♥ Hello Gorgeous ♥
This section is stemmed via the results of my Asian Eyelid Surgery by Dr. Charles Lee.
I have this section and I also have a YouTube Q&A Series.
The blog Q&As and the YouTube video Q&As have different content so be sure to check both!
On the blog, I will be adding to this section periodically and I will add the newest content at the top.
Send your Qs to BobRobBlog@gmail.com or post them in the comments below!
You are not alone~ Far from it…
♥ I’ve heard about a new technique which claims that it is not a surgery but it’s “Double Eyelid Stitches” which is scarless and cheaper. What do you think?
If you have thin skin, the DST non-incision method may be suitable for you. If you have thick and excess skin around your upper eyelid, then the incisional method may be more suitable for you. This way, the excess skin and fat can be removed to create a defined double eyelid fold. When I sent my consultation photos to Dr. Lee, I wanted to get the DST method because it’s sort of like the first step in getting the surgery, but deep down I really wanted the incision results! Turns out, I didn’t qualify for the DST method and I was so glad because I didn’t have the choice and as scared as I was, I was glad that I had to go for the incisional method. In my opinion, I love the incisional method more because it has a more dramatic-looking result : )
♥ You have my dream eye lids… Mine are uneven as well. One of my eyes looks deeper and larger than the other because it’s more hooded. I have to wear thick lashes like you said you used to, too, but not because it made a fold, but because it hid my uneven lids. I have to wear my eyeliner uneven to give off an illusion of similar eyes. I can’t wear JUST eyeliner and eyeshadow, and if I do, it has to be so high just to be visible when giving a normal expression. I want my fold where yours is pretty much. Without a before picture, I feel like you already had a gorgeous fold and it’s giving me false hope xD Could I pretty please have a before picture?
Click here to see before and after photos. 🙂
♥ I recently had a bad eyelid surgery and will need a fix. I saw your video, and I’m thinking about going to see Dr. Lee. I would like to ask you some questions. What’s the best way to ask you- email, or any other ways?
Sorry to hear about your bad eyelid surgery…. You can email me at:
BobRobBlog@gmail.com
♥ It’s so kind of you to follow up with me. As I mentioned in the comment to your video, I had an eyelid surgery done 4 months ago. It didn’t come out well. I most likely will need another surgery to fix it. Here are some questions I have for you, and your help will be greatly appreciated!
♥ After 6 months maybe, are your eyelids looking different than 3 months after the surgery? They look really nice in your video.
It’s my pleasure to answer your questions… Sorry to hear of your results.
I feel like my eyelids look the same from 3 to 6 months.
♥ Do you still have visible scars from the surgery, other than the line for the fold?
The line is hard to see. They disappeared- I thought they would stay, but the folds become part of your eyes without the lines.
♥ Did you have to go back for any minor modification after the initial surgery to get the result in your videos?
The videos are a result of one surgery- incisional with a medium crease and ptosis correction. I went from monolids to double eyelids. 🙂
♥ Did you have to travel to Dr. Lee’s city for surgery? If so, how did you have the initial consultation with him? How many times did you have to travel there? How many follow-up appointments did you have, and did you have to travel for those too? I live in the northeast, so for me, it’ll be a long travel :-(.
Yes, I did fly to see Dr. Lee for surgery! My initial consultation with him was me emailing pics of my eyes and whole face at different angles (front, side, and underneath), per Dr. Lee’s request. Then he was able to figure out which surgery would work for my eyelids and quoted me a price! (His prices start at $2,500 and he offers student discounts as well!)
I also emailed him pics of girls’ eyes that I wanted. Actually, for many years, I would randomly email him, and he would always be there in a timely response. He recommended circling in pics what you like and pointing at areas in the pics that you want! After surgery, I feel like I didn’t have to do this step because the girls have a lot of makeup on and it’s hard to tell what’s going on (for me to see, not Dr. Lee). Before surgery, he already knew what would work for my face. The picky part for me was I didn’t want them tapered, but I wanted it close. He did that for me, and the rest was all Dr. Lee.
I traveled to see Dr. Lee one time, and within that one trip I saw him twice- once for surgery, of course, and then the follow-up appointment which was three days post-surgery.
I stayed in Los Angeles from Tuesday evening to Saturday evening. My surgery was Wednesday morning at 7:00 AM, and my follow up appointment was Saturday at 10:00 AM, then I went to the hotel to sleep of the local anesthesia (to remove some stitches) and then I flew out that evening at 6:00 PM. I could have had the follow-up appointment two days after on Friday. It seems like such a short amount of time! I had the dissolvable sutures, so that’s probably why I was able to fly back home quickly!
The third follow-up appointment was via email, where you send him a photo of you two weeks post-op!
Here is mine:
Dr. Lee can complete your surgery and follow-up appointment in one trip. He also offers an apartment (I heard it was cozy) for you to stay for a small cleaning fee. (Book as early as you know you’re able to go see him to reserve your spot!)
♥ Was Dr. Lee easy to communicate with about what desired result you want? Was he good at giving you suggestions on what kind of double fold will look best on you?
Yes, absolutely. This was the tricky part. I had no idea where or what the crease would be like, but I just knew the results I wanted, and I know his style is dolly-eyed like. I completely trusted in him to pick the spot, and left it in his hands. When I met him, the morning of my surgery, he measured my eyes himself, and I asked him if the results would be better than my monolid! He said yes, and was ready to go! To him it was obvious I think, so he didn’t say anything. I had no idea for my face until after. He asked me if I wear eyeliner, and said the crease has to be higher or it won’t be seen at all. He measured many times to get it right and he’s so used to doing the surgery that he just goes with it and knows exactly what to do. My requirement was~ I didn’t want tapered eyelids, but I wanted the inner fold to be close, but not tapered. I wanted the top of my eyes to look like a half dome, too.
♥ If you don’t mind, what was your surgery cost? As I just had one, I’m cost sensitive now :-(.
Sorry to hear 🙁 Mine was $3,900, but his price begins in the mid $2Ks and up, and he offers a student discount. You should send Dr. Lee pics! He will give you his thoughts, and quote you for free, and he will in detail know down to the tiniest detail of what needs to be fixed on your eyes. He analyzed so quickly the pics that I showed him in person of girls’ eyes I liked on my phone the morning of my surgery, things I didn’t notice!
♥ Did Dr. Lee say how long your double fold will last?
Yes, mine is going to last a lifetime since I did the incisional. The DST method has a high likelihood of lasting a lifetime.
♥ Was your surgery to create a brand new double fold, or to adjust an existing double fold?
Brand new~
I’m so glad you wrote me! I remember going through this by myself, into the unknown, taking it day by day, hoping for the best.
♥ Can you make a video again now?
Hi, I upload videos periodically so you can see updates of my eyes from 3 days post-op to weeks and months post-op!
♥ So pretty! I want double eyelids like that. It turned out so well!
♥ Is sixteen a good age to do double eyelid surgery?
If you are set on having the surgery, and have known for a while that you for sure are going to get it, then I would say yes. I didn’t know if I would like double eyelids until I couldn’t stand spending so much time doing my eye makeup every day. I thought, anything will be an improvement of this! Now that I have it, I would have done it at 16 if I knew about it then! My life has been so much easier in getting ready- I save a lot of time doing my makeup and I’m more comfortable with myself and “relaxed” now.
♥ Your eyes look good! How are the scars? Can you do a close up without makeup?
Thank you! The scars are invisible, it healed well, and I didn’t ever have any bumps or scar tissue, and I do not scar well on my body at all. I didn’t know about “bumps” until others asked me if I had them, as they have them from the results of their surgery (elsewhere). There is a close up of my eyes closed without makeup in the before and after video here. 🙂
♥ Hey girl! I saw your videos and your eyelids are looking fantastic. I was wondering, how much in TOTAL did you have to bring to get your eyes done (in total how much did the whole process cost? i.e. hotel, service, surgery, consults) because i’m saving up right now and currently, I’m at $1k (slowly but surely getting there). I wanna know how much I should bring. I also live in PA, so I will be having to fly to CA to see Dr. Charles Lee.
♥ Also, another q… I’m afraid to let my friends know that I want this. I don’t want them to think I’m superficial or anything, I just think it’d be exciting to try out new make up and seem more awake!! How did your friends deal with this? (I have mostly white friends, so they wouldn’t understand lol!)
Good for you to have the discipline to save! Below is the breakdown:
$0 consultation if by email
$200 to stay at Dr. Lee’s apartment or hotel fees
$110 Medication
$120 Nurse Service for a ride back to your place of stay and 4 hours of care
~$150 for three taxis rides. 1 to surgery and two for the follow-up appointment. Add two more if you stay at Dr. Lee’s to and from the airport.
$ Airfare
$ Food
~$2,500-3,900 Surgery (Be sure to let Dr. Lee know if you are a student for a student discount)
Total
I’m so excited for you! Dr. Lee provides an apartment for a small fee to stay in CA for about a week. I believe ~$200 for the cleaning fee, so try to book in advance so you can save your spot and not have to pay for a hotel.
I know what you’re feeling about your friends. Understand that people won’t understand what it is, and they won’t think that you need it. I knew this, so anything that anyone would say didn’t sway my decision. They have no idea what you go through to get ready, the psychological stress that comes with it, etc. (I don’t go into that much detail telling people). I first told my BFF (white person), who was a bit worried about me. (After surgery she thought my results look amazing!) I also had an Asian friend years ago that screamed at me when I mentioned it to her. If you have friends who are accepting of you and listen well and who are into their beauty/nails/plastic surgery, I’d tell those ones first, and bring it up in a way that’s casual and at a time you’re totally feeling confident. 🙂
See the video here on how to tell your friend(s)/coworker(s). Be careful who you tell. People will notice, but it may not be a great idea to go in depth as it’s a highly controversial topic. The same applies to friends!
It’s so sweet when you say you want to put on eyeshadow. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! It’s so exciting opening up a fun pallette and having that creative, girly outlet, and seeing your eyes with a brighter look! People don’t understand because they are used to doing it and some even complain that they dislike taking the time to smudge, etc., when it’s really a blessing to be able to have the makeup and the outlet (your double eyelid) to use it with….
♥ Hello,
It’s the time and the procedure that I’m more worried about. I’m also pretty young to even think about getting surgery (19 years old). I do plan to get the surgery done soon, but I think Dr. Lee is kinda far from my location (San Francisco). Did you have consultations with other cosmetic surgeons in your city?
I did so much research, hoping to find a Dr. close by to do the surgery for me. I saw a couple of surgeons that did it for Asians, and there are a lot of doctors that will go ahead and do try? it. I had doubts because most of their work is on caucasians and I wasn’t feeling to go to them for the right reasons. Listen to your gut if you have a doubt… Doubt means NO! The training and expertise is different from Dr. Lee.
Consider the RESULTS you want. That should be priority number one. The time, travel, etc. will all be worth it, because… what if you choose a Dr., but you really wanted Dr. Lee’s results and are unhappy with yours because you went to a Dr. for convenience instead of their specialization. At first, it seemed like it wasn’t a big deal, then I would hear feedback from people who have jacked up eyes with bumps, etc., from inexperienced, but well-meaning doctors. You will either have to live with it forever in regret and it will bother you, or more than likely, you would want to get them redone again by your first doctor of choice. Then another issue is created and it will be on your mind again! I’m glad you wrote to me, and no I didn’t have other consultations. I studied peoples eyes online and picked the style I definitely wanted. Also, most people don’t know this~ Dr. Lee is a leader in Korea. His official title is Adjunct Professor at Seoul National University (Bundang Hospital), and they learn from his talks, so flying overseas is unnecessary, but it’s up to you! Also, if you are considering flying overseas, you might want to check into their safety standards. Click here to see the video 🙂
♥ Hello I just wanted to tell you how helpful your videos were! You convinced me in choosing Dr. Lee and I LOVE the results!! 🙂
YAY! So happy for you!! 🙂
♥ What doubts did you have?
I was nervous about changing my face, and the doubt I had was, I feared that I would look older after surgery. The reason is, I tried gluing a double fold and my mom freaked out at me and said I looked old, and she tried to convince me not to do the surgery- she thought I would look like that! I used the really sticky glue made for that. (It’s awesome thinking about it now that I don’t have to do that anymore. I used to use it with lashes glued on.) When I asked Dr. Lee about it, he explained to me that the glue method won’t work on me because I have too much space and skin and for that same reason, I wasn’t a candidate for the DST method. That made me more excited, actually… because the incisional method was what I truly wanted. I loved the results more! I just thought I could go cheaper with the DST method, and was nervous to do the incisional method… so, I’m glad it worked out that way. I’m so glad I spoke with Dr. Lee. There wasn’t any information online anywhere that I could find that about me and my situation, in english, that I could find, and I have been told I look younger after surgery! 🙂
Question from a Non-Dr. Lee patient:
♥ Hey girl!
I got my eyes done on Friday and it’s day 3 now, my swelling went down but on one of my eye, the sclera is red and it’s very irritating… thought it would go away but it didn’t.
The office is closed due to weekend and Memorial Day, but I’ll see if it continues tomorrow and I’ll call them emergency….
The swelling of the lids went down so just the sclera of my left eye is red blood shot like…I got the lateral and medial cut as well. Did you experience discomfort or redness of sclera? Thank you!
I’m so excited for you! No, I didn’t get red eyes, is it getting better? Do u have the Dr.’s cell?
Sorry to hear of your situation… I hope everything is ok. Nothing is ever 100%, and I cannot speak for everyone, but- No, I did not have anything odd going on! It was like I came out of it and I was ready to heal fast. I hope you are ok.
I googled Red sclera after eyelid surgery and on realself.com, doctors answered that it’s normal, not dangerous, and it will go away shortly, but I would ask your Dr. ASAP!
500 MG of Vitamin C 2x per day for two weeks before surgery, stopping the day before per Dr. Lee = no bruising or redness for me. I actually took 600 MG since that’s what I could find.
I appreciate your help so much girl! lol The irritation feels better today…the redness relieved a little bit. Thank goodness! Cuz it was really bad yesterday! I have the true almond shape eyes so my cut cannot be too high or else doc said it will cause Ptosis. Which is not good. But I did have the lateral and medial cut so I’m happy with that. I will email you a pic of my eyes.
Did you look, ok I was worried about you but I feel better now, it’s all uphill from here, I’m so happy for you yay!
♥ Hi,
I love your eyes.
I was watching your videos and I am also thinking about doing Asian eyelid surgery. I researched Dr. Charles Lee too and had a Skype interview with him, but I never had time to follow through because I had doubts. I very much appreciate the videos about your experience.
Some questions I thought about were:
How long were in Los Angeles?
Four days. I arrived Tuesday night, had the surgery Wednesday morning at 7:00 AM, had a follow up appointment on Saturday at 10:00 AM, went back to the hotel to sleep off the local anesthesia (to remove some stitches), and then I flew back home that evening.
Medium incision- was that Dr. Lee’s suggestion? With that in mind, did you also show him pictures?
Yes, I showed him pics. I emailed and showed him on my cell phone that I wanted a dome shaped eye, and I also showed him what I didn’t want!
I thought I was going to have a small crease- that’s what I thought I wanted. I am SO glad I went with Dr. Lee’s suggestion of a medium crease. I emailed him photos and I also showed him on my phone when I met him. The look I wanted~ I only knew what it looked like on the gals with makeup on, so I showed Dr. Lee those pics. He can see behind the makeup what was done. I had no clue.
P.S. Dr. Lee is an honest, great Dr. with integrity. I feel sometimes girls will look for the Dr. to try to connect with their patients on a closer level. It’s important to feel that connection and comfort~ know that Dr. Lee is sincere with you, but he may not express it as outwardly as you may want, and this is the point where I find gals writing to me because they are not sure. In person, the moment I stepped in the door to his facility it felt cozy and comfortable. He will be there for you if and when you need him and give you his best. He was there for me a lot before~ I would email him randomly, and after, he cares about you after, it’s almost been a year since I’ve had the surgery and he is there for me if I need him, as well as his staff, to make sure you are happy! He’s highly skilled and specializes in Asian cosmetic surgery and that’s the most important characteristic in choosing a Dr. for Asians. His skills “sell itself” haha. I would rather choose a skilled, specialized Dr. than go for one that will use other methods to win you over…
♥ How did your boyfriend and friends feel/think of you when you didn’t have the lashes on? Since I know I look so different/bad with my lashes off but with them on I look pretty good, and now that it’s summer, I feel so insecure about going to the pool because then I wouldn’t be able to wear ANY makeup let alone lashes.
In the past, I was comfortable without lashes on and men liked the natural look and would make fun of “glued on lashes.” Those are the people that care about you! I didn’t care so much about my looks back then. Then, when I became addicted to the lashes, I felt the same- that I looked so different/bad with the lashes off, so then I wouldn’t let anyone see me like that! I remember those days when I wouldn’t go to the pool either. Psychologically I felt even worse, like a total weirdo for avoiding the pool. 🙁 Now, post-surgery, I go down water slides and go under water. It’s the simple things in life that bring us the most joy…
♥ I have emailed Dr. Lee and he’s doing a photo consultation for me!
Yay! Keep me posted 🙂
♥ What do you tell your friends and coworkers that ask about you looking different?
Coworkers- No one flat out asked me about looking different, they just stare! I went about my business as normal and didn’t make a big deal out of any of it. One of my bosses mentioned my eyes looking swollen, but I didn’t take it as a big deal and just went on and then in the future, I would bring it up casually, and say, “I’m blogging now about my eyelids, remember, when my eyes were swollen~ that surgery!”
Friends- A close friends’ family asked me about it. She was very sweet and is a softer lady, and I was really open. I think that was a rare situation, though.
♥ At what month will all the swelling go down to your final results? I have uneven eyelids. One is double, and one mono lid that appears droopy. I am considering going to Dr. Lee also. 🙂 Did you have a consultation visit and then return to LA for the surgery, or did you do everything in one trip? How much is the consult? Thanks in advance 🙂 Your eyes look good.
~3 months for the swelling to go down! I did a free email photo consultation and went to LA once for the surgery and one follow-up appointment in the same trip, 3 days after surgery. 🙂
♥ Hi! I’ve been watching your videos and I think you’re so amazing and brave to share your story! It’s so hard to find real life stories about this surgery because people want to erase that part of their life before surgery.
I’ve always wanted to do the eyelid surgery. I wonder, how long did you stay in Cali for, for the surgery & checkup? How much was it if you don’t mind sharing?
Thanks a lot!
I stayed for 4 days, arrived Tuesday evening, surgery 7:00 AM
Wednesday Morning, Saturday morning at 10:00 AM was the follow up appointment where he removed some stitches. I flew home Sat. evening which I recommend sleeping after the follow up appointment because the local anesthesia in your eyelids may make you feel a little dizzy (no driving!), and you may have to sleep it out 🙂
♥ I watched ur videos about your experience with the eyelid surgery; it’s really amazing! I was really considering the eyelid surgery too, but I’m in Canada. I was wondering what kind of research do you recommend doing before the surgery? I have been thinking about going to consultations with some doctors first. Please let me know! Thanks for your videos you look great 🙂
I would research doctors in the same continent, and look for doctors that specialize in Asian eyelids and have a lot of experience. There is no way someone can almost perfect a trade without much experience. If I go to a surgeon, I’ll know what their specialty is, and probably wouldn’t go to the same surgeon for a different procedure, but it depends, because Dr. Lee specializes in Asian people, and is double board certified with the whole head and neck, so he can make over a whole Asian person. (Some specialize in boob jobs, etc.). If you travel too far, say Korea, if you need a correction (nothing is ever 100%), it will be more difficult to go back. Also, try to find videos and pics of the doctor’s work and many, many examples. As I said above, Dr. Lee is an Adjunct Professor at Seoul National University and he recently gave a talk to the Chief there. Click here to learn more information about going overseas.
Remember that doctors post their best work…. Good luck! Let me know who you’re thinking of!
♥ You do look GREAT! I’m sooo happy for your new look. hehe my surgery is this month on the 24th! AHHHH haha STOKEDDDDDDDDD
P.S. I like your videos! 🙂
Yay!! I’m so excited for you! Message me the day before and keep me posted!
♥ Hi
I just got my eyelids done too and your videos have been so informative! THANK YOU SO MUCH, and you also look great !!
So happy for you! Isn’t it so amazing. Good for you to have the guts to do what you wanted!
♥ I did mine from Canada with Dr. X. I’m not really happy with my results. I think mine became too high, and my eyes are so sore and tired it’s been 2 weeks now. I am just wondering how long did it take your eyes to stop being so sore. I envy your results you look so great. Hope to hear from you . Thanks !
Hi! The swelling will go down and the crease will drop as well. I felt like my eyes were sore for two to three weeks, and became sore if I strained them, like opening them too wide, or working long periods. This should pass… I hope you are ok, please keep me posted.
The letter below, she was so sweet and delighted to share the letter (anonomously) with the public:
Emma
August 27, 2015 at 12:29 pm (6 years ago)Hi!
I just did my double eyelid surgery about a month and a half ago and I’m healing on the sloooooooooow side. I’m still swollen and a little bit red. I ice every day. Is there anything else I can do? I saw your video about taking vitamin C, but idk if it will do anything at this stage. My one month mark looked like someone’s 1 week mark or even someone’s 1 day mark!! I’ve been really stressed out about it lately. Also how are your scars? Mine are really bumpy and red. Were yours bumpy?? THANKS A LOT>
Mali
September 25, 2015 at 9:00 pm (5 years ago)Hi Emma! I just now saw your message. Which procedures did you get and who did you go to? YES, vitamin C will do something at this stage. Dr. Lee recommends taking it 1 week after surgery to help even more : ) No, mine were not bumpy at all and my eyelids feel like they did before surgery. omg sorry for the delay. It has been 1 month since you wrote this. How are you doing now?
Thao
December 6, 2015 at 2:21 am (5 years ago)Thank you for sharing your journey. I have considered it for a long time now but never felt comfortable with any of the surgeons I researched. I somehow landed on your YouTube channel, and from there I followed your blog, I have to say I must go to Dr Lee! If you don’t mind me asking, how long until you looked normal enough so that people don’t really know you had anything done? I don’t want my family and friends to know…
Mali
December 19, 2015 at 5:09 pm (5 years ago)Hi Thao! Totally get your dilemma. I would say if you have the incisional procedure, after 3 to 4 weeks, people are not likely to notice if you put foundation over the face and eye area. Also, apply eye liner and lashes to help cover up any of the light poofiness : )
Kelly
March 28, 2016 at 3:16 pm (5 years ago)Hi Mali, I just have my surgery done 8 days ago and my eyelids is huge like a sausage and i notice that one size is bigger then the other side i just feel sick everytime i look at the mirror. I want to know how long will it take for that sausage lids to go down. I been avoid my friends n family because i look weird n even my kids scary to look at me. I feel like i making a mistake doing this surgery and dont have anyone that have the experience to talk with. I am in a lot of stress at this stage please help.
Mali
March 28, 2016 at 10:26 pm (5 years ago)Hi Kelly! This is the process we all go through post-op that no one will tell you about. I have been there for girls that went through an emotional roller coaster to an exponential degree. I went through the same emotional roller coaster, especially at the times when I was by myself. It’s like an everyday struggle, then surgery, then a dip lower into struggle, then it goes up from here. I wrote an “after” letter, and I think this part may help you : )
Your eyelids will change to a completely different eyelid. The time it takes for people to heal will differ with everybody. The younger you are, the chances are the faster you will heal. As for the bruising, the more bleeding that occurred during surgery- a blood vessel that was difficult for the Dr. to stop bleeding, the more bruising you will have. The more bruising you have, the longer it will take for you to heal. If you had skin removal only, it will take on average 3 to 5 days for the swelling and bruising to heal. If you had skin and fat removal, the healing time will take about 1 to 2 weeks for the swelling and bruising to go down. For optimal healing results in the first two weeks make sure to ice, rest, and elevate your head. Try to sleep on your back and avoid laying in any way that pulls on your face/eye area. Try to avoid activities that dry the eyes such as reading, watching TV, wearing contacts, and using your computer. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from wind and sun irritation, and avoid any activities that increase blood flow to the eyes such as exercise and no crying! Avoid drinking alcohol, too! People with a positive and healthy outlook on life will likely heal faster and stress and worry will likely make the healing process slower. Either way you will heal, but why not speed up the process by keeping a great attitude and a focused mindset of the great outcome you’re about to achieve!