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By Ray Tang, inventor of the patented Optifold double eyelid tape system, and the Optifold team · Updated 16 October 2026
Short answer: Eyelid glue (アイプチ or 二重のり in Japan, 쌍꺼풀액 or 쌍액 in Korea) is a liquid painted on the upper lid to make a fold appear while the eye is open. Most glues bond the skin to itself; film-type glues dry into a layer that creases the skin without bonding it; night liquids are adhesive glues worn while you sleep. Optifold is none of those: it is a two-piece nighttime tape, an F-tape that sets the crease path and an N-tape that supports the fold, applied to the closed, extended lid and peeled off in the morning. Glue is cheaper, invisible when done well and in every drugstore; Optifold costs more per month and asks for a nightly routine, in exchange for a system designed around the closed eye with no skin-to-skin bond.
- Patented design
- Made in Canada from medical-grade, latex-free 3M tape
- Award-winning U of T startup (2018 HealthEdge Challenge)
- Free eyelid assessment and placement help
- Thousands of satisfied customers
Optifold vs. eyelid glue at a glance
| Daytime adhesive glue (e.g. Koji Eye Talk) | Film-type glue (e.g. D-UP ORISHIKI) | Night liquid (e.g. Night Eye Beauté) | Optifold | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Liquid adhesive in a brush bottle, with a pusher | Liquid that dries to a flexible film; brush bottle | Liquid adhesive in a 3 ml brush bottle, with a pusher | Two-piece tape system: F-tape (crease path) + N-tape (support) |
| When worn | Daytime, removed in the evening | Daytime, often under eye makeup | Overnight, washed off in the morning | Overnight, about 8–9 hours, removed in the morning |
| How it holds | Skin above the line is bonded to skin below it | The dried film pulls the lid into a crease; no skin-to-skin bond | Skin-to-skin bond, set while the eyes are closed | Adhesive tape on the skin; no skin-to-skin bond |
| How it is removed | Warm water or cleanser; residue needs oil or makeup remover | Peel the film off or dissolve it with warm water | Warm towel about a minute, lukewarm rinse, oil cleanser for residue (maker's instructions) | Peel: N-tape first from the inner corner, release the skin from the F-tape, peel the F-tape from its tail |
| Observed price (16 Oct 2026) | Eye Talk 8 ml ¥935 in Japan; US$9.99 on Amazon.com; 9,800–12,800원 in Korea. Daiso 올리브데코 쌍꺼풀액 5 ml 1,000원 | D-UP ORISHIKI US$23 on Amazon.com; 18,200원 at a Korean importer | MSRP ¥8,580; ¥2,990 first subscription delivery; ¥6,480 at authorised dealers | US$49.99 for 4 weeks; US$84.99 for 8; US$119.99 for 12 |
| Approximate cost per month | A few dollars: one Eye Talk bottle is usually quoted as lasting one to two months; Daiso's glue is under US$1 | Under US$25; the listing does not say how long a bottle lasts | ¥2,990 (≈US$19) in month one, then about ¥6,480–8,580 (≈US$41–54) | US$49.99 (about US$1.79 per night); US$40.00 per 4 weeks on the 12-week pack |
| Guidance included | Package leaflet | Package leaflet | Printed guide and the maker's web instructions | Illustrated instructions, the free Find Your Best Fit assessment, optional advisor programs |
| Best for | An invisible crease today, at the lowest price, from any drugstore | People who wear eye makeup over the product | People in Japan who want nothing on the lid by day and prefer a brush line | Practising one crease path on the closed eye, including uneven pairs and heavy lids |
| Main limitation (as reviews describe it) | Learning curve, stinging, residue, the fold letting go during the day | Film can lose hold or leave a white residue | Split reviews; dry eyes from lids held partly open; soaking to remove | Higher monthly cost; needs a nightly routine and accurate placement |
Why Optifold costs more than eyelid tape, and a fraction of double eyelid surgery
Most eyelid tape is made to be cheap and disposable: a strip that holds a fold for the day and goes in the bin at night. Optifold is built the other way round, as a premium nighttime system for people who want a double eyelid without surgery. This is what the price pays for.
- A patented two-piece design. The F-tape sets the crease path and the N-tape supports the fold while your eye is closed. The construction is patented in Japan (JP6114471B2) and South Korea (KR101451199B1).
- Made in Canada, from materials we name. Every Optifold tape is designed, manufactured and cut in Canada by a Canadian medical-tape manufacturer, from medical-grade, latex-free 3M tape. Many low-cost marketplace tapes say little about where they are made or what the adhesive is. We tell you both.
- A free eyelid assessment. The Find Your Best Fit assessment looks at your eyelid type and tells you whether tape alone or tape with guidance is the better start, and our team helps you with placement.
- Real people behind it. Optifold is an award-winning U of T startup, one of four winners of the University of Toronto's 2018 HealthEdge Challenge. Optional advisor programs (EyelidCare and Results Guaranteed) add video review and routine adjustments.
- Proof you can read. Thousands of satisfied customers, Trustpilot 4.0 out of 5, and documented case studies with timelines: Cherry, Alycia and Megan's diary.
Optifold vs. the cost of double eyelid surgery
| Option | Typical price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eyelid surgery, United States (upper blepharoplasty) | US$3,359 average surgeon's fee, before anesthesia and facility costs | American Society of Plastic Surgeons |
| Double eyelid surgery, Japan | Suture method (埋没法) ¥20,000–200,000 per eye; incision method (切開法) ¥100,000–400,000 for both eyes | rank-king.jp survey of 11 clinics, updated 1 April 2025 |
| Double eyelid surgery, Korea | Suture method (매몰법) ₩500,000–1,000,000; incision method (절개법) ₩1,000,000–1,500,000; about double in Gangnam | isclinic.co.kr 2026 cost guide |
| Optifold | US$49.99 for 4 weeks; US$119.99 for 12 weeks | opti-fold.com, October 2026 |
In the United States, a 12-week Optifold pack costs less than 4% of the average surgeon's fee alone. Surgery is a medical procedure with anesthesia, a recovery period and a result that is hard to undo. Optifold is a cosmetic routine you do at home while you sleep: no incisions, no anesthesia, no downtime, and you can stop any night. It does not change the anatomy of the eyelid and results vary, which is exactly why many people try it before booking a consultation. More in Optifold vs. surgery.
Is eyelid glue the same thing as Optifold? (쌍액 vs 쌍테)
No. Glue and tape are the two halves of the question Korean shoppers type as 쌍액 vs 쌍테, and Optifold sits on the tape side, but it is not a daytime strip either. Glue makes a fold while the eye is open, by sticking lid skin to the skin beneath it or shrinking a dried film across it. Optifold goes on the closed, extended eyelid before sleep: the F-tape marks where the lid should fold, the N-tape holds that fold through the night, no skin is glued to skin, and both tapes are off before you leave the house.
How does eyelid glue work, and what are the three types?
Japanese retailers and ranking sites sort glues by mechanism, and the vocabulary predicts how a product behaves.
Adhesive type (接着式). The classic アイプチ. You paint a thin line where the crease should sit, wait until it turns tacky, then push the lid up with a Y-shaped pusher so the skin above the line sticks to the skin below. Koji Eye Talk (アイトーク, by コージー本舗) is the long-running example, rated 4.3 by 2,514 @cosme reviewers; its 2026 lineup includes the standard 8 ml bottle at ¥935, a clear gel, Super Hold (¥1,100; US$14.50 and 3.7 stars on Amazon.com) and a waterproof version. Eye Putti (アイプチ) is the brand whose name became the Japanese word for the category: my-best's "夜用アイプチ" ranking lists 31 products from many makers, almost none of them Eye Putti. In Korea the cheapest option is Daiso's 올리브데코 쌍꺼풀액&속눈썹 접착제 (5 ml, 1,000원, rated 4.7 by 1,257 Daisomall reviewers), and 라벨영 쇼킹아이글루 sells as a 1+1+1 pack for 8,710원 (4.2 from 849 reviews on Danawa).
Film type (皮膜式, also called 非接着). The liquid dries into a thin, slightly elastic film that folds the lid without sticking skin to skin. Eyeshadow and liner can go over the dried film, and removal is peeling the film rather than unsticking skin. Koji's ハイブリッドフィルム and D-UP's ORISHIKI Eyelid Skin Film (US$23 on Amazon.com) are the names people search.
Night liquids (夜用). Adhesive-type glues formulated to be worn while you sleep and washed off in the morning; in Japan they are a category of their own. Night Eye Beauté (ナイトアイボーテ) is the best-known, compared with Optifold in its own article. The rest of my-best's and Ameba Choice's night lists are also liquids: FUTAE KEEP (¥1,980, day or night), アイミーG (¥3,480, latex-free), フタエラボ ナイトアイリッドグルー (5.5 ml, ¥1,144–1,320), 湘南美容アイリッドグルー (4 ml, ¥1,320) and メジカライナー ナイト&ハード (2 ml pen, ¥1,029–1,650). Only two tapes appear in my-best's top ten, both from Cogit.
What is different about how Optifold works?
Glue works on an open eye and relies on a bond or a film holding against the weight of the lid. Optifold works on a closed eye and relies on position. You extend the lid skin with a mirror below eye level, chin up and eyes looking down; the F-tape goes along the crease path on that extended skin and decides where the lid folds; the N-tape goes on over it and supports the fold from below, so the same line is held for about 8–9 hours. In the morning the N-tape comes off first, from the inner corner outward, then the skin is released from the F-tape and the F-tape is peeled from its tail. No soaking, no residue to dissolve, no skin stuck to skin.
Because the pieces are separate, the F-tape can sit higher or at a different angle on one eye, and the placement can be photographed and repeated. The two-piece construction is patented in Japan (JP6114471B2, granted 12 April 2017) and South Korea (KR101451199B1, registered 8 October 2014), inventor Raymond Tang. Optifold was one of four startups awarded a US$7,000 prize at the University of Toronto's 2018 HealthEdge Challenge, where U of T News described it as "a special tape to encourage double eyelids". The adhesive is a medical-grade 3M latex-free adhesive. Optifold is a cosmetic product, not a medical device; it does not change eyelid anatomy. It is designed to practise one crease path consistently, night after night, so the crease begins to show by day with nothing on the lid.
Which costs more per month, eyelid glue or Optifold?
Optifold, by a wide margin against daytime glue. A bottle of Koji Eye Talk was ¥935 (about US$6) in Japan, US$9.99 on Amazon.com and 9,800–12,800원 (about US$7–9) in Korea on 16 October 2026, and one bottle is usually quoted as lasting one to two months, so the monthly cost is a few dollars. Daiso's 쌍꺼풀액 is 1,000원, under US$1; D-UP ORISHIKI at US$23 is the expensive end. Optifold's four-week pack is US$49.99, about US$1.79 per night, or US$40.00 per four weeks on the 12-week pack at US$119.99.
Against night liquids the gap narrows: Night Eye Beauté lists at ¥8,580 (about US$54) for a 3 ml bottle the maker markets as about a month, sells for ¥6,480 (about US$41) at authorised dealers, and advertises ¥2,990 for the first subscription delivery; the cheaper Japanese night liquids run ¥1,029–3,480 a bottle. Optifold is not the cheap option in either comparison. The extra buys a two-piece tape designed for the closed eye, an assessment before you start and the option of advisor review.
Can you sleep with eyelid glue on? (アイプチ 寝る時 ダメ / 쌍액 자고 일어나면)
Daytime glue makers do not market it for sleep, and the Korean and Japanese questions about it ("쌍액 자고 일어나면", "アイプチ 寝る時 ダメ") are usually asked after an uncomfortable morning. An adhesive glue set on an open eye holds the skin in a fold the closed eye is not making; a film-type glue (皮膜式) has nothing to pull against once the eye closes. Doctors answering on Korean Q&A sites a-ha and 하이닥 advise removing glue and tape before sleep, citing irritation and a curled edge rubbing the eye; those are clinicians' opinions, not studies, but they match what reviewers describe.
Night liquids are adhesive glues worn to bed on purpose, and their reviews raise a complaint the daytime glues do not: dry or gritty eyes from sleeping with the lids held slightly apart by the bond. It appears in Night Eye Beauté reviews on @cosme and minhyo, and Japanese clinic columns (湘南美容クリニック, 恵聖会クリニック) make the same point. Optifold is also worn while you sleep, but the F-tape and N-tape hold a fold on a closed lid without bonding skin to skin, so the lid is not pulled open. More in Can you sleep with eyelid tape on?.
What are the side effects of eyelid glue? (쌍꺼풀 액 부작용)
These glues are cosmetics used daily by a great many people without trouble, and the complaints that recur on public platforms are consistent across brands. On Amazon.com, Koji Eye Talk reviewers (3.8 stars from 1,264 ratings) mention eye irritation and white residue; ORISHIKI reviewers (3.6 stars from 3,321 ratings) say it "loses its stickiness after an hour" and leaves an "obvious white residue". On LIPS, Night Eye Beauté reviewers describe stinging, redness and a rash in the first weeks and glue that is hard to get off. Korean review summaries for 쌍액 list itching, swelling, fumes, dry eyes and conjunctivitis when glue gets into the eye. Everyone describes a learning curve: the first bottle is mostly practice, and the fold can let go during the day if the line was in the wrong spot or the skin was oily.
The long-term worry, that years of pulling glue off thin lid skin stretches it, is the most-searched side-effect question in Korea and Japan; we go through what is known and what is not in Does eyelid tape make your eyelids sag?. For every product on this page, including Optifold: clean skin, gentle removal, and stop if the skin is red or swollen.
Can eyelid glue train a crease that stays after you remove it? (アイプチ 癖付け)
Daytime glue makers do not claim it; the fold exists while the bond or film holds, and Eye Talk, Daiso and 라벨영 are sold as makeup. Night-liquid makers do claim it: Night Eye Beauté's maker says the product guides the lid toward a double fold with continued use and recommends at least two to three months. Reviews are split, 4.4 on @cosme's 7-point scale across 778 reviews against 2.9 out of 5 across 592 on LIPS, with "no effect" and "reverts to a single lid" the most common negatives. Many Japanese users also try 癖付け with ordinary daytime glue at night, which is what "アイプチ 癖付け" searches are about; no maker supports that use.
For Optifold we publish individual cases rather than averages: Cherry, Alycia and Megan's diary, each with its own timeline. They are real cases, not a promise; results vary, and the usual pattern is a crease that holds for hours before it holds for a day (how long that typically takes).
Eyelid glue vs tape: which is better for hooded lids, uneven eyes, sensitive skin or a first try?
Hooded or heavy lids. A skin-to-skin bond has to carry the weight of the hood, and "doesn't suit heavy lids" is a recurring theme in glue reviews; a hard-hold or film type helps some people. Optifold's F-tape and N-tape work on the extended lid with support from below, and heavy and hooded lids are among the types it is designed for; results still vary.
One eye different from the other. Glue can be painted at a different height on each eye, but repeating the same freehand line every day is hard, which is why Korean 짝눈 threads are full of tape recommendations. With Optifold the F-tape height and angle are set per eye and can be photographed and repeated; see one double eyelid and one single.
Sensitive skin. Neither family is automatically gentler. Glue reviewers report stinging and residue; tape users who rip tape off report redness. Patch-test either, and avoid both on broken skin or near an eye infection.
A cheap first try. Glue wins outright. A 1,000원 Daiso bottle or a ¥935 Eye Talk will tell you whether you like the look of a crease on your face. Optifold is the first step only if what you want to test is a nighttime routine.
Can you use eyelid glue and Optifold together?
Not on the same lid at the same time, and not on the same night: glue under tape changes how the tape sits and makes removal harder. Using a daytime glue for an event while running Optifold at night is fine, provided the glue is removed completely in the evening and the tapes go onto clean, dry skin. The category-level guide is Eyelid glue vs. tape vs. fiber vs. overnight tape.
Who should pick eyelid glue, and who should pick Optifold?
Eyelid glue makes sense if you want a crease today, nothing visible on the lid, eye makeup over the product (film type), or the cheapest way to see what a crease looks like on you; the Japanese category has decades of products behind it and every drugstore stocks one. A night liquid makes sense if you are in Japan, want nothing on the lid by day and prefer a brush line to a tape; read the Night Eye Beauté comparison first.
Optifold makes sense if you want tape rather than glue, a product designed for the closed eye with no skin-to-skin bond, placement that is adjustable per eye and repeatable for hooded, heavy or uneven lids, and you accept paying more per month for a two-piece system with an assessment and guidance behind it. Start with Find Your Best Fit and read the instructions once before the first night.
Sources
- Koji Honpo lineup and prices via Yodobashi (アイトーク 8 ml ¥935; スーパーホールド ¥1,100), @cosme product 285476 (4.3, 2,514 reviews), LIPS (3.08, 1,579 reviews), 16 Oct 2026
- Amazon.com listings B00FR6UYEO (Koji Eye Talk, US$9.99, 3.8 stars, 1,264 ratings), B06XZ3GZQM (Super Hold, US$14.50, 3.7 stars, 772) and B07BB5QRTS (D-UP ORISHIKI, US$23, 3.6 stars, 3,321), with Amazon's "Customers say" summaries, 16 Oct 2026
- Danawa and 11번가 (아이토크 8 ml 9,800–12,800원, 4.6/57; 라벨영 쇼킹아이글루 1+1+1 8,710원, 4.2/849); Daisomall product 56569 (올리브데코 쌍꺼풀액 1,000원, 4.7/1,257); konajp importer prices, 16 Oct 2026
- my-best 夜用アイプチ ranking (31 products, updated 4 Aug 2026); Ameba Choice 夜用アイプチ8選 (updated 2 Mar 2026); Matsukiyo and Create SD listings for フタエラボ and メジカライナー
- Night Eye Beauté: sttd.jp (MSRP ¥8,580; ¥2,990 first subscription), kakaku.com dealer prices, @cosme 10105297, LIPS 236706, 16 Oct 2026
- Clinician opinions: a-ha and 하이닥 Q&A answers (2021–2026); 湘南美容クリニック and 恵聖会クリニック columns
- Optifold: product page (prices, 16 Oct 2026); Google Patents JP6114471B2 and KR101451199B1; U of T News, 7 Feb 2018
- Surgery prices: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, eyelid surgery cost page (average surgeon fee, upper blepharoplasty); rank-king.jp article 26214 (updated 1 April 2025); isclinic.co.kr "쌍꺼풀 수술 비용" 2026 guide (modified 4 September 2026) — checked 16 Oct 2026
See also: Optifold vs. other eyelid tapes, glues and night products · Optifold vs. Night Eye Beauté · Optifold vs. Mezaik fiber · Daytime vs. nighttime eyelid tape
1. Find Your Best Fit — a few minutes, tells you whether tape alone or tape with guidance is the better start.
2. Read the instructions — placement is what makes or breaks the routine.
3. Optifold nighttime tape system — 4, 8 or 12 weeks.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Optifold is a cosmetic product, not a medical device. Results from any eyelid routine vary from person to person. Eye Talk, Eye Putti, Night Eye Beauté, ORISHIKI, D-UP, FUTAE KEEP, Daiso, 라벨영 and the other names on this page are trademarks of their owners; they are used here only to identify the products being compared.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get double eyelids without surgery?
There are two non-surgical routes: daytime eyelid tape, fiber or glue, which create a crease only while you wear them, and nighttime crease training. Optifold is a patented two-piece nighttime tape system, made in Canada from medical-grade 3M tape, designed to train a double eyelid crease while you sleep so that it starts to show in the daytime without tape. It costs a fraction of surgery, needs no incisions or downtime, and comes with a free eyelid assessment. Results vary from person to person.
Is eyelid glue the same as Optifold?
No. Eyelid glue makes a fold while the eye is open by bonding lid skin to itself (adhesive type) or by drying into a film that creases the skin (film type). Optifold is a two-piece nighttime tape, an F-tape and an N-tape, applied to the closed, extended lid before sleep and peeled off in the morning, with no skin-to-skin bond.
Eyelid glue vs tape: which is better?
Glue is cheaper, invisible when done well, works under eye makeup in its film-type form and is sold in every drugstore; it needs practice and the fold exists only while the glue holds. Daytime tape is easier to learn but visible. Optifold is a nighttime tape designed to practise one crease path on the closed eye; it costs more per month and asks for a nightly routine.
Can you sleep with eyelid glue on?
Daytime glues are not marketed for sleep, and doctors answering on Korean Q&A sites a-ha and 하이닥 advise removing glue and tape before bed. Night liquids such as Night Eye Beauté are adhesive glues made to be worn while sleeping and washed off in the morning; their reviews mention dry eyes from lids held slightly apart. Optifold is also worn while you sleep but holds the fold with tape on a closed lid, not a skin-to-skin bond.
Does eyelid glue work overnight?
Daytime glue is set on an open eye and has nothing to hold once the eye closes; its makers do not claim an overnight effect. Night liquids are formulated for sleep and their makers claim the lid is guided toward a double fold with months of use. Reviews are split: Night Eye Beauté scores 4.4 on @cosme's 7-point scale and 2.9 out of 5 on LIPS (16 October 2026).
What are the side effects of eyelid glue?
The themes that recur on Amazon.com, LIPS and Korean review sites are eye irritation or stinging, white residue, redness or rash in the first weeks, dry eyes with night liquids, and conjunctivitis when glue gets into the eye. Most users also describe a learning curve. Patch-test any glue and stop if the skin is red or swollen.
Which costs more per month, eyelid glue or Optifold?
Optifold. Koji Eye Talk was ¥935 in Japan, US$9.99 on Amazon.com and 9,800–12,800원 in Korea on 16 October 2026, and one bottle is usually quoted as lasting one to two months; Daiso's 쌍꺼풀액 is 1,000원. Optifold's four-week pack is US$49.99, or US$40.00 per four weeks on the 12-week pack. Night Eye Beauté runs about ¥6,480–8,580 a month after its ¥2,990 first subscription delivery.
Can you use eyelid glue and Optifold together?
Not on the same lid at the same time or on the same night. Using a daytime glue for an event while running Optifold at night is fine if the glue is removed completely in the evening and the tapes go onto clean, dry skin.
Can eyelid glue train a crease that stays after you remove it?
Daytime glue makers do not claim it; the fold lasts while the bond or film holds. Night-liquid makers do claim a gradual effect with two to three months of nightly use, and reviews are divided. Optifold publishes individual case studies with timelines rather than averages; results vary for any eyelid product.