Double Eyelids and Double Standards

You’ve probably heard about double eyelid surgery. Basically, a plastic surgeon makes little cuts on the eyelid in order to create an extra crease through scar tissue. (I’ll spare you the gory details.) It sounds like an unnecessary ordeal nobody would want to go through and it’s a pretty big surgery for such a small result. Immediate recovery takes days. Full recovery takes months. What’s the point of going under the knife and having to deal with swollen eyelids for months just for a tiny extra crease of the eyelid? Who would do such a thing?

Of course, many do: according to the The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2014, double eyelid surgery was by far the most popular plastic surgery procedure in the world. Yes, in 2014, more double eyelid surgeries were performed than liposuction. This is, in part, due to the surgery’s popularity in Asian countries, evidenced in part by South Korea’s crowning as the plastic surgery capital of the world: there are around 500 plastic surgery clinics in Seoul’s posh Gangnam neighborhood alone. In Asia, double eyelid surgeries are rites of passage. Mothers gift double eyelid surgery to their daughters at high school and college graduations. This Asian-American writer for totalbeauty.com was even reportedly forced to undergo the surgery by her mother. And, for what? It’s all to open up the eyes. People with double eyelids appear to have bigger eyes than those without. And, in Asian countries, big eyes are paramount.

I’ve heard countless criticisms of double eyelid surgery because of this. Many claim that double eyelid surgery is steeped in Whiteness and the idealization of a Caucasian face. They say that the surgery is meant to help Asian girls follow Caucasian beauty standards of having big eyes and a thin, tall nose or whatever else. Furthermore, they claim it’s unnecessary, and that girls in Asian countries should feel content with their natural looks. In our American culture of body positivity and self-acceptance, it seems like a plausible argument.

However, these critics ignore the intricacies of Asian culture that ultimately make double eyelid surgery an essential part of a young woman’s life. Firstly, the Asian ideal of big eyes predates Western influence. For example, many people in Japan idealize the image of Akita bijin (秋田美人), or beautiful women from the Akita prefecture. These women were idolized for their pale skin and double eyelids even before a single Caucasian stepped foot on the shores of the Japanese archipelago. This goes to show that when Asian women undergo double eyelid surgery, it’s not to look White: it’s to follow uniquely Asian beauty standards that have been in place for centuries before White influence even came into the picture.

Furthermore, even though self-acceptance is very necessary, sometimes plastic surgery isn’t because of a lack of it. In today’s Asian work environment, it’s almost a necessity. In China, many job applications ask job-seekers to include a headshot along with their résumés. In South Korea, it’s often mandatory even for part-time positions, and the request for a headshot is often accompanied by questionnaires about a job-seeker’s height, weight, and body type. In these countries and especially in South Korea where looks are so prioritized (those twelve-step Korean skincare routines aren’t for nothing), the appearances of young women are directly tied to their employment options. So, when a mother gifts plastic surgery to her daughter, it’s not because she thinks her child is ugly; rather, it’s an investment and a hope that her daughter’s new eyelids will give her an edge in South Korea’s competitive job market.

No, Asian girls don’t get double eyelid surgery to adhere to Caucasian beauty standards. Asian cultures comes with their own unique beauty standards. And, since many of these countries place such a huge emphasis on appearances, Asian girls have to adhere to these beauty standards in order to survive. It’s not a lack of self-acceptance, it’s a desire for self-advocacy.