Case 1: Two Revisions to Achieve Double Eyelids
Ms. Li, 23, recently entered the workforce. Recalling the double eyelid surgeries she underwent three years ago, she still feels regret. Though she naturally had double eyelids while in school, she felt they weren't attractive enough. To enhance her appearance, she opted for a suture-based double eyelid procedure."I thought since I already had double eyelids, another procedure would be simple, so I just picked a random place," Ms. Li explained. In late 2009, she underwent the surgery at a small beauty salon for 800 yuan, but the results were far from satisfactory."My eyes felt uncomfortable when open, with a wide gap between the two folds that looked worse than my natural appearance." The salon insisted this was the intended result, leaving Ms. Li helpless.
In 2010, following a friend's recommendation, she underwent another double eyelid procedure at a different salon. "I knew nothing about it then. The salon staff redrew my eye shape and reinserted another suture line."With two sutures suddenly embedded in her eyelids, Ms. Li discovered post-surgery that not only did it fail to correct the issue, but the two sutures made her eyes look unnatural. What began as a pursuit of beauty unexpectedly led her further away from her goal, leaving her deeply insecure for a time.
Out of desperation, Ms. Li finally went to a large cosmetic surgery institution to have the sutures removed and underwent another procedure. After three surgeries, she finally felt "presentable again."
Case 2: Double Eyelids That Looked Invisible
On May 21st this year, Ms. Wang, who had long desired double eyelids, visited a beauty salon for consultation. The receptionist assured her that the doctor would design the procedure based on her eye shape, guaranteeing excellent results. Eager to enhance her appearance, Ms. Wang immediately paid a 500 yuan deposit and booked her surgery date.
On May 27th, she underwent a procedure called "high-molecular positioning double eyelid surgery" at this clinic. Ms. Wang recalled feeling a sharp sting during anesthesia administration, followed by numbness. However, she noticed significant bleeding during the right eye procedure, with staff continuously applying pressure to her eyelid with cotton balls.
After the surgery, she did indeed develop double eyelids, and Ms. Wang was initially satisfied with the shape. However, shortly thereafter, she noticed the creases gradually fading. By October, the double eyelids were barely visible.
Due to the eyelid fat removal, Ms. Wang's eyelid skin showed noticeable laxity, creating a three-layered appearance. She also experienced persistent dryness and discomfort in her eyes post-surgery. She contacted the beauty salon twice demanding a refund, but both requests were denied. Staff stated they could only offer further corrective procedures until she was satisfied.
Beware of Unlicensed Double Eyelid Procedures and False Advertising
A key reason both patients were dissatisfied with their results was choosing non-certified facilities.According to China's "Administrative Measures for Medical Aesthetic Services," any procedure involving surgery, medication, medical devices, or other invasive techniques to alter facial appearance or body contours constitutes medical aesthetic treatment and must be performed at licensed medical aesthetic institutions. Clearly, lifestyle beauty salons lack the qualifications to perform medical aesthetic procedures like double eyelid surgery.Even hiring a licensed physician to perform the surgery is illegal, as licensed doctors must practice within their authorized scope and registered practice locations.
Of course, inadequate current oversight, coupled with low procedure costs and misleading advertising, has made it an open secret that salons perform medical cosmetic procedures like double eyelid surgery. Take the previously mentioned "high-molecular positioning double eyelid surgery"—academic circles have never recognized such a term. It's essentially the buried suture method, where standard surgical thread is replaced with nylon thread.
This "high-molecular positioning" technique is a marketing ploy by profit-driven beauty institutions preying on patients' fears of pain and bleeding. They exaggerate the surgical thread's properties to distract patients from the actual procedure. The "no bleeding" promise comes from adding excessive doses of vasoconstrictors like epinephrine to the anesthetic—a violation of medical protocols that could lead to catastrophic consequences if complications arise.The "Korean-style double eyelid" procedure now advertised everywhere is entirely fictitious—even many Koreans are unfamiliar with this term.
The principle behind double eyelid surgery is straightforward: it involves adhering the eyelid skin to the tarsal plate to create a fold, resulting in the double eyelid appearance.Experts explain that the tarsal plate is a strong fibrous connective tissue that serves as a supporting structure for the eyelid. When the outermost skin layer adheres to this plate, it becomes fixed in place. As a result, the skin cannot freely stretch when the eyes are opened, creating a visible fold. Although double eyelid surgery is relatively straightforward, its success hinges heavily on the surgeon's skill.Most aestheticians at beauty salons lack formal plastic surgery qualifications. If patients prioritize low cost and opt for unlicensed establishments, complications requiring revisions are inevitable. Therefore, for both safety and aesthetic outcomes, it is essential to undergo double eyelid surgery at a certified plastic surgery hospital.