What Are Sanpaku Eyes? Meaning, Types, and Cure – A Full Guide
June 1, 2021
Sanpaku eyes exist worldwide, and they mean different things from one nationality to another. Although they look nice and can be attractive, it’s not uncommon to see people asking, “What the heck is a Sanpaku eye?” Why are they called Sanpaku? What type of eye disease or condition is it?
In this piece, I will explain what the Sanpaku eyes mean, their origin, superstitions, how to cure Sanpaku eyes if they are a health threat and how to know if you have them.
Sanpaku Eyes Meaning
Sanpaku eye is a term that describes the varying degrees of showing white sclera in an individual’s eyes. The amount of white conjunctiva a person has is a possible indication of a disease or disorder in a patient’s eyes.
What Are Sanpaku Eyes?
Sanpaku eyes are an eye condition in which the top or bottom sclera (white part of the eye) is visible when someone’s face is in a neutral position. It can also be seen as a condition when your eyes have an upper eyelid larger than the lower lid.
When you look closely at a person with Sanpaku Eyes, you’ll notice that the eyelids fail to cover the entire pupil and iris. This leaves a small section revealed – hence the term Sanpaku eyes.
These eyes usually have a triangular shape around the pupil with a darker colour than the outer corner of the iris. It happens when parts of the eye are sunken, appearing to take on a triangle or a trapezoid shape.
Are Sanpaku Eyes Attractive?
Hell Yes! Sanpaku eyes are very attractive, beautiful, and create a very strong beautiful impression on people that have them. In fact, many popular artists and celebrities have Sanpaku eyes which also reinforces the belief that people who have them are destined to become artists.
Types of Sanpaku Eyes
Sanpaku eyes are generally categorized into two; Yin Sanpaku eyes and Yang Sanpaku eyes.
Yang Sanpaku Eyes
This is also called Sanpaku above because in Japanese as it refers to a condition in which the top white of the eyes can be seen when your face is in a normal position. The Yang Sanpaku eyes are not only generally considered less attractive to Yin Sanpaku eyes but have also been associated with psychopaths.
Yin Sanpaku Eyes
This is also known as Sanpaku below. In a layman’s language, Yin Sanpaku eyes in Japenese refers to a condition in which the bottom whites of your eyes can be seen even when your face is in a neutral position. It might not seem like anything special, however, an old Japanese superstition suggests that people with such eyes might find it difficult to maintain success in their profession.
Differences Between Sanpaku Eyes Vs Normal Eyes
Sanpaku eyes are, in fact, normal eyes; the only difference they have is in appearance. In normal eyes, the bottom and top white of your eyes cannot be seen when your face is in a neutral position but it’s the opposite for Sanpaku eyes.
For example, the bottom whites of your eyes can be seen even when your face is in a neutral position if you have Yin Sanpaku eyes while the top white can be seen for Yang Sanpaku eyes.
Asides from that, there is absolutely no other difference between Sanpaku Eyes vs normal eyes.
Sanpaku Eyes Curse
In Japan, it is generally believed that any person that possesses Sanpaku eyes or “three whites” has an evil personality, and is oftentimes believed to also bring bad luck.
Another widely held belief is that the three white areas under the eyes are a sign of a deceiving personality. therefore, anyone with those eyes is seen as deceitful, or one who is obsessed with wealth and power.
However, this isn’t always the case. Sanpaku eyes superstitions are counted among the many superstitions attached to the eyes. As with several other superstitions, there are contradictory beliefs.
What Causes Sanpaku Eyes?
Sanpaku eyes are most commonly caused by fatigue and allergies. Some of its other causes are high blood pressure, bad posture, overweight, ageing, and poor blood circulation to the head.
Are Sanpaku Eyes Health Threats?
Sanpaku eyes are a significant source of confusion for people.
It is scientifically known as a bilateral deviation studied in a young girl and partially caused by fatigue.
Many believe that having a small white space meant your eyes were particularly bad; which is actually untrue.
The reality is that we constantly move our eyes; they rarely completely stay still, and hence a white space is always visible in the inner corner. Some people have larger white spaces than others, but it doesn’t mean that their eyesight is worse.
In fact, there is no correlation between these white spaces and your eyesight.
In another development, research has linked strange pupil activity like Sanpaku with a certain degree of psychopathy.
However, the study has not been specified if it covers all forms of emotions or is limited to negative emotions.
On another note, the Sanpaku eyes appearance has been popularly seen in people suffering from some common health conditions.
including chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, depression, anorexia or other illnesses that cause malnourishment.
How to Know If you Have Sanpaku Eyes
Have you ever wondered if you were born with retracting third eyelids that show up in your iris when you look straight ahead?
If so, then check to see if you have these eyes.
In order to figure out if you have a Sanpaku eye, examine your eyes in a mirror.
You can also ask someone to do it for you.
If your eyelid is low enough for the white part of your eyes to be visible underneath or on top, you have these eyes.
How Do You Treat Sanpaku Eyes?
Many people believe that Sanpaku eyes are due to the downward pull of the mouth or droopy eye muscles.
It tends to look more prominent on people with round faces.
Sanpaku eyes are a common problem for Asian people, especially if you have thin skin; the key is to prevent the eyes from appearing so square.
With the proper fixes, anyone can achieve a more “alive” look!
While this problem can be corrected by surgery, several eye care products on the market can be used to lessen this health problem.
Some of the natural ways to reduce the visibility of Sanpaku eyes are;
- Smoothen out sagging bags
- Avoid dark eye shadows.
- Try out eyesight exercises to strengthen eye muscle: You can improve your eyesight by doing eye exercises. First, start by looking at something far away for thirty seconds. Then bring your eyes closed and look at an object as close as possible. Over time these exercises will help to fix your Sanpaku eyes.
- Change your diet to a more healthy one.
- Plastic or facial reconstruction is the ultimate way to treat Sanpaku eyes.
FAQs About Sanpaku Eyes
What do Sanpaku eyes mean?
Also known as three whites describe an eye condition with a varying degree of white portion visible either above or below the coloured portion.
What do Sanpaku eyes do to you?
Sanpaku eyes actually do nothing to you, even though there are few pieces of research suggesting such. They are however yet to be proven. Some people believe people with Sanpaku eyes are associated with more violence, rage and might even be psychopaths.
In Japanese culture, Sanpaku eyes are also associated with a lot of superstitions and are believed to be a curse.
Is there any scientific correlation between Sanpaku eyes and mental illness?
No, absolutely not. There is not a single scientific evidence that remotely suggests anyone with Sanpaku eyes tend to developmental illness.
This applies to people whose white part of the eye is seen at the top or bottom of the iris, even when that person is staring ahead.
How common are Sanpaku eyes?
Quite common. Although there is not enough quantitative data on how rare or common there are but they are pretty common, especially among the Asian communities.
Why are Sanpaku Eyes Attractive?
This depends on individual definitions of beauty, elegance, and class. Generally Japanese think of Sanpaku eyes as very beautiful and happy to have them, but people from other parts of the world might think that Sanpaku eyes are kind of creepy.
Are Sanpaku Eyes Rare?
No, they’re not. In fact, a lot of people search on Google to find out whether they actually have Sanpaku eyes. I’m pretty sure those are predominantly positive searches that wouldn’t have happened if these eyes were rare and people didn’t have them.
How Do You Treat Sanpaku Eyes?
Before you do, know that there is absolutely nothing with having these kinds of eyes. If you insist on treating it however then you can start by avoiding eye shadows and also try out easy eye exercises to strengthen your eye muscles. You can also maintain a healthy diet, have adequate sleep as well as stay fit. If all these don’t work, then you can go for plastic surgery as it is the most definitive treatment of sanpaku eyes.
Final Takeaway
The eyes are said to be the mirror of the soul. A person’s true nature can sometimes be seen through their eyes. This ability isn’t limited to human beings alone. In fact, it goes beyond that to include more abstract concepts than simple emotions. As a result of this, everyone has their own opinion about the Sanpaku eye.
Some people think Sanpaku eyes give the eyes a scary or evil appearance. However, it is considered attractive in other parts of the world. Whichever school of thought you belong to, it is essential to note that Sanpaku eyes are not illnesses. It is instead a condition that people have limited control of.
