Surgery · Eyelid Results

Natural Double Eyelid Surgery Before and After

How a fold is judged natural, case by case

Gangnam, Seoul | Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonghwan Choi
KHIDI-registered for international patients · Apgujeong Rewind

Natural Double Eyelid Natural Double Eyelid Natural Double Eyelid Natural Double Eyelid 
Natural

What natural means

What does a natural double eyelid look like after surgery?

The short answer

A natural double eyelid is a fold that looks as though the eye could have grown it. In a pair of photographs taken before and after surgery, the after picture shows a crease sitting at a height the lid can carry, a band of lid skin below the fold that is neither thick nor puffy, a line that follows the curve of the eye, and two sides that read as a pair. What gives a result away is usually excess: a fold set too high for the lid, or too much skin and fat left bunched above it, which produces the heavy, sausage-like look the clinic warns against.

Descriptions on this page come from Rewind's Korean surgical pages for its buried, partial-incision and full-incision creases and from its post-operative sheets. The clinic does not publish a crease height in millimetres, an anaesthetic or a theatre time, and none is given here.

How wide should a natural-looking crease be? There is no single number that fits everyone, and Rewind does not publish one. The crease is designed from the shape and height of each eye, and its width is limited by how thick the lid skin is and how much fat sits above the eye. On a thin lid a fairly defined fold can still look quiet; on a thick, full lid the same height produces bulk. The practical rule the clinic applies is to lower the design, or change the method, until lid and fold agree.

Width also depends on where the line runs at the inner corner. Rewind offers four line designs with every method, and they differ mainly in whether the fold tucks into the inner corner or travels above it. Those four are laid out further down this page.

Consultation and diagnosis at the desk at Rewind Plastic Surgery, Apgujeong
Fig. 01 — Crease height is decided against the lid in front of the surgeon, not a reference photo
Cases

Before & After

Three Rewind double eyelid cases, read for how natural the fold looks

Each pair below is one Rewind patient, and each caption lists everything done in that session. When you look at them, check four things: whether the fold height suits the size of the eye, whether the skin below the fold looks thin and even, whether the line follows the curve of the lid, and how closely the two sides match. Where another procedure was performed at the same time, part of the change belongs to it.

Rewind patients — every procedure in the session named

Before — full-incision double eyelid surgery performed on its own After — full-incision double eyelid surgery performed on its own BEFOREAFTER
fold alone
Full-incision double eyelid with nothing else done, so the change is the crease itself
Individual results may vary.
Before — non-incisional double eyelid surgery with epicanthoplasty and under-eye fat repositioning After — non-incisional double eyelid surgery with epicanthoplasty and under-eye fat repositioning BEFOREAFTER
three procedures
Non-incisional double eyelid, with epicanthoplasty and under-eye fat repositioning in the same session
Individual results may vary.
Before — non-incisional double eyelid surgery with thread lifting using SMAS anchoring After — non-incisional double eyelid surgery with thread lifting using SMAS anchoring BEFOREAFTER
two procedures
Non-incisional double eyelid, with thread lifting (SMAS anchoring) in the same session
Individual results may vary.

These are Rewind's own patients, photographed by the clinic and cropped to the eye region for this page. A result that looks natural on one face is not a forecast for another. Swelling, bruising, a fold that heals higher, lower or thicker than planned, asymmetry between the lids, altered sensation and, after an incision, a visible line can all follow eyelid surgery.

Lines

Line design

Four natural double eyelid line designs, from in-line to outline

Rewind offers the same four designs with the buried, partial-incision and full-incision methods. In general terms they differ in how the fold meets the inner corner, and that single choice changes how wide the finished crease looks.

design 01
In-line
The fold starts inside the inner-corner skin and widens toward the outer end. Little lid shows at the nose side, which keeps the crease discreet and suits eyes where a wide fold would look added on.
design 02
Semi-outline
The fold begins just clear of the inner corner and stays narrow there. It gives a slightly more visible line than in-line while remaining low-key, a middle path between the two ends of the range.
design 03
In-out-line
The fold starts within the inner corner and then rises out of it toward the outer eye, so the crease is barely seen at the nose side and clearer at the outer half.
design 04
Outline
The fold runs above the lash line along the whole eye, separate from the inner corner. It is the most visible of the four and needs a lid thin enough to carry it without bulk.

Where the inner corner itself limits the design, the discussion extends to epicanthoplasty, performed alongside the crease in one of the cases above. Each method behind these designs is described on the double eyelid surgery page.

Height

Setting the fold

How a natural double eyelid crease height is set on your own lid

A natural result is mostly decided before surgery starts. The five steps below are how Rewind keeps the design within what a lid can carry.

01Eye

The eye's own shape and height come first

The line is drawn from the proportions of the eye in front of the surgeon. A crease copied from another face ignores those proportions. A reference photo can show the mood a patient likes; the lid itself decides the measurements.

02Tissue

Skin thickness and fat set the ceiling

The thicker the lid and the more fat above the eye, the lower a fold must sit to look light. Rewind lists thick, fatty lids under its partial-incision and full-incision methods so that tissue can be removed and a moderate fold can sit cleanly.

03Design

One of four designs is matched to the eye

In-line, semi-outline, in-out-line or outline is chosen by how the eye meets the inner corner. A design that fights the inner corner is the usual reason a crease looks drawn on.

04Lift

How far the lid opens is checked separately

A crease placed over a lid that rises too little leaves the eye heavy whatever the design. Where the lid margin sits low, eye-opening correction is discussed as an additional line, because no fold height can make up for it.

05Pair

Both lids are finished against each other

Most faces start with two slightly different lids. The last step in Rewind's description of every crease method is finishing both lines so that they sit naturally and symmetrically with each other.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi operating under loupe magnification at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 02 — Fold height is fine work, and a small difference is easy to see
Rewind

Why restraint

Why a natural double eyelid result depends on restraint

Most unnatural folds are the product of a request that went unchallenged. A single operating surgeon who designs, operates and follows up is in a position to say no to a height the lid will not carry.

01Design

A requested height can be declined

Rewind attributes the thick, sausage-like fold to a line set too high or to over-correction for the skin and fat present. When a requested design would do that, the consultation lowers it and explains why, with the patient's own lid as the reference.

02Method

Tissue is removed when a fold needs room

A natural fold on a full lid often depends on what is taken out underneath. Because partial and full incision are both offered, surplus fat and muscle tissue can be removed so the crease sits in a thinner lid.

03Follow-up

The fold is reviewed by the surgeon who set it

An eyelid changes shape for months as swelling leaves. Follow-up visits are with the operating surgeon, and patients who travelled for surgery are supported in their own language through a KHIDI-registered institution.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi in consultation with a patient at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 03 — The design conversation, where a height can still be changed
Theatre

Where the cases were done

Where Rewind's double eyelid cases are operated and photographed

Operating room at Rewind Plastic Surgery, Apgujeong

Fig. 04 — Rewind's own operating theatre, Richro Building

Recovery room at Rewind Plastic Surgery

Fig. 05 — Recovery, where the first swelling is managed

Rewind's eyelid operations take place in its own theatre on the fourth and fifth floors of the Richro Building in Apgujeong, Gangnam, and the case photographs on this page were taken by the clinic. Eyelid consultations are held by appointment on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday until 19:00 and on Saturday until 16:00. The points below are what shapes a natural result on the day.

Crease designed to the individual eye and height
Four line designs with every method
Buried: seven micro-anchor points, double fixation
Partial incision: about 5–7 mm, tissue removed
Full incision: whole line, layered closure
Both lids finished to read as a pair
Every procedure in a case named in its caption
Operated by Dr. Jonghwan Choi
Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon at Rewind Plastic Surgery, Seoul

Board-certified plastic surgeon

Rewind's eyelid operations are designed and performed by Dr. Jonghwan Choi, who holds Korean board certification in plastic surgery and is a member of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Rewind treats international patients under KHIDI registration M-2025-01-08-09288.

Rates

Rates behind the cases

What the natural double eyelid cases on this page are listed at

The cases above used three different crease plans, and two of them added a neighbouring eyelid operation. The rows below cover the crease methods and the eyelid operations named in those captions; a natural result is not a separate item and carries no extra charge.

Non-incisional (buried) double eyelidUsed in the second and third cases above
₩1,200,000
Partial-incision double eyelidShort opening for a fuller lid
₩1,800,000
Full-incision double eyelidUsed in the first case above
₩2,900,000
Medial epicanthoplastyInner-corner surgery, quoted as its own operation
₩1,200,000
Under-eye fat repositioningQuoted separately when added to a crease
₩1,600,000

These are standard listed rates with VAT to be added; the anaesthetic fee is already included in each. A session combining several operations is quoted line by line at consultation, and a crease that needs correcting after earlier surgery is priced only once that surgery has been examined.

Fit

Realistic or not

When a natural double eyelid is realistic, and when the request is redirected

Situations where a quiet, natural fold is a fair aim

  • Eyes that look tired or sleepy because the lid rests heavily on them
  • Lid skin that reaches into the line of sight when looking ahead
  • A patient happy to let the lid's thickness set the fold height
  • Lid fat that can be removed through a short or full opening where needed
  • A design chosen to suit the inner corner in its present shape, or with inner-corner surgery planned alongside
  • Willingness to wait out the swelling before judging the fold

Requests that are adjusted, delayed or declined

  • A copied height that the lid's thickness and fat cannot carry, which risks a thick, sausage-like fold
  • A narrow-looking eye caused by a low lid margin, where the plan must add eye-opening correction
  • Heaviness from loose skin with age, which calls for upper blepharoplasty
  • Skin prone to raised scars, where an incisional line needs longer to calm
  • Bleeding or healing conditions, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or infection around the eye
  • An expectation of two identical lids, which no eyelid operation can promise
Settling

When it looks natural

When a double eyelid starts to look natural after surgery

Almost every fold looks too high and too full at first, because swelling lifts and thickens the lid. The stages below come from Rewind's records and post-operative sheets; the clinic does not publish a date by which a fold is fully settled, and that point differs between people.

First two days
The fold looks its most artificial
After a buried crease the clinic records swelling and bruising through about the first 48 hours. The fold is exaggerated during this time, which is expected and says little about how it will settle.
One to two weeks
The incisional lid calms more slowly
Rewind's sheet for incisional upper-lid surgery gives one to two weeks for swelling and bruising to ease. Saunas, steam rooms and hard exercise wait about a week, and the eyes are not rubbed.
After suture removal
Washing, then makeup
Face washing resumes the day after the sutures come out, and eye makeup one to two weeks after that. Until then, look at the fold bare.
Around two months
An incisional line fades into the fold
Rewind records the redness of a full-incision line recovering to a degree by about two months, when light makeup covers it. Sunscreen helps keep the line from darkening while it matures.

A fold that looks higher or thicker than expected in the first weeks is common and is reviewed at follow-up before any conclusion is drawn. Real complications include bleeding and haematoma, infection, prolonged swelling, asymmetry between the lids, a buried fold loosening after a hard rub or a knock, altered sensation, and a raised scar after an incision in people prone to one. Any of these can mean a revision.

Doctor

Professional

At Rewind, one board-certified plastic surgeon carries every case — from the first consultation to the final follow-up. Because a face is a story, and a story deserves a single author.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeonRewind,
Dr. Jonghwan Choi presenting at an academic session
Fig. 06 — Academic presentation, thread-lifting session

Rewind's Doctor

Dr. Jonghwan Choi Medical Director

One surgeon, from the first
consultation to the last follow-up.

A board-certified plastic surgeon devoted to anti-aging lifting — with the precision and restraint built through years of craniofacial practice.

Board-certified plastic surgeon (Plastic Surgery)
10 peer-reviewed publications
Medical Director, Rewind Plastic Surgery
Korean Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons
Former chief director, Apgujeong Y&T Plastic Surgery
Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
J Craniofac Surg · JKMS · Arch Craniofac Surg
Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
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What our patients say.

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Ask

Questions

Natural double eyelid results: questions about the photographs

What does a natural double eyelid look like after surgery?
It looks proportionate. The fold sits at a height the lid can carry, the skin under it looks thin and even, the line follows the curve of the eye and the two sides read as a pair. A fold set too high, or too much bulk above it, is what makes a result look operated.
How wide should a natural-looking double eyelid crease be?
No single figure suits every eye, and Rewind does not publish one. The design follows the shape and height of the eye and is capped by lid thickness and fat. On a thick lid a lower fold looks lighter; where a wide fold is wanted, tissue may first need removing through an incision.
Why does my fold look too high in the first days?
Swelling lifts and thickens the lid, so almost every fold looks higher and fuller at first. Rewind records swelling and bruising over about 48 hours for a buried crease and one to two weeks for incisional lid surgery. Judge the shape after that, and raise concerns at follow-up.
Is a non-incisional crease more natural than an incisional one?
Not by itself. A buried crease leaves no incision line, which helps. On a thick or fatty lid, though, a buried fold can look heavier than an incisional one that removed tissue first. What looks natural depends on whether the method suits the lid.
Can a crease that looks too high be lowered later?
It can be assessed for revision. Rewind lists separate revision rates for the buried and incisional routes, and what can be changed depends on what was done before. The earlier operation is examined first, so no plan or figure is given until then.
Do these photographs show what my eyes will look like?
No. Each pair shows one patient's lid, design and healing. Your own result depends on your lid thickness, fat, inner corner and how you heal, and the captions name every procedure performed, since part of each change belongs to the extra work.
Which extra procedures appear in these cases?
The first case is a full-incision crease with nothing else done. The second combined a buried crease with epicanthoplasty and under-eye fat repositioning, and the third with thread lifting using SMAS anchoring. Each extra procedure is priced as its own line.
When will the fold look settled?
Rewind publishes no single date. Its records give about 48 hours of swelling after a buried crease, one to two weeks after incisional lid surgery, and around two months for an incisional line to lose much of its redness. The fold keeps refining after that.
Booking

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Scientific evidence

Published work on double eyelid technique and how results are judged

Two of these papers describe the crease techniques shown in the cases above, one buried and one short incisional. The third reviews how complications of Asian double eyelid surgery are prevented and managed. The fourth is a systematic review of how aesthetic outcomes of upper eyelid surgery are measured and reported. None reports Rewind's patients or predicts a single result.