a makeup genius that can transform herself into a new person. In her bare face form, she has monolids and is depicted as the “ugly side”, contrasted with her makeup form, wearing double-eyelid tape, she is fabulous.
Works Cited:
Dazed Digital
https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/head/article/43499/1/why-double-eyelid-surgery-popular-asia#:~:text=In%202017%2C%20an%20estimated%201.3,Society%20of%20Aesthetic%20Plastic%20Surgery.&text=In%20Japan%2C%20for%20example%2C%20187%2C000,procedure%20combined%20(roughly%20107%2C000)
The Evolution of Looks and Expectations of Asian Eyelid and Eye Appearance
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4536060/
Leave a Reply