Principle and Mechanism of Double Eyelid Formation

Some of Asian eyelids have double fold and some do not. Many people tend to prefer double eyelid in aesthetic and functional reasons. Since the mechanism of double eyelid is bonding the eyelid skin to the eye-opening tissue, the principle of double eyelid surgery is also connecting the eyelid skin to levator component. Double eyelids are differentiated by their shape according to the height and curvature. The double eyelid surgery procedure is divided into incision method and nonincision method. And the incision method is subdivided into double fold line design, skin and oculi muscle incision or excision, pretarsal or preaponeurotic soft tissue excision, fixation of posterior lamella to anterior lamella, and skin suture. The nonincision method is to connect the posterior lamella and the anterior lamella as a thread only without an incision. A successful double eyelid surgery creates a fold well-balanced in height, curvature, and depth of the fold based on patient's preference. In this article, the author's own methods of performing surgery are described, with a step-by-step guide and surgical tips.