By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
March 28, 2001
Some women will go pretty far to “improve” their appearance. Just how far? Thousands of Asian women here and abroad are getting their eyelids snipped and tucked to make their eyes appear bigger and some argue, more Western.
While eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is commonly performed on all types, the controversy surrounding Asians and Asian Americans has to do with changing a physical characteristic–the shape of their eyes, thereby erasing a key sign of their racial identity.
Many Asians are born without the noticeable eye crease. The surgery, which ranges from $1,800 to $3,500, creates an indentation that adds more depth, or the appearance of an eyelid.
But does this surgery support internalized racism? Or is this simply the next step for women, including Asians, who’ve been conditioned to think breast enlargement and liposuction are normal options for appearing attractive and desirable?
“Whether Caucasian or Asian, the shape of the eye is determined more by the lower eyelid than the top lid,” says Dr. Alan Matarasso, a New York plastic surgeon, attempting to explode the myth that eyelid tinkering may be an expression of self-loathing. “I very rarely see a patient that says she wants to look different than her heritage. The goal is to give more definition to the eyelid, but not to make Asian women look Westernized.”
According to Elizabeth Haiken, the author of Venus Envy (Johns Hopkins, $18.95), eyelid surgery is to Asians what nose jobs are to Jews.
That aside, here’s what the procedure entails. An incision is made along the natural crease above the eyelash. Extra skin, muscle and fat is removed, and the lids are stitched back up. Three days later, the stitches are removed. Voila! Instant eyelids.
This is nothing compared with the growing trend in South Korea where women hire plastic surgeons to slice away part of their calves to make their legs look slimmer and more “feminine.”
Incisions. Muscle removal. Stitches. Yeow!
What ever happened to a little makeup and gorgeous shoes to make a woman feel sexy?
