ETONNE

EYES · ANTI-AGING

Upper Blepharoplasty
in Gangnam, Seoul

For upper eyelids that have sagged with age — tidying the skin, fat, and loose tissue so the eyes open clearly again, with the method chosen after Seoul National University-trained surgeons examine your eyelids, crease, and brows.

4 SNU-trained

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeons

Your surgeon

Operates from Start to Finish · Operative Report in English on Request

About 60 min

Local or Sleep Anesthesia · Same-Day Discharge

WhatsApp Consultation

Home / Procedures / Upper Blepharoplasty

Quick Answer

Upper blepharoplasty is a surgery that tidies the skin, excess fat, and loose tissue of upper eyelids that have sagged with age, creating a natural double eyelid line in the process. At ETONNE in Gangnam, Seoul, it takes about 60 minutes under local or sleep anesthesia with same-day discharge; stitches come out at about 5–7 days. When the existing crease should be kept, a sub-brow lift is chosen instead, and when the eye-opening muscle is weak, ptosis correction is planned.

Eyelids That Have Aged, Not Eyelids That Need a Crease

Double eyelid surgery exists to create a crease. Upper blepharoplasty exists for a different problem: eyelids whose skin has stretched, whose fat has shifted, and whose tissue has loosened with age, so that the eyes look heavy and small, the crease has blurred, and in some cases the lid sits in the line of sight. The surgery removes what has sagged and, while doing so, sets a natural crease.

Not every aging eyelid needs the same operation. If you already have a crease you want to keep, loose skin is removed from just below the brow instead (sub-brow lift). If the real cause is weak eye-opening strength — the lid covering the iris, the forehead working to hold the eyes open — the eye-opening muscle is corrected (ptosis correction). And if the brows themselves have descended, the answer may be a brow lift rather than eyelid surgery at all.

At ETONNE (Gangnam-daero, by Nonhyeon Station), these surgeries are performed by board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Cho Jeongmok, Dr. Kim Harkyoung, Dr. Kim Jaegon, and Dr. Koo Heetae. The surgeon you consult with performs your operation from start to finish.

METHODS

Three Ways to Treat an Aging Upper Eyelid

Upper Blepharoplasty

The incision follows the double eyelid line. Sagging skin, excess fat, and stretched tissue are removed and a natural crease is created at the same time. For eyes that look heavy and small, eyelids that block vision, or a crease blurred by loose tissue. About 60 minutes; stitches out at about 5–7 days; makeup from about 3 days.

Sub-brow Lift (Infrabrow Excision)

Loose eyelid skin is removed from just below the brow, keeping your existing double eyelid line. For patients who already have a crease that sagging skin now covers, or whose eyes look droopy from loose skin under the brow. It does not raise the brows. About 60 minutes; stitches out at about 7 days; makeup from about 3 days; 1–2 follow-up visits.

Ptosis Correction

When weak eye-opening strength lets the upper eyelid cover the iris, the eye-opening muscle is adjusted so the iris shows appropriately; a crease can be set at the same time. Non-incisional (thin skin, little fat) or incisional (thicker skin, more fat), chosen after examination. About 30–60 minutes; stitches out at about 5 days with the incisional method, none with the non-incisional method.

When the brow is the cause

If the brows have descended and narrowed the space above the eyes, eyelid surgery alone will not correct the heavy look. See Endoscopic Brow Lift. For the under-eye area, see Lower Blepharoplasty.

THE SURGERY

How ETONNE Plans and Performs It

01 Examination of skin, fat, crease, and brow. We look at how much eyelid skin and fat there is, the state of your current double eyelid, whether the lid covers the iris, whether you use your forehead to open your eyes, and the position of the brows. That decides between upper blepharoplasty, a sub-brow lift, ptosis correction, or a combination.
02 Design for the whole face. The eyelid is designed to fit your eye condition and the overall structure of your face, not a template.
03 Removal and crease. Through an incision along the crease, sagging skin, excess fat, and stretched tissue are removed and a natural double eyelid line is set. Where the lid blocks vision, functional improvement is considered at the same time.
04 Closure along the crease. The incision line lies along the double eyelid crease, and the stitches come out at about 5–7 days. For a sub-brow lift the line lies just below the brow and the stitches come out at about 7 days.

Upper blepharoplasty: surgery time about 60 minutes · Local anesthesia or sleep anesthesia · No hospitalization, discharge the same day · Stitches removed at about 5–7 days · Makeup possible from about 3 days · About 1 follow-up visit.

PRICING

How the Fee Is Quoted

The surgical fee depends on which method the examination calls for — upper blepharoplasty, a sub-brow lift, ptosis correction, or a combination — and on the anesthesia used. For that reason we do not publish a figure here; you receive an individual quote after the consultation. International patients book directly with the clinic.

Ask for a Quote via WhatsApp

Send a few photos — eyes open, looking straight ahead, with a relaxed forehead — and your questions; the coordinator replies in English and arranges a consultation with the surgeon. For how to plan a surgery trip to Seoul, see International Patients.

RECOVERY

Recovery Schedule

Surgery day

About 60 minutes of surgery under local or sleep anesthesia. You go back to your hotel the same day.

Days 1–3

Swelling and bruising around the eyes are expected. In the early period the eyelids may feel tight, the eyes may feel as though they do not close completely, or they may feel dry. Makeup is possible from about day 3.

Days 5–7

Stitches come out and your surgeon checks your recovery — about one follow-up visit for upper blepharoplasty. For a sub-brow lift the stitches come out at about day 7, with 1–2 follow-up visits. Your travel schedule is arranged with the coordinator when you book.

Back home

How long swelling and bruising take to subside, and how the scar along the crease settles, varies from person to person. For a day-by-day account of eyelid recovery, see DES Recovery Timeline.

BEFORE YOU DECIDE

Risks and Things to Know

Swelling and bruising may occur after surgery, and how long they take to subside varies from person to person. The incision leaves a scar, and in rare cases bleeding, infection, inflammation, or left–right asymmetry may occur, which may require additional treatment. In the early period after surgery, the eyelids may feel tight, the eyes may feel as though they do not close completely, or the eyes may feel dry. With ptosis correction, the correction may settle more or less than expected, the non-incisional method may loosen over time, and if the two eyes settle at different opening heights, additional correction may be needed.

Please tell us at your pre-surgery consultation about any medications you take, including blood thinners such as anticoagulants, as well as any medical conditions and whether you smoke. During recovery, please avoid alcohol and smoking and attend follow-up visits as scheduled.

Please make your decision after you have been fully informed of the risks and of alternative options. Results and recovery vary from person to person.

FAQ

Upper Blepharoplasty FAQ's

How is upper blepharoplasty different from double eyelid surgery?

Upper blepharoplasty tidies the skin, excess fat, and loose tissue of upper eyelids that have sagged with age, and creates a natural double eyelid line in the process. Double eyelid surgery, whose main purpose is to create a double eyelid line, is explained on the Double Eyelid Surgery page.

What if I already have a double eyelid that I want to keep?

A sub-brow lift (infrabrow excision) removes loose eyelid skin from just below the brow while keeping your existing double eyelid line. The choice between it and upper blepharoplasty is made after examining your current crease and the amount of eyelid skin and fat.

Is it upper blepharoplasty I need, or ptosis correction?

Ptosis correction adjusts the eye-opening muscle when weak eye-opening strength lets the upper eyelid cover the iris. Upper blepharoplasty removes sagging skin and fat. We examine whether you have true ptosis, whether you use your forehead muscles to open your eyes, and your brow position before deciding; the two may be planned together.

Where will the scar be?

For upper blepharoplasty the incision follows the double eyelid line, so the incision line lies along the crease. For a sub-brow lift it lies just below the brow. How the scar settles varies with your skin condition.

What are the anesthesia, surgery time, and recovery schedule?

Upper blepharoplasty takes about 60 minutes under local anesthesia or sleep anesthesia, and you go home the same day. Stitches are removed after about 5–7 days, makeup is possible from about 3 days, and about one follow-up visit is needed. A sub-brow lift also takes about 60 minutes, with stitches out at about 7 days and 1–2 follow-up visits. How long swelling and bruising take to subside varies from person to person.

SCHEDULE

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Upper Blepharoplasty in Gangnam, Seoul