Katy Ling, a 23-year-old fashion merchandiser has just got herself a pair of Western looking eyelids. Katy Ling is an Asian American and wants to look like her Caucasian friends. She went in for Asian Blepharoplasty to change her ‘double eyelid’ to single eyelids.

So, what is Asian Blepharoplasty? Asian blepharoplasty, also known as Oriental blepharoplasty, is a type of plastic surgery where the skin around the eyes is reshaped.

Asian blepharoplasty, less frequently known as an Oriental blepharoplasty, is a type of plastic surgery where the skin around the eyes is reshaped. The purpose of the procedure is to create an upper eyelid with a crease (i.e. \'double eyelid\') from an eyelid without a crease (i.e. \'single eyelid\').

Anatomically, there are a number of differences in the upper eyelids of Eastern Asians compared with Caucasians. About 50% of Eastern Asians are born with a single eyelid, and Asian blepharoplasties have been reported to be the most common aesthetic procedure in Taiwan and Asia. Still, this procedure has been reported to have a relatively high rate of complications. Oculoplastic surgeons, as specialists in the eye and surrounding structures, are the practitioners most trained for this procedure. A procedure to remove the epicanthal fold (i.e. an epicanthoplasty) is often performed in conjunction with an Asian blepharoplasty.

Epicanthoplasty sometimes referred to as \'Westernization\' is a type of eye surgery to remove the presence of epicanthal folds. It is considered to be a challenging procedure by some surgeons because the epicanthal folds overlay the lacrimal canaliculi (tear drainage canals).

It often leaves scar lines visible post surgery. A common technique involves using what a called a \'Z\' plasty.

Currently, epicanthoplasty is seldom carried out, as removal or reduction of the epicanthal fold is not widely seen as particularly beneficial for practical or cosmetic reasons,[citation needed] but this procedure was very common in the past when Asian eyes were not understood or accepted by westerners.

Asians who immigrated to the U.S. who opted to have Asian blepharoplasty, \'double eyelid\' surgery which involves the creation of a crease in the upper eyelid, also had their epicanthal fold removed in one operation. The removal of the epicanthal fold gives a more Caucasian appearance and may rid the patient of their ethnic look whereas a simple \'double eyelid\' surgery preserves the ethnic appearance.