It took a lot of time to discover the clinic I needed

Xue Li (not her real name), 28, works in the sports industry.

About three years ago, I woke up one morning and looked at myself in the mirror. I noticed for the first time that my single-fold eyelids didn’t match the shape of my face, so I decided to change them.

In those days, I was a real estate consultant in Beijing and frequently travelled all over the country. One day, I saw an online advertisement for a clinic that used new technology to produce double eyelids by sticking two pieces of skin together. I didn’t like the idea of a scalpel cutting my skin, so I decided to go to the clinic.

It was hidden away in an office block in southwest Beijing. Although I felt a little uneasy when I spoke with the doctor, I didn’t worry too much because the procedure, which was intended to make my eyes rounder, didn’t involve a scalpel.

Under the glare of the operating table lights, the surgeon put a fiber line directly into my eyelid without using anesthetic. It was so painful that I gripped the surgical sheet very tightly.

The hospital livestreams the surgery conducted there, so potential patients can see how things are done and gauge the results.”

Xue Li, on why she chose a particular clinic for cosmetic surgery

During the procedure, which lasted less than half an hour, the doctor advised me to have the fat in my lower eyelids removed. Because the procedure would be conducted with the new technology I trusted the doctor and agreed.

In all, I paid 10,000 yuan ($1,500), although I hadn’t expected to spend that much.

However, my double eyelids didn’t look very good after the surgery because the folds weren’t smooth, but irregular. I went back to the clinic at the end of 2015, and they promised to provide another doctor to redo the operation.

At the second consultation, the doctor said my lacrimal grooves needed to be filled because holes had appeared when the fat was removed from my lower eyelids. I paid another 3,000 yuan and went on the operating table again.

Since then, I have paid close attention to aesthetic beauty technologies and now I would like to have a fatter face to fit my double-eyelids. After discussions with three doctors in public hospitals and private clinics, I chose a hospital in Qinhuangdao, my hometown in Hebei province.

The hospital livestreams the surgery conducted there, so potential patients can see how things are done and gauge the results. That convinced me that they can solve the problem and ensure that my eyes will not appear so protuberant.