Exotic. Almond. Ethnic. Monolids. Asian-American eyes:  all too similar to the cartoon drawing of Disney’s Mulan. Whether one looks at them as an exotic blessing or an ethnic curse, Asian eyes are praised for their beauty, but many Asians see their eyes as something to be changed.

In Japan, for example, a company called Koji created a product called “double eyelid glue.” It allows people to secure their eyelid in place to form a double eyelid, rather than maintain the monolid many Asian people possess. If glues and tapes aren’t your thing, however, there’s another alternative — going under the knife.

Plastic surgery is being common for cosmetic problems, such as dissatisfactory eye shape or unsightly bags. But it’s also used for medical issues, such as loss of peripheral vision due to the eyelids weighing too heavily on the eye, or the eyelashes damaging the iris, for the same reason.

Asian eyes with monolids. Photo: Stacey Foor

This eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, is a procedure where excess fat that weighs the eyelid down and causes it to droop is cut out. Other modifications to the eyelid may be made for cosmetic reasons. After the fat is removed, muscles can lift the eyelid up further.

According to The Himalayan Times, eyelid plastic surgery is the most popular facial plastic surgery. The recovery is easy, and there are added medical benefits to having a larger eye. Due to the eye’s increased size, more light is allowed in, giving a person better vision. Blepharoplasty, known as an “eyelid lift,” is popular among Asian Americans — both men and women request the surgery.

Being a recipient of the eyelid lift in order to gain peripheral vision, I can see why people opt for the surgery. Aside from looking like I’d received a couple black eyes following the procedure, my eyes were now open (though still tiny, as I’d opted out of cosmetic changes). Afterwards, I was introduced to mascara and given a set of more visible lashes, which was, of course, a thrilling experience for a teenage girl.

How are your eyes seeing the eyelid lift?

Photo: Walt Disney Co.

Tags: Asian eyes, blepharoplasty, double eyelids, ethnic, eyelid glue, eyelid lift, eyelid surgery, monolids