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Double Eyelids
"Why would anybody pay thousands or
even hundreds of dollars just to get creases on their eyelids?"
By Felicia Wu
 People
will go through many steps just to become what they think is pretty or
beautiful so that even the tiniest detail, such as eyelids, won't go
unnoticed. For Asians, having eyelids is one of the many factors it
takes for one to be considered "beautiful." Many Asians even
go through blepharoplasty - "upper eyelid" surgery - in order
to obtain this "beauty."
Most non-Asians have a
crease above their eyes to create a "double eyelid" (see
fig.1) but about 50% of Asians lack this fold (see fig.2). Most
non-Asians don't even realize that they have a double eyelid or that
others don't. However, for most Asians, it is a very noticeable feature.
In fact, eyelid surgery has been getting more popular with Asians over
the years. It costs about $3,500 in the US - but only around $800 to
$1,200 in Korea where the surgeries are frequent enough that people pass
them off as if one was just going to the dentist to get braces.
The surgeries aren't only limited to one sex either; men and women both
get this surgery. Even Jackie Chan got blepharoplasty way back in the
beginning of his career because producers said that it would make him
look better and become more popular.
Beauty Issues, Stereotypes
and Trying to Look "White"
Recently my friend, who's
Korean-American, told me that she was planning on getting the surgery in
Korea. The first question that popped into my head was, "Why are
you getting surgery just to get double eyelids?" She replied simply
that it looks "prettier."
There are many
controversies about the true reason why Asians get blepharoplasty. Many
claim that people get the surgery to make them look more
"white." When I asked my friend this question she denied it in
a flash. "I'm not trying to look white, I'm just trying to look
better," she laughed. But what is "better looking" and
"prettier?" And why does having double eyelids portray the
picture perfect model of beauty for Asian people?
Sitting back
and looking at the issue as a whole I realized that there are some
parallels between what Asians consider to be beautiful and the
stereotypical views non-Asians use to identify us with. Maybe,
subconsciously, Asians are trying to look more westernized.
Growing up Asian myself, I have become familiar with the typical
stereotypes that are set on Asian people and if you are a Saturday Night
Live or Mad TV viewer you probably know what I'm talking about. There
are scenes in SNL and Mad TV (Mrs. Swan) where white people try to
portray Asian (or more specifically, Chinese) people. They wear large
glasses, say things like, "Ching chong," have buckteeth, and
have the most famous stereotypical trademark of them all - the small
slanted eyes, which they obtain by squinting.
Maybe the whole
reason why Asians want blepharoplasty is to make their eyes look bigger.
And maybe the reason behind why they want their eyes to look bigger is
to stray from that stereotypical view and because bigger eyes are
considered "beautiful" among white people.
If you
take a close look around you, you'll notice that many of the
"beautiful" female celebrities all have "whiter"
features. Take for example, Tyra Banks, a well-known Victoria's Secret
model, and Beyonce from Destiny's Child. It's interesting how
"coincidentally" these African American celebrities are both
light skinned. Another example of this is the famous Janet Jackson who
is known for her beauty and, like Michael Jackson, mysteriously seems to
be getting whiter over the years. Unknowingly most people seem to have
agreed silently that "white is right," and that those who are
considered beautiful are those who have white features - like having
large eyes and light skin.
Change of Heart
When I first
heard about "double eyelid" surgery I couldn't understand it.
In my mind I just thought, "Why would anybody pay thousands or even
hundreds of dollars just to get creases on their eyelids?" As I
researched more into the topic and looked at specific examples of the
"before" and "after" pictures, I found myself
noticing that eyelids did seem to make a difference. And as much as I
hate to admit it, I began to feel that those with eyelids do look better
than those without.
Despite all of what I learned about how
everybody tries to look more "white" because that's what's
considered beautiful… I realized that I bought into it also. I've
come to the conclusion that we are all conditioned to view things a
certain way, and anything that doesn't fit into that mold is condemned.
For example, you don't see people who are overweight on the cover of
fashion or teen magazines. You just get so used to seeing things one way
that you forget that there are many other ways to see things
also.
My friend is still planning on getting the surgery and I
still have mixed feelings about the whole situation because I partially
think it's against nature to alter your body to look a certain way. At
the same time, I have also come to understand her perspective which is,
"If you can buy beauty, why not do it?" It's sad that in our
society, people feel like the only way to be accepted as beautiful is to
alter their body into that "perfect white" mold - even if it
is just as "trivial" as getting creases above their
eyes.
—Felicia is a Taiwanese-American intern (with double
eyelids) for Youth In Control.
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