Asian Blepharoplasty - Los Angeles, CA

My experience is mixed but honest. No sugar coating. So please, no rude or judgy comments. I hope that by sharing my experience I can give perspective to others considering surgery.

It's been almost two months since I had incision blepharoplasty with ptosis correction. I had the surgery for primarily medical related reasons. It was never my goal to have double eyelids. If there was a way to keep my monolids but open my eyes a fraction and completely get rid of the ptosis, I would have gone for that option.

My eyes are healing fairly well, though there is still swelling & I continue to have the plasticky-operated look. This surgery requires MONTHS (I.e. 6-12 months) of healing. Do not be fooled. There is very little useful literature out there that clearly lays out this reality. The most useful source I found was a nine minute video created by Dr. Meronk discussing the stages of healing after incision blepharoplasty.

Let me say for starters that having bigger, more open eyes is not necessarily better. Likewise, having double eyelids is definitely not always better. Furthermore, relying on photos of other Asians with desirable eyes is not a good indicator of how your particular eyes will turn out. While we Asians may all look alike in truth we are all so very different in our orbital anatomy and elsewhere.

Prior to surgery I was unquestionably pretty. Strangers, men and women, would stop me in the street and comment on how beautiful I was. Now, I have double eyelids that are too thick and swollen for my liking. I'm confident, however, that over the next few months they will continue to heal and mold more to my eye. Sadly, a minor revision in the future may be required. For now, I cannot leave my home without heavy eye makeup and I'm afraid of a future where I will always have to wear makeup.

To be sure, I feel fugly!!!

As far as function, my ptosis issues are almost completely cured.

The hardest part of recovery is dealing with expectation. Prior to surgery I thought I had reasonable expectations and I continue to think that I do. But the change in my appearance has led to depression and fear of showing my face to others. For now, I am hiding behind my hair and a mask that tells people to leave me alone and don't ask nosy questions.

At this point, I can't recommend surgery but I wouldn't discourage it either. Surgery is a gamble. All we can do is research a particular procedure and communicate with our selected doctor. A final word of advice, surgeons are terrible communicators. Don't expect them to volunteer information. Educate yourself on your procedure and be prepared to ask questions. Otherwise, you'll likely be in the dark.