Which operation does a Korean clinic mean by 'blepharoplasty for Asian eyes'?
Blepharoplasty for Asian eyes can mean more than one operation, and a Korean clinic may use the phrase for any of them. Creating a new upper-eyelid crease where none existed before is double eyelid surgery. Removing excess skin and fat from the upper eyelid is upper blepharoplasty — this serves a different purpose from creating a crease, but it is not always a separate procedure: Stanford Medicine's own patient information on Asian blepharoplasty notes that excess skin and fat removal may also be carried out together with crease-creation surgery when needed (Stanford Medicine, Asian/Double Eyelid Surgery). A lid that sits lower than expected may need ptosis correction; whether a weaker-than-usual eyelid-lifting muscle is the cause, and whether correction is appropriate, is something only an in-person examination can establish. NHS guidance on eyelid surgery describes an operation that removes excess skin, fat and sometimes muscle through a cut in an existing fold (NHS, Eyelid surgery) — it does not cover crease-creation surgery on a lid that starts without a visible fold, which is a separate question for your consultation to answer.
An estimate for one of the three tells you nothing about the cost or recovery of the other two. If a clinic's reply to your enquiry only uses the general word 'blepharoplasty', ask it to confirm in writing which of the three operations — or which combination — is actually being proposed for your eyelids.
What does NHS advice say about consultations before South Korean eye surgery?
NHS guidance on cosmetic surgery abroad says you should have two consultations with the surgeon who will operate before any surgery, using the roughly two-week cooling-off period common in the UK as a comparison point (NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad). Which procedure you need for blepharoplasty for Asian eyes is decided at those appointments, when the surgeon examines your eyelid in person. The same guidance says the surgeon should explain the procedure, other options, and the risks and realistic limits, in person, before you agree to anything. The UK checklist for Korean plastic surgery applies the same NHS advice to other operations.
- Which of the three procedures — or which combination — is planned for you, and why
- Whether the surgeon examining you now is the one who will operate
- What a photograph or diagram of your own eyelid shows will change, and what will not change
- What happens if the result needs correcting later, and on what terms
Item by item, what belongs in the written estimate?
Use the written estimate as a checklist. It should name the exact procedure, the surgeon and their specialism, the anaesthesia method, the planned follow-up visits, and what happens if a revision is needed — before you pay a deposit.
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Procedure | Exact name (crease creation, skin/fat removal, ptosis correction, or a combination), written out in full |
| Surgeon | Who operates, their specialism, and whether they are the person examining you now |
| Anaesthesia | Type used and who monitors it |
| Follow-up | Which visits are needed in Korea before it is safe to fly home |
| Changes | What could change after the consultation, and how you agree to it |
| Revisions | What is covered if the crease loosens or the two sides end up uneven, and for how long |
As one example of how specific this kind of information can get, Cambridge University Hospitals' patient information for blepharoplasty states that its own procedure is usually done under local anaesthetic, with anaesthetic drops and an injection into the lid, and that stitches are usually removed at an outpatient visit about a week later (Cambridge University Hospitals, Blepharoplasty). One NHS hospital's leaflet describes its own usual practice, so use it only as a model for the level of detail your written estimate should contain.
How do UK advertising rules apply to clinics promoting Korean double eyelid surgery?
If a clinic or agency advertises to UK consumers, UK advertising rules apply to that advertising even though the surgery itself happens abroad. CAP issued an enforcement notice on 1 February 2024 (CAP/ASA, Cosmetic Surgery Abroad Enforcement Notice). The notice document itself sets out that it covers paid-for online ads and influencer marketing aimed at UK consumers on social media, and that CAP will take targeted action against problem ads (CAP/ASA, Cosmetic Surgery Abroad Enforcement Notice — PDF). The same document strongly advises applying the same principles to a clinic's own website, leaflets and other non-paid-for space including its own social media, although the notice does not apply to those directly.
Based on the risks and limits CAP's guidance says advertisers must not hide, and the unrealistic expectations it says they must not create (CAP/ASA, Cosmetic Surgery Abroad Enforcement Notice — PDF), the following are warning signs to watch for:
- Presenting the trip as a holiday, with flights and hotels given more attention than the operation
- A deadline or 'offer ending soon' used to rush your decision
- Advertising that exaggerates how effective the surgery will be or implies an unrealistic result, especially while leaving out the risks and limits a surgeon should explain to you in person
- A low headline price that does not say what is, and is not, included
Who looks after your eyelids once you are home in the UK?
Standard travel insurance does not normally cover complications from surgery, and overseas clinics may not provide the same follow-up you would get at home (NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad). Before you fly, get the name of a specific clinical contact (a named doctor or nurse rather than a general helpline) who will look at photos or a video of your eyelid after blepharoplasty for Asian eyes and make the clinical judgement on whether what you're seeing is still within normal healing or needs an in-person check.
NHS guidance on eyelid surgery lists puffy or numb eyelids that are hard to close, irritated or watery eyes, bruising and scarring as side effects to expect as you heal. Separately, it lists things that could go wrong: occasionally, blurred or double vision, asymmetry, noticeable scarring or changed sensation, and rarely, injury to an eye muscle, an outward-turning eyelid, bleeding behind the eye, or visual impairment, though vision may improve in the long term (NHS, Eyelid surgery). The same guidance says that if you get severe pain or symptoms you did not expect, you should contact the clinic that operated on you as soon as possible, and that you can also call NHS 111 or use 111.nhs.uk for advice. Agree in advance with your clinic which of these your named clinical contact can assess remotely from photos or video, and which would need you to be seen by a doctor in the UK.
How COMEDI helps
COMEDI shares clinic information, schedules English-language consultations, arranges interpretation and asks clinics for the written estimate described above. What you receive is that estimate in writing, naming the exact procedure, the surgeon and the revision terms, before you commit to a trip. To start, see how to book or browse more guides for UK readers.
Double eyelid surgery: what is used
| Devices, products and methods | |
|---|---|
| Full-incision method | A cut is made along the planned crease so that skin, and fat if needed, can be removed and the crease fixed to deeper tissue; it is generally used when there is extra skin or fat in the upper lid. |
| Partial-incision (mini-incision) method | One or a few short cuts are used to reach the fat and fix the crease; it is generally used when there is extra fat but little extra skin. |
| Non-incisional (buried suture) method | Fine threads are passed through tiny openings and buried under the skin to hold the crease; it is generally used for thin lids without extra skin or fat, and the crease can loosen over time. |
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Approach | The surgeon chooses a full-incision, partial-incision or buried-suture method according to how much skin and fat the upper lid has. The crease is made by linking the lid skin or muscle to the deeper lifting layer of the eyelid. |
| Anaesthesia | Published surgical series describe local anaesthetic injected into the eyelid, sometimes with a mild sedative. The exact method varies by clinic and patient. |
| Stitches | With incision methods, skin stitches are generally removed about 4 to 7 days after surgery. With the buried-suture method the threads stay under the skin, so there are usually no stitches to remove. |
| Recovery | Bruising generally settles over about 2 weeks, and published series describe recovery over roughly 2 to 4 weeks. Timing differs with the method used and from person to person. |
| Known risks | Reported problems include uneven creases, a crease that fades or disappears, a visible or raised scar, and a buried thread working its way out. In one large study of the buried-suture method, creases were lost more often in puffy eyelids. |
Full details and sources: Double eyelid surgery
Facts to check before you book
| Registration | Clinics and agencies that work with international patients must be registered with Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare. Medical Korea lists 3,114 registered medical institutions and 1,927 registered agencies (as of March 2025), and registered institutions have had to carry medical malpractice liability insurance since 2016. Ask for the registration number before you pay a deposit. [1] |
| Official help line | The Medical Korea Information Center answers on +82-2-1577-7129, daily 09:00 to 18:00 Korea time, and has desks at Seoul Station (B2, Airport Railroad) and Incheon Airport Terminal 1. It gives information on clinics, takes complaints and dispute enquiries, and takes reports of illegal brokers. [2] |
| Tax refund | Korea's VAT refund for cosmetic procedures for foreign visitors (Restriction of Special Taxation Act, Article 107-3) applied only to procedures received at registered clinics on or before 31 December 2025, and the refund had to be claimed within three months of the procedure. Procedures received now are not covered, so do not plan your budget around a refund, and ask the clinic whether VAT is included in the written quote. [3] |
| If something goes wrong | The Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency accepts mediation applications from foreign patients. Patients living abroad apply by email or fax ([email protected]), and the counselling line is +82-2-1670-2545. Keep your records, receipts and consent forms. [4] |
Checked on 2026-10-07. Rules change, so confirm with the official source before you travel.