What Are Epicanthal Folds?
Overview
A brief explanation of what Epicanthal Folds are.
What Are Epicanthal Folds?
A brief explanation of what Epicanthal Folds are.
A brief explanation of what Epicanthal Folds are
Epicanthal folds are oblique or vertical folds from the upper or lower eyelids towards the medial canthus. Basically, it is a skin fold on the upper eyelid which covers the inner angle of the eye, which makes them appear smaller and more slanted, even if the eye itself is no different from an eye with no epicanthic fold. While it is the most frequent among East Asians, there are some populations which also have this feature without being Asian. The most common example of a non-Asian people group with epicanthic folds are the Khoisan, who inhabit the Kalahari desert of Southern Africa - they have no Asian ancestry and are some of the oldest communities in the world. The Sami and Finnish people often have epicanthal folds. In fact, every baby throughout the world is born with epicanthic folds, In some people the folds are retained into adulthood, while in some people they reduce at an early age. Babies often grow out of it as the bridge of their nose grows, but it can also be a sign of some genetic abnormalities like down syndrome, turner syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and some others. Some say that it’s just reproductive preference. At some point in time, in certain regions of the world those folds in the eye were preferred. However that is not entirely true. Why people have this feature is actually because in the past it helped protecting the eyes during very bad weather at cold temperatures, as well as from the sun and the dust. And during the lastest ice age, the ancestors of today's Inuits (who later spread across Asia, North America etc.) had to protect their eyes from snow blindness. The eyes became narrower to provide more shade and therefore protection from harsh light.
We can talk about 3 types of epicanthus :
Epicanthus tarsalis: fold most prominent along upper eyelid
Epicanthus inversus: most prominent along lower eyelid
Epicanthus palpebralis: involves both upper and lower eyelids