Is There a Procedure to Make Eyes More Almond Shape?

Hi conserpos,

 

Great question.  If you look at everyone's eyes, the eyelid opening is already Almond shaped.  The reason eyes look round is that the "frame" around the eyelashes is no longer Almond Shaped any more.  If you look back into your photos from when you were a child, most likely, you will see that your eyes looked more Almond shaped back then.  

 

Some surgeons will perform a Canthopexy or Canthoplasty to pull the outer corners of the eyes upwards a few millimeters.  I think this is a helpful procedure for patients that have drooping lower eyelids which need to be tightened, but by changing the "Canthal Tilt" it can shape the shape of your eyes. 

 

My ethnicity is Chinese.  I don't believe that Asian eyes look Asian because of an upward canthal tilt.  I remember as a child, kids would Joke, by pulling on the outer corners of their eyelids, "Chinese, Japanese ..."  Some Asians do have a natural upward tilt, some with a natural downward tilt and most are more neutral, but all their eyes still look Asian, so the angle of the canthal tilt.  In my before and after gallery, I have an example of one patient who is Caucasian who has a natural downward tilt to her eyes, but on her after photo, her eyes are more almond shaped without changing the angle of the eyes.  Even a few millimeters of change around the eyelids can make a big difference, both good and bad.

 

Another possibility, is that Caucasian eyes do not have an epicanthal fold, which is a common Asian eyelid feature.  Perhaps you do not have an epicanthal fold, which makes your eyes more Caucasian, and recreating an epicanthal fold on a person who doesn't have one is difficult, let alone looking natural.  Regardless of the epicanthal fold, if you look through fashion magazines at models, their eyes are mostly almond shaped, except for women with deep set, bedroom eyes, which tend to look rounder. If your goal is to have more Almond shaped eyes like you may have had when you were younger, then there are options to do that.  I don't know of any surgeons in the U.S. who surgically create epicanthal folds, but I'm sure some plastic surgeons in Korea have been performing it, as a way to reverse some epicanthoplasties (a procedure to remove the epicanthal fold and make the eye look more westernized) for patients who regret having it done, because they don't feel like they look like themselves anymore.

 

By restoring the volume around the eyes, both upper and lower eyelid area, the skin below the eyebrow, and the fullness under the lower eyelash line will become more reflective and create a tighter "frame" around the eyelashes.  By doing this, the reflective skin around the eyelashes then accentuates the natural Almond shape of the eyes.

 

As people age, the fat around the eyes gets metabolized and atrophies (shrinks).  As this fat shrinks, the skin above the upper eyelid crease retracts and the person shows more eyelid and less skin showing below the eyebrow.  The same can happen on the lower eyelid.  As the fat shrinks away, there are more shadows that form below the eyelid, called tear troughs and periorbital hollowing.

 

The upper eyelid hollowing looks similar to eye shadow, which is what a young girl or young woman will apply to their upper eyelid toward their eyebrow to mimic a more mature woman.  For an older woman, applying eye shadow can further age their eyes, and some makeup artists will suggest using a light shade to brighten the same area.

 

Follow the link to my website below, perhaps the before and after results will make the comments above make more sense.

 

Best,

 

Dr. Yang

Please refer to the following link on details for Almond eye surgery. In short, it may be possible but not everyone is a candidate. It depends on the existing eyelid, eyeball, and facial anatomy and patient's goals.

Almond eyes, or exotic eyes, are slightly turned up in the outer corners, making them beautifully balanced. The almond shape eyes are soft and welcoming and boast youth and confidence. Some  are born with natural almond eyes, but for those who are not, cosmetic surgery may help. Because all eyes are different, I recommend doing research to find a qualified cosmetic surgeon for your "almond eyes" surgery. I perform this surgery at my practice in New York for patients who want natural-looking exotic eyes through cosmetic eye surgery and artistic judgement is crucial to performing this procedure. Your eyes say a lot about you – make sure yours are sending the right message!