Tuesday 7 April 2015

My Double Eyelid Surgery

Hi! I'm here to share about my double eyelid (upper blepharoplasty) surgery done in Singapore. I will update this blog as each month and year progresses. Leave a comment if you have questions!

Personal background

  • 25 years old (at time of surgery)
  • Female
  • Singaporean Chinese, residing in Singapore
  • Why I wanted the surgery: I did not like my monolids and disliked the way I looked without eyeliner. I relied on eyeliner A LOT. Not that I drew it very thick but doing a winged-tip made a huge difference for my eyes. I have only experimented with false eyelashes, eyelid tape and glue a handful of times so actually I am not used to seeing myself with double eyelids. I also wasn't sure if having double eyelids would make me look better but I figured that if almost every girl wanted it, then it must be able to help me right?


Doctor
Dr Andrew Tay (Full name: Dr Andrew George Tay) from The Plastic Surgery Practice, Singapore

Cost
Consultation - SGD$120 to SGD$180 (excluding 7% GST aka tax)
Incisional upper eyelid surgery - SGD$3,200 (excluding 7% GST aka tax)

Consultation
The doctor has plenty of well-known accreditation hanging in his office wall (National University of Singapore, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, Academy of Medicine, Singapore). He is very nice, patient and kind. He explained procedures to me slowly and thoroughly. He never pushed me to do the surgery nor ask me to consider other surgeries.

He shared with me everything he knew about double eyelid surgery - the 2 different types of procedures, the 2 different types of eyelids that can be achieved, the pros & cons, additional surgeries (if needed), etc. Then he used a metal wire on my eyelids to show me the different heights and types of eyelids that can be achieved on my eyes. He noted my answers and reaction to each version.

The doctor advised me to use double eyelid stickers but,
a) I don’t know how to use them properly without the plastic bits sticking out so I felt that it's not an accurate representation of what actual double eyelids will look like, and
b) I have an insane fear that peeling off the tape will cause the skin on my eyelids to be weak & saggy - and I need the skin on my eyelids to be healthy & plump to withstand the surgery!

So yknow what. This might not be the smartest decision before surgery but I am just gonna wing it. Because from blogs I’ve read by people who have went under the same doctor, he usually spends about half an hour, perfecting the crease. I think that should be enough time for me to determine what I want. Right… right? Well, I just want something simple so I believe it can’t be that difficult to achieve.

Of course, I’m also pretty damn worried since it’s irreversible!!!

The receptionist would be the one to advise on the costs, payment methods & booking of the surgery dates. I was quoted SGD$2,900 for the stitching method and SGD$3,200 - SGD$3,700 for cutting method (all excluding GST). The price for the cutting method is due to complications that may arise and more surgery needed to resolve the complications. Unfortunately, they do not accept credit card installments (hahaha). Also, a 20% deposit is required to secure your surgery date. Surgeries have to be booked 1 - 2 months in advance because he is rather busy.

I left pretty satisfied to have all my questions answered and I wasn’t in any hurry to get the surgery done because I was still saving up. On top of having to save up for the surgery, I also had to save up to survive a couple of months as I was planning to quit my job (and I expected to be jobless for 1 - 2 months to recover + find another job).

Eventually, I e-mailed the receptionist again to place my deposit. Yes, I was going to save-a-date!

Surgery
Procedure: Short or minimal incision method (Selected by the doctor)
"The incision is shorter compared to conventional cutting method. In addition to a shorter scar, recovery time may be shorter compared to conventional techniques, with swelling subsiding faster. This method would be preferred if no excess skin needs to be removed. This procedure is usually done under local anesthesia (sometimes with light sedation) and takes 1-1.5 hours."

My appointment was at 2:45PM, 1 April 2015, and I was told to fast (not eat and not drink) from 9AM onwards.

I arrived and was given all of my medication (anti-bruising pills, painkillers and eye lotion) first. I only had to take 2 pills first (to help with bruising). Waited for about 15 mins then went into the Doctor's room. He used the metal wire so that we can confirm the crease that I want. He was very patient and made sure I saw all options before I decided. I settled on a parallel crease with 8.3mm height. I felt that tapered crease made my eyes look damn round, almost tear-drop shape like and I hated it.

Then I lay down flat on the reclining chair (like a dentist chair) while he measured and drew the markings on my eyes. This took 20 - 30 mins. He was being extremely precise. Then he asked me to check in the mirror again before we started.

The doctor wanted to insert a needle and plastic tube through the vein of my hand and I was so nervous! This was the part I dreaded the most because it’s supposedly the first and only pain you should feel before you become numb. And my friend told me it’d be a very thick needle. I couldn’t watch. It was indeed painful but bearable. Then the plastic tube was sticking out of my hand! Ewww!

After the nurse put in the sedation, I felt the sudden wave of sleepiness but it subsided really quick. I was still awake, I think? Because I totally didn’t feel and notice the doctor injecting the LA when I read that was supposed to be the most painful part. After 20 minutes or so, I began to be able to feel stuff especially something that felt and sounded like a laser? The Dr could see me grumbling a bit so he injected more LA for me.

When he started on my right eye, I was more aware and could sort of feel and imagine everything he was doing (cutting the eyelid, sewing...). Mostly just the sensation and not really the pain. But as for the sewing part, I did feel the needle poking and going through the skin, this part felt like ant bites but I was actually too lazy/relaxed to complain about it so I just kept quiet and tried my best to not move, hoping we are reaching the end soon. ALSO, I really did not want to distract him.

I guess maybe the sedation + LA doesn't really work for me? For reference, my pain threshold is rather high. Just that I am extremely squeamish and have a wild imagination so I tend to flinch a lot.

He asked me to open my eyes, look up, etc many times towards the end of the surgery.

Very quickly, it was all over. Only 1-1.5 hours! An ice pack was placed over my eyes and I had to lie down with it for almost 20 mins. I was fully conscious and active but the nurses refused to believe me, haha! I felt like a drunk person telling everyone I'm not drunk with no one believing me.

But I'm happy they made me use the ice pack for so long because when I looked into the mirror, aside from swelling, it wasn't red or bloody at all! It looked so clean! I couldn't even see the stitches which were hidden in my swollen lids.

The doctor said that my right eye was a little tough. He described the muscles as being "stuck up" and said that the right eye will swell more.

Because I have droopy eyes/ptosis, doctor asked me to train my eye muscles by opening my eyes big and looking up without help from my eyebrows.

My sister came to drive me home because we all thought I would be too drowsy to get a cab myself. In the car ride home, the area above my eyelids and my head started to feel achey. I popped the painkillers immediately.

Before

After - With stitches

Day 1 - 3: I applied the ice pack 3 - 5 times a day, 15 minutes each time. I just laid down on the bed and put some music on. It was very relaxing!

Day 2 and 3, bruises started forming along my lash line and down the slant of my eyes. (Compare Day 1 to 2, it looks like I have eyeshadow!) It was a bit scary :(
I felt the swelling was kept under control, it didn't increase but maybe decreased slightly.

Day 3 and 4, my right eye started to have sharp pains. But still bearable. May be due to the extra work he had to do on this eye.

Day 5, I accidentally poked right into the stitches of my left eye as I was reaching to scratch the corner of my eye. Omg, it was so painful :( Thankfully, no blood.

On 7 April 2015 (6 days after), I went back to remove my stitches. First, the nurse placed wet cotton pads and dripped water onto the stitches to get them wet. Then the doctor slowly removed the stitches. I was really afraid of the pain. Yes, it was painful but I felt really silly then because how come I can endure threading, waxing and tweezing my eyebrows but I am making such a fuss over just this!? I told myself to imagine he was just plucking my eyebrows and yes, it did feel like pulling of hair, one by one - the only difference is the "hair" is really low on your eyelids and he was pulling really slowly.

After - Without stitches



The scars are actually skin-colour, maybe slightly pink-ish. The darkness you see in the photo is shadow because the skin above the scar is hanging over the scar.

The bruising is still pretty bad on both eyes, they extend to the outer corner of my eyes, giving me a super slanted, droopy-eye look.

I actually like this crease height but I know it's going to drop. The doctor said it will drop by at least half this height!

I was very happy to remove the stitches because it means I'm getting closer to healing and seeing how my eyes will finally turn out! I also feel cleaner and lighter. Can you imagine not being able to wash a wound filled with dried blood and caked with lotion for 6 days :/

Having the stitches out also makes me more confident to leave my house and even look people in the eye without hiding behind sunglasses. Actually I think I look quite decent now except for the bruises.

The doctor said I'm healing very well but my eyes still look super droopy so he asked me to do more eye exercise. He also said I can wash my face as per normal but to be extra gentle on my eye area. He warned me that this is the stage where the scars will start to get bumpy. If it gets too bumpy, he'll have to start me on scar treatment. If not, then it will heal by itself. Fingers crossed now. My review will be in 4 weeks time. In the meantime, he said I can continue with the ice pack just once a day for about a week.

Things I prepared for the surgery:
  • Vitamin C supplements to be consumed before and after surgery
  • Cold packs
  • Fresh pineapples (gave me killer ulcers though)
  • Fresh pumpkin/pumpkin juice for de-swelling and healing
  • Stayed away from salty food, seafood and dark sauce (Chinese beliefs)
  • Facial wipes in case it's difficult to wash face
  • Get eyebrows done before surgery!!! You don't want to have ugly eyes and brows.
Leave a comment if you have any questions! I will continue to update this space with pics.

33 comments:

  1. I'm seeing him for non incisional next month !!!! is the IV sedation really painful ?! I'm so scared

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Omg! That's so exciting!
      No, it's not VERY painful. It's just that I'm very squeamish and I was being very dramatic when he poked it in. Just don't look, and concentrate on something else, like squeezing the chair, etc. The pain will last for less than 5 secs then you will feel relaxed! And don't worry!

      Delete
  2. ill be so scared and nervous- so after that iv sedation, it takes just almost 5 seconds and you will knock out ?? weren't you scared on that day ? been thinking this for years and i just need guts

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was super scared & nervous once I stepped into his office! I suddenly like became mute when usually I'm quite chatty with him. He even asked if I am having a sore throat, or not feeling well lol! But I replied that I'm just super nervous.

      Erm, unfortunately you won't knock out.

      First, the nurse/dr will insert this small tube on your hand. Then they will go back to prepping. Then right before the surgery starts, the nurse will inject the sedation into the tube, then you will immediately start feeling sleepy. It's up to you if you want to go to sleep or not. I think I napped for a bit. Then woke up mid-surgery. But it's not frightening at all. I really felt very calm :D Towards the end, he will ask you to open your eyes multiple times.

      Anyway, yours is non-insicional leh! If mine (incisional) is not painful, yours definitely won't be :D

      My advice would be a) Don't look at the needle, turn your head. b) Try to inflict pain elsewhere. Like, I have this (bad) habit of digging my nails into my skin when I'm afraid/hurt. So I am concentrating on another pain rather than the needle.

      Delete
  3. btw.. i can't find much blog reviews on him actually other than ohhhoneyy pxdkitty and someone called jeanie phang. why did you choose him?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Last time I believed that technical skills are most important. So as long as the Dr is qualified and experienced (which Dr Tay definitely is), I should be in safe hands. Moreover, he used to work in our local hospital before, so all the more I trust his skills.

      Oh and lastly, I thought his rate is slightly cheaper than market rate. Haha, now I am not sure if it is.

      Delete
  4. "First, the nurse/dr will insert this small tube on your hand. Then they will go back to prepping." ----- do you mean they will inject the needle and leave the needle hanging inside and go away ?!?! sounds gross and painful !

    ReplyDelete
  5. Haha, yes, it's an IV drip. They use this so that they can continuously insert the sedation into your body without having to inject you multiple times.

    Like this http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/prod_consump/groups/cr_common/@cah/@gen/documents/image/crukmig_1000img-12194.jpg

    But on your hand instead of arm. You will only feel the pain once, a short while, then you won't know it's there already. Trust me! I was as scared as you because I've never done surgery before. But it's really not as bad as you think. Just don't look at it! And DON'T LOOK AT THE NEEDLE.

    Tell the doctor to do it without telling you anything. Turn your head the other way and pinch yourself on your thigh or something. Or bring a soft toy!

    After it's done, just rest your hand at your side. You can start to worry about your surgery and soon you will forget the needle.

    ReplyDelete
  6. how does it feels when

    1) they are inserting the needle
    2) when the needle is STUCK inside your vein

    and how long does it takes for you to start feeling sleepy/calm?

    do you really feel ZERO pain when he was doing the cutting and sewing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1) Sharp pain.
      2) Like got something hard under your skin. But you will soon forget about it because lots of other things are happening and surgery is about the start!

      After they insert the tube, they will carry on with their prep. Only when the Dr is ready to operate then she will drip the sedation liquid into the tube. I felt sleepy immediately. In fact, until now I don't even know whether I fell asleep or not. AFTER sedation, he still needs to inject numbing liquid into your eyelids. This one I totally did not feel at all (that's why I suspected I fell asleep).

      Halfway through, I was more awake and I started to feel stuff. First a bit of pressure, then I felt a bit of pain (very bearable, just like pin-pricking) So I made some noise then he instructed the nurse to insert more anaesthesia onto my eyelid. But throughout this whole period, I just feel calm and sleepy and not panicked at all.

      Delete
  7. another question... how long does that sharp pain lasted for ? lol.

    I'm going to pay my deposit this saturdya and until now, I'm still having second thoughts. I'm scared but i can't identify what I'm scared of.

    do you feel like this is the best choice you've ever made ?
    he did told me cutting would be more lasting but i can't afford that long recovery period...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The most painful is when it goes in. After that it's still painful but not AS pain. A few seconds? Then you will be distracted. Similar to you, this was my biggest fear too but I managed to overcome it ~~~

      Actually, for sewing method, I am not even sure if yours even have sedation or not!!! Please check with the doc, haha! I thought your surgery is next month? How come you haven't put deposit yet! Still got slot? Usually need to book him 1-2 months in advance one.

      YES, I agree cutting is a bit drastic. I was swollen for more than 1 month! I am so thankful I set aside 1-2months to recover.

      As long as you are very careful with your eye area, I'm sure your stitches will last long.

      Please look at my BEFORE & AFTER eyes and judge yourself! My 'before' eyes super cannot make it lah! Simple things like going to the gym (without make-up), late night supper made me feel so freaking ugly. I am trying to achieve the 'natural pretty' look, to be pretty with MINIMAL or no make-up. Now it feels so liberating to leave my house ANYTIME without even fussing who will see me, how ugly I look. My bf also used to make fun: 'going nearby only why must put make-up, want to show who?'. Wearing eyeliner boosted my confidence a lot.

      And btw, until now I haven't even worn eyeliner (it's been almost 2 mths).

      Even though Dr say that double eyelids are not meant to make eyes bigger, I feel my eyes are way bigger now.

      Of course I am not yet the pretty that I want to be... So now I'm actually aiming to fix other parts of my face. Like fillers and skin lasers. Haha! *vain*

      What's your reasons for double eyelid? It's how badly you want it. I guess I wanted it so badly that everything else is secondary.

      It's even better if you know how (good) you can look with double eyelid tape and glue. Do you look better? If yes, then go for it. I didn't even know how to use tape or glue so I actually had no idea how I would look like WITH double eyelids. It was a huge risk for me.

      Delete
  8. thanks for replying to all my questions. well my eyes are...not very lively looking. a bit of tired look ?i do know that double eyelid does not increase the aperture of the eyes... but i do hope it helps to kinda make it appear bigger. I'm scared shitless. think ill just pay the deposit tmrw...im into fillers too, tried it once but think its a waste of money.

    ReplyDelete
  9. btw is that sedation drip thing supposed to make you feel very calm ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's to make you sleepy. But I felt a wave of calmness. Not sure if it's just me or an effect of the drip too. Since you're going to put your deposit, you should clarify with the Doc about all your doubts! I'm sure he'll be able to put your mind at ease. Anyway, it definitely made my eyes appear bigger! You can do filler but you are scared of needle?!! I am scared of filler! My friend told me the doc will keep poking the needle into the nose and under the skin.

      Delete
  10. fillers is injecting into your flesh whilst iv sedation is into your VEINS. i guess thats the difference haha.filliers is like a sharp/full pain- its definitely bearable. and after the first jab u kinda know how it feels and what to expect in the next few jabs so you kinda get used to it. i did chin fillers. and its...a waste of money. it has been 9 months now and its almost gone now.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi can I ask the cost of the sugery all in like including the consulting fee, sugery and medicine?
    Thank you (:

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is it :)

      Consultation - SGD$120 to SGD$180 (excluding 7% GST aka tax)
      Incisional upper eyelid surgery - SGD$3,200 (excluding 7% GST aka tax)

      Additional cost will be charged if there are complications (none, in my case)

      Delete
  12. Hi! I'm 17 this year and I'm contemplating whether to get the double eyelid surgery done, my main concerns are the judgements I'll get from the people around me... Anyway! May I know why did you choose Dr Andrew Tay out of so many other plastic surgeons?
    Thank you!:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You don't have to tell people you got work done! You can just tell them you're wearing double eyelid glue, haha. If you wear eye make-up often, then it's less likely that many people will notice the change.

      Personally, I didn't get any negative judgements from my friends (only an aunt who scolded me for being vain, hehe). While talking about my surgery, all my gfs started with their 'oh i did fillers before', 'i did this', 'i did that'... like every one was just trying to compete who got more work done, lol!

      Most girls are SO vain today that a small eyelid surgery doesn't seem that huge anymore.

      And why I chose Dr Tay?

      Mainly because every single person has said he's a super nice doctor.

      Personally, I am VERY insecure about my looks. So having a nice doctor is pretty important to me. I didn't want to deal with a doctor further criticising my looks. Plus, having a nice doc also puts you at ease :)

      Delete
    2. Thank you for your prompt reply! May I know whether are the double eyelids permanent or is there a possibility that it may fade? I heard that the non-incision can last around 10years.. How about the incision method?

      Delete
    3. I don't think that non-incision can last around 10 years. Maybe you can confirm with a doctor. They leave the stitches in your eyelids so there's high possibilities of the stitches falling off.

      Incision method is permanent. They cut the skin open to remove the fats then stitch the skin back, so there's no way to reverse that.

      Delete
  13. Thanks for sharing your experience with us! Really very helpful for me. I am also considering to do mine with Dr. Tay and prefer to do by incision method as well (But it also depends on what the doctor recommend). Can I request a recent photo of your eyes with no make-up with open eyes and close eyes? Can I also ask if you did tapered or parallel? Is there any visible scars if you look closely on the eyes? Thanks in advance! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here you go!
      http://doubleeyelidgirl.blogspot.sg/2015/08/blog-post.html

      Delete
  14. Gosh your bruising was so minimal in comparison to mine!!

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  15. I did mine at Gleneagles Dr seah chee Seng clinic. Before that I actually booked it with Dr andrew. He is not confident and often give answers like maybe. So I chance it to let him do. I did mine with zero pain and Dr seah is very confident and gentle. Everything include is even cheaper than Dr Andrews. Also I don't like the nurses at his place. Rude and unfriendly. Dr seahs is friendly and skillful too. U may want to visit him. He will first show you many ex patients eyes to assure you his procedure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Eunice . How much is the total costs u did ur double eyelid surgery ? Is it incisional or non ? Can u email me at : camellialim12@gmail.com . Tks

      Delete
    2. I've been to Dr Andrew's clinics many times and never encountered a rude nurse (and I'm already very fussy when it comes to customer service).

      I agree Dr Andrew have doesn't have a very domineering attitude. He is more of a 'you do what you like' doctor but he'll give you the pros and cons. Therefore, if you are the kind that's very INDECISIVE, I agree that Dr Andrew is not the best Dr to go to because he won't say 'you MUST do this to look beautiful'. He'll just keep saying 'up to you'.

      Delete
    3. Hi Eunice, I am considering to do my double eyelid surgery with Dr Seah. Can you drop me an email at tsltiffany@gmail.com. Do have some questions regarding it. Thanks a lot!

      Delete
  16. Hi eunice, can you drop me an email regarding the surgery as well? Have a few qns to ask :) thank you!
    Jocelynyixuan@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. i really appriciate this blog please visite on my site too Corrective Eyelid Surgery in Islamabad,

    ReplyDelete
  18. Dr. Edmund Fisher MD, FACS who specializes in facial rejuvenation, skin care, facelift surgery, Botox injections, microdermabrasion, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, syringes for treatment of the hands and feet, surgical treatments of crow’s feet and other age related skin changes.

    ReplyDelete