Reasons for surgery

In 1963, a Malayan doctor, Khoo Boo-Chai, pushed his popular non-incision method of “Oriental Blepharoplasty,” the creation of “double eyes.” He believed that desire for the surgery stemmed from three reasons: socioeconomic (the western look being more accepted); local beliefs and superstition (to eradicate suspicious “mousy” eyes); and “domestic” (better chance to snag a prospective husband).

“Our Eastern sisters put on western apparel, use western makeup, see western movies, and read western literature,” Khoo Boo-Chai wrote in 1963. “Nowadays, there even exists a demand for the face and especially the eyes to be westernized. This upper eyelid operation can be considered a purely cosmetic surgical procedure amongst Asians.”