The double-eyelid operation in Japan: its evolution as related to cultural changes

Of the many aspects of aesthetic surgery, the double-eyelid operation generates the most interest for Japanese surgeons, as there has been an enormous demand for it by patients who are fashion-conscious. It has been possible to locate 32 operative procedures that have been published in the Japanese literature over the past ninety years. Some of these procedures have been reviewed here in relation to the cultural and social changes which are important factors determining the extent of the demand for the operation and which correlate with various changes in surgical technique. This study chronologically describes each of the principal methods related to these social changes and also considers the influence of cultural fads and fashions.