Concierge oculoplastics · UK
Eyelid surgery in the UK, blepharoplasty and ptosis repair, done properly.
Upper, lower, four-lid, Asian blepharoplasty, ptosis repair and brow lift — by a consultant oculoplastic or BAAPS/BOPSS-registered surgeon, in a CQC-registered theatre, with the functional vs cosmetic distinction spelled out before you commit.
Why patients choose us
- 01
An oculoplastic surgeon, in theatre
Not a beautician and not a hotel suite. A named oculoplastic or plastic surgeon on the BOPSS/BAAPS register, a CQC-registered theatre, and the anaesthetic that fits.
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Functional vs cosmetic — told straight
If your visual fields qualify, an upper blepharoplasty or ptosis repair can be NHS-funded. We say so before you self-pay.
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Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What private eyelid surgery costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner clinics. Send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options.
In short
Upper blepharoplasty in our network: £3,000–£6,000, home the same day.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper blepharoplasty (both eyes) | £3,000–£6,000 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| Lower blepharoplasty (both eyes) | £4,000–£8,000 | 60–90 min | Same visit |
| Four-lid blepharoplasty | £5,000–£10,000 | 90 min | Same visit |
| Ptosis repair (levator advancement) | £3,500–£6,500 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| Muller’s muscle-conjunctival resection | £3,000–£5,500 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Brow lift (endoscopic or direct) | £4,500–£8,500 | 60–90 min | Same visit |
| Consultation only | £250–£450 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
Prices vary by clinic, by which surgeon does the case, by the anaesthetic chosen, and by whether ptosis repair, canthopexy or a brow lift is added at the same sitting. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
The right operation, the right surgeon, the right funding route.
Eyelid surgery is one of the most confused corners of aesthetic medicine — cosmetic clinics offering functional cases, ophthalmology clinics missing the aesthetic detail, and patients self-paying for operations the NHS might have funded. We untangle it before you sign anything.
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Might it be NHS-fundable?
Functional upper blepharoplasty and ptosis repair can be — with formal Humphrey fields and an IFR. We tell you before you self-pay.
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Is it the lid, or the brow?
A brow lift is sometimes the right operation instead of an upper blepharoplasty. We say which, honestly.
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Cosmetic done to a surgical standard
A CQC-registered theatre, a consultant anaesthetist, and a surgeon on the RCOphth or BAAPS/BOPSS register — not a spa suite.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery — what happens, in order.
One clinician from first message to review — including the recovery window and any revision conversation at three to six months.
Phase 1 · Before your procedure
Concierge, off-stage for you
Phase 2 · On the day
A few hours at the clinic
Phase 3 · After
Concierge, back on
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. Whether it is heavy lids, hooding, watering, fields cut off, ptosis, or a cosmetic concern.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: the right operation (upper, lower, four-lid, ptosis repair, brow lift), the right anaesthetic, an indicative price, and whether an NHS route is realistic.
- 03
Before
We arrange the consultation
Usually within one to two weeks. Formal Humphrey visual fields with tape-up are arranged if functional NHS funding is being pursued.
- 04
On the day
Arrival at the clinic
Marking is done sitting up in front of a mirror. Consent and a chat with the surgeon and anaesthetist. LA with light sedation, or GA if combined work.
- 05
On the day
The procedure itself
45 to 90 minutes in a proper theatre. Crease-hidden closure with 6-0 nylon on the upper lid; transconjunctival or skin-pinch on the lower.
- 06
On the day
Home the same day
Iced compresses, head elevated, chloramphenicol drops and ointment. Someone collects you if sedation or GA was used.
- 07
After
Recovery and review
Sutures out day 5 to 7. Bruising settles over 7 to 14 days. Back to office work in 7 to 10 days, exercise at two weeks. Review as needed.
Typical end-to-end: 2–4 weeks from enquiry to procedure. Full scar softening: 3–6 months.
When it helps
When eyelid surgery is the right step.
The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that means an emergency rather than an appointment.
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Dermatochalasis (heavy upper lids)
Excess upper-lid skin that hoods the lash line, tires the forehead, and can obscure the top of the visual field.
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Ptosis (drooping upper lid)
MRD1 under 2 mm, a low-lying lid margin, or a raised brow doing the lifting — often correctable with levator advancement or MMCR.
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Brow hooding and heavy forehead
Sometimes the brow needs lifting, not the lid. We say which — a brow lift may be the right adjunct or the whole answer.
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Lower-lid bags and tear-trough hollows
Fat prolapse and a hollow tear-trough — transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty with fat repositioning softens both.
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Fine lower-lid wrinkles and festoons
Skin-pinch or transcutaneous lower blepharoplasty for excess skin — often combined with a canthopexy to keep the lid supported.
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Cosmetic upper or lower blepharoplasty
A tired look you would like to freshen. Done properly, hidden in the crease, with realistic expectations set first.
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Asian blepharoplasty (double-fold)
Precise creation of a supratarsal crease — bespoke height and shape discussed at length before any marking.
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Red flag: sudden ptosis or diplopia
A drooping lid that came on suddenly, with double vision, headache or pupil change, is not a cosmetic problem — same-day A&E.
Procedure options
"Eyelid surgery" is eight different operations.
What each option on the table actually involves — and which fits which problem.
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Upper blepharoplasty
A crease-hidden ellipse of skin, sometimes a strip of orbicularis, sometimes debulking of the central fat pad — with the lateral (lacrimal) fat pad preserved.
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Lower blepharoplasty — transconjunctival
No external scar, no lash-line disruption. Ideal for isolated fat prolapse where the skin quality is still good.
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Lower blepharoplasty — transcutaneous
A subciliary incision to address excess skin, with fat repositioning over the orbital rim to soften the tear-trough deformity.
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Skin-pinch lower blepharoplasty
A conservative strip of skin only, for fine wrinkles without fat prolapse — the safest option in terms of lower-lid position.
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Ptosis repair — levator advancement
External skin approach, tension adjustable on-table with you sitting up. The workhorse for aponeurotic and acquired ptosis.
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Ptosis repair — MMCR
Muller’s muscle-conjunctival resection through the back of the lid. Best for mild ptosis with a good phenylephrine test.
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Frontalis sling
For poor levator function (typically under 4 mm) — congenital ptosis or myogenic causes. The lid is lifted by the forehead via a sling.
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Brow lift as adjunct
Endoscopic or direct brow lift when the brow is doing too much of the work — sometimes the right operation instead of, or with, an upper blepharoplasty.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of oculoplastic surgeons, we picked them.
Consultant oculoplastic and BAAPS/BOPSS-registered plastic surgeons across London and the home counties. Not listed publicly — introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every surgeon in our network.
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Consultant oculoplastic surgeons (RCOphth) or BAAPS/BOPSS plastic surgeons — not aesthetic clinicians
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CQC-registered theatre with a consultant anaesthetist available for sedation or GA
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Formal Humphrey or Goldmann fields arranged when NHS/insurer funding is being pursued
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Ptosis assessed with MRD1, levator function, and a phenylephrine test — not eyeballed
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards — honestly.
Blepharoplasty and ptosis repair are safe day-case operations. The things worth planning are your anaesthetic choice, the dry-eye window, and knowing which warning signs mean same-day A&E.
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Functional vs cosmetic — it matters
Upper blepharoplasty for dermatochalasis and ptosis repair (MRD1 under 2 mm) may be NHS-funded via ICB IFR when the superior 30% of the visual field is lost with the lid down and recovered with it taped up. Brow lifts and cosmetic work are private only.
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Dry eye and lagophthalmos
A period of not closing fully, gritty eyes and blurred vision from ointment is common in the first two weeks. Existing dry eye can be worsened — always disclose it.
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Asymmetry and revisions
Small asymmetries between the two sides are normal. A formal revision rate of 5 to 10 percent is honest — mostly minor tuning at three to six months.
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Bruising, chemosis and subconjunctival haemorrhage
Bruising for 7 to 14 days is expected. Chemosis (a boggy conjunctiva) and a red patch on the white of the eye look dramatic but settle.
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Ectropion and lower-lid malposition
A pulled-down lower lid is the risk of transcutaneous lower blepharoplasty — canthopexy or canthoplasty is done at the same time to reduce it.
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Overcorrection or undercorrection of ptosis
The lid can end up too high (a startled look, crease too high) or still too low. On-table adjustment with you sitting up minimises both.
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Retrobulbar haemorrhage — the emergency
Sudden severe pain and loss of vision after eyelid surgery is a retrobulbar haemorrhage — sight-threatening. Immediate lateral canthotomy in A&E. Any patient going home is warned about this.
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Scars, dyschromia and the "skeletonised" look
Scars hide well in the upper crease. Over-resection of upper-lid fat can leave a hollow, aged look — modern practice is more conservative, sometimes with fat grafting.
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Aftercare essentials
Iced compresses for 48 h, head elevated, chloramphenicol drops and ointment, gentle cleansing from day 2, no makeup for a week, sunglasses for two weeks, no strenuous exercise for two weeks.
Reading your operation note
Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever technique was used, the note the surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Surgical language is precise and can read coldly — we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the note before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Diagnosis and operation performed
Whether it was dermatochalasis, aponeurotic ptosis, tear-trough deformity or a mix — and which operation was agreed with you (upper, lower, four-lid, MMCR, sling, brow lift).
- 02 Technique
Anaesthetic, incisions and closure
LA with sedation vs GA, the skin markings used, which fat pads were addressed, whether canthopexy was added, and the suture material used (6-0 nylon typically).
- 03 Findings
Fat pads, levator, canthal tone
Notes on the central and medial fat pads, levator function and edge integrity, lower-lid distraction and snap-back, and any incidental pathology sent for histology.
- 04 Impression
Recovery, drops, review and warnings
Read this first: sutures out day 5 to 7, chloramphenicol schedule, when to return to exercise and makeup, and the retrobulbar-haemorrhage warning — worsening pain or vision means A&E now.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Cover for eyelid surgery varies by insurer and by indication — functional ptosis and dermatochalasis with documented field loss are often covered; cosmetic blepharoplasty and brow lifts are self-pay. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about eyelid surgery.
Quick answers on NHS funding, cost, recovery, scars, and the difference between upper, lower and ptosis repair.
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Can eyelid surgery be done on the NHS?
Sometimes. Functional upper blepharoplasty for dermatochalasis is NHS-fundable via ICB Individual Funding Request when formal Humphrey or Goldmann visual fields show at least a 30 percent loss of the superior field that recovers when the lid is taped up. Ptosis repair is usually funded when MRD1 is under 2 mm. Cosmetic upper or lower blepharoplasty and brow lifts are self-pay.
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Upper, lower, or both — which do I need?
Upper blepharoplasty treats heavy hooding and functional visual-field loss. Lower blepharoplasty addresses fat bags, tear-trough hollows and skin excess. Many patients benefit most from four-lid surgery, sometimes with a brow lift or ptosis repair added. We arrange a consultant assessment before saying which.
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How much does private eyelid surgery cost in the UK?
Roughly £3,000–£6,000 for upper blepharoplasty, £4,000–£8,000 for lower, and £5,000–£10,000 for four-lid. Ptosis repair is £3,500–£6,500 and brow lift £4,500–£8,500. Consultation is £250–£450. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
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How long is recovery from blepharoplasty?
Sutures out day 5 to 7. Visible bruising and swelling settle over 7 to 14 days. Back to office work in 7 to 10 days, sunglasses for two weeks, no strenuous exercise for two weeks, no makeup for a week. Final scar softening takes three to six months.
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Will there be visible scars?
Upper-lid scars sit inside the natural crease and usually become invisible. Transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty leaves no external scar at all. Transcutaneous lower incisions sit just under the lash line and settle very well.
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What are the main risks?
Dry eye and lagophthalmos (temporary common, permanent rare), asymmetry, chemosis, subconjunctival haemorrhage, ectropion after lower blepharoplasty, over- or under-correction of ptosis, and — rarely but importantly — retrobulbar haemorrhage, which is a sight-threatening emergency treated with immediate lateral canthotomy.
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What is Asian blepharoplasty?
Creation of a supratarsal crease (double fold) in eyes that do not naturally have one, with the height and shape tailored to the patient. It is a precise, bespoke procedure — not a standardised template.
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How do you decide between levator advancement, MMCR and a frontalis sling for ptosis?
It depends on levator function. Good function with a positive phenylephrine test suits Muller’s muscle-conjunctival resection. Moderate function suits levator advancement, which is the workhorse and is adjustable with you sitting up on the table. Poor function (typically under 4 mm — congenital or myogenic) needs a frontalis sling.
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Eyelid lesion removal
Chalazia, cysts, papillomas and suspicious lid lesions.
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Entropion and ectropion repair
Correcting a lid that turns in or falls away from the eye.
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All tests and procedures
Every test and procedure we arrange.
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Send an enquiry
Tell us what is going on and we come back within a day.
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