A few years ago the famous Japanese artist Ayumi Hamasaki created a sensation worldwide with her big eyes, and started a fashion trend for girls wanting bigger eyes, such fashion still persist today. Lets not discuss the rumors going around that Ayumi Hamasaki did get her pair of big eyes with Epicanthoplasty, for the general Asian girls if not with help from surgery to make eyes bigger, to want a pair of big eyes, I am afraid the only way is with good make up techniques.

First we must understand what is epicanthal fold? Like the name suggests, it is a piece of skin between eye inner corner and the nose. Asian people by nature have a thicker eye corner skin, so it is also called Mongolian fold. Epicanthal fold usually covers some portion of the eye if it is too thick, and will make eyes look too small or too round, or pull the fold of the double eyelid, making double eyelid only visible 1/4 of the length, and difficult to notice. Some people like open double eyelid (double eyelid to show from eye internal corner); the only way for this to be possible is via Epicanthoplasty.

In fact Epicanthoplasty is a very old procedure in cosmetic surgery; its surgery method has been improving constantly. The current and preferred surgery method by surgeons is the Japanese “內田法”; this method is to remove the excess skin or cut off skin that is too tight in epicanthal fold and then proceed to stitch the incision in W shape. This method successfully prevent scar over contracting problems; the only disadvantage is the scar leaves behind after surgery, normally it will require 3 to 6 months before this scar can disappear. There are some cases for patients’s actual experience, the scar remains visible permanently, but based on my own experiences and over hundred of cases I have seen, about 90% of the scar do disappear with time. Currently we do have improved Epicanthoplasty and caring period after surgery listed below:

1. Do not centralize on epicanthal fold:
We do not need to do much work on epicanthal fold, this surgery is only designed to loosen the “Mongolian folding” (蒙古褶), to get very effective results. If centralize epicanthal fold too much will make eyes look like eagle or fox eyes; this kind of eyes will not look harmonized on Asia people’s face, in addition will make eyes easier turn dry, redness on the conjunctiva or increase eye secretions, which is also a long term inconvenience.

2. Do not over remove excess skin:
The “內田法” normally only removes the skin from the center for about 0.15 to 0.2mm, fewer cases of Epicanthoplasty requires to remove up to 0.3mm of skin; if too much skin is removed from epicanthal fold, the incision scar will increase by stretching during stitching process and become wider.

3. Multi-level tissue fixation:
In the past, the procedure of Epicanthoplasty only stitches up the skin, in such cases, due to excess skin pulling pressure, scar will increase. The Epicanthoplasty I have described here will saw from inside out for 1 to 2 layers; this is to prevent the possibility for scar increasing. Although the surgery time is longer, but it is the basic and the most effective way to solve scaring issue.

4. Choice for Sawing thread:
Epicanthal fold is a very delicate tissue; therefore, we must be extra careful with the thread used. The thread I use is different from the regular cosmetic surgery thread, instead it is a thread thinner than the one used for micro cosmetic surgery (thinner than human hair), the surgeon performing such surgery must have 20/20 eye sight and very firm hand, in order to make this kind of sawing, the cost for this kind of thread is much higher than the usual surgery thread, Although cost higher for the thread, but in order to have a scar less surgery, it Is till worth it.

5. Scar caring:
Any scar after surgery needs detailed caring, even more when the scar is in such sensible place, therefore, I will like to recommend to start applying Vit-C cream (SHU Farvian Vit-C solution) three days after the surgery; this solution was created by Japanese surgeon Dr. Chou, it not only can prevent or reduce scar recovery period, it can even be used to cure second and third degree burning. The effects for this solution have been confirmed. Patients can also purchase scar removal creams at the local pharmacies, start applying after 10 to 14 days for the surgery, should be able to see the differences in 2 to 3 months.

Epicanthoplasty can change the size of the eye, if done together with double eyelid surgery will have better results. But as with any surgery there will be a adjusting and recovery period after the surgery, girls who are wanting to be prettier can ask for professional surgeon’s advise, review your individual needs, then can determine when do you want to become a big eye beauty.