Private blepharoplasty cost UK 2026

Sapphire Eye Care lists blepharoplasty on both upper lids from £3,950, both lower lids from £4,950 and all four lids from £7,000. A single upper lid is from £2,350. We checked Sapphire Eye Care’s price list on 18 September 2026. Its prices are “from” prices, and each eyelid price says whether it is for one eye or both. Blue Fin Vision, the other clinic group we work with, also carries out upper and lower blepharoplasty in London, Hertfordshire and Essex, but doesn’t publish a price.

Blepharoplasty prices

Sapphire Eye Care, with clinics in Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and Sussex, publishes a starting price for each eyelid operation:

Upper and lower lids on both eyes is what people often call four-lid blepharoplasty. Sapphire doesn’t list lower-lid surgery on one eye, or a price for blepharoplasty combined with ptosis correction or a brow lift in the same operation, so ask for those in writing if they apply to you.

Related eyelid operations

Some people need a different operation, or one alongside blepharoplasty. Sapphire Eye Care lists these separately:

Blue Fin Vision, the other clinic group we work with, lists upper and lower blepharoplasty among the oculoplastic surgery it offers at its clinics in London, Hertfordshire and Essex, but doesn’t publish a price for it, so ask for a written quote. Our ptosis surgery cost and brow lift cost guides cover those operations.

Source: Sapphire Eye Care price list, read 18 September 2026.

What the price includes

Sapphire Eye Care says its surgical prices cover pre-surgical assessments, the operation, hospital and facility fees, surgeon’s fees, anaesthetic costs and the follow-up care you need. Consultations are listed separately: Sapphire lists an initial consultation from £240 and a follow-up consultation from £140. The NHS also advises factoring in the cost of any consultations, further surgery or follow-up care that may be needed.

Whichever clinic you choose, ask it to confirm in writing:

• whether the price is for one eye or both, and which lids it covers
• whether the surgeon, the anaesthetist and the hospital are all included
• whether a general anaesthetic or sedation costs more than a local anaesthetic
• which follow-up appointments are included, and who removes the suture strips
• what you would pay if further surgery is needed

Upper, lower or both

The NHS describes eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) as cosmetic surgery to remove excess skin or fat from the eyelids, changing the look of hooded or drooping eyelids or eye bags. The operation is different on the upper and lower lids.

Upper blepharoplasty

According to the NHS, surgery on the upper eyelids generally involves:

• a cut (incision) along the eyelid crease, in the natural skin fold of the eyelid
• removal of excess skin, fat or muscle
• closing the incision, with the scar usually hidden in the natural fold of the eyelid

Blue Fin Vision describes excess upper eyelid skin, known as dermatochalasis, as a condition often treated with blepharoplasty, for function (improving the field of vision) or for appearance. Our upper eyelid blepharoplasty cost guide looks at upper-lid surgery in more detail.

Lower blepharoplasty

Surgery on the lower eyelids generally involves, the NHS says:

• an incision either just below the lower eyelashes or on the inside of the lower eyelid
• repositioning or removing fat from the bags under the eyes, and sometimes a small amount of skin
• supporting the muscles and tendon of the eyelid if necessary, then closing the incision

Blepharoplasty or ptosis surgery?

A heavy upper eyelid isn’t always excess skin. Blue Fin Vision describes ptosis as drooping of the upper eyelids that may impair vision, and ptosis repair as surgical correction by tightening the muscle that lifts the lid — a different operation from removing skin. Blue Fin Vision also lists brow ptosis, drooping eyebrows that can affect appearance or vision. Your surgeon will tell you which you have; our guide to the difference between blepharoplasty and ptosis surgery explains more, and ptosis treatment covers the condition.

NHS or private

NHS funding for eyelid surgery is decided locally by each integrated care board (ICB), and blepharoplasty is usually only funded when the eyelids affect your sight. Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB’s policy is a typical example: it says eyelid surgery is not normally funded for cosmetic reasons alone, and it funds a referral for surgery on excess upper eyelid skin only when all three of these apply:

1. you have documented complaints that the drooping upper eyelid skin interferes with your vision or with things like reading or driving
2. the excess skin hangs over the edge of the upper eyelid and rests on the eyelashes when you look straight ahead, shown in photographs
3. a visual field test shows the eyelids reduce your field of vision to 120° to the sides and/or 20° or less upwards

The same policy says blepharoplasty for excess lower eyelid skin on its own is not normally funded, and that anyone who doesn’t meet the criteria can ask the ICB to consider an individual funding request on exceptional clinical grounds. Other ICBs publish their own policies, so ask your GP or optometrist what applies where you live.

Blue Fin Vision says oculoplastic procedures like ptosis repair or ectropion correction may qualify for NHS funding if they impair vision or function, while cosmetic treatments such as blepharoplasty are typically private. The NHS suggests discussing your plans with a GP first, because there might be a medical condition affecting your eyelids or a reason why the operation isn’t appropriate for you. If you are referred, our guide to NHS eyelid surgery waiting times covers the waits.

Insurance and paying

• Insurance. Sapphire Eye Care says it is recognised by insurers including Aviva, AXA Health, Bupa, Cigna, Vitality and WPA. Whether a policy pays for eyelid surgery depends on its terms and on the reason for the operation, so check with your insurer before you book. Ask Blue Fin Vision directly if you would like to be treated there.
• Paying. Sapphire Eye Care says full payment is typically due on the day of treatment unless otherwise arranged, and that it offers the option to pay in instalments leading up to the procedure for certain treatments — ask whether blepharoplasty is one of them. Other payment terms are set by each clinic, so ask for them in writing before you book. Eye Surgery Clinic does not lend money or arrange finance. Our page on payment options by clinic lists what to ask.

What the operation involves

The NHS says blepharoplasty can be done under local anaesthetic or under general anaesthetic, and Blue Fin Vision describes it as a day-case procedure under local anaesthetic. Tell your surgeon if you take any medicines that reduce the risk of blood clots, such as aspirin, warfarin or apixaban.

The NHS says the operation may take around 45 minutes to 2 and a half hours and most people go home the same day. The surgeon will usually apply thin, sticky suture strips to support the eyelids afterwards, and these are usually removed up to a week later.

Choosing a surgeon and clinic

The NHS advises checking the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website for treatment centres in England, since all independent clinics and hospitals that provide cosmetic surgery there must be registered with the CQC, and checking that the surgeon is on the General Medical Council (GMC) register, including their fitness to practise history. It also suggests asking:

• how many operations they’ve performed where there have been complications
• what sort of follow-up you should expect if things go wrong

When you send an enquiry, we pass it to the clinic group that covers your area, and they contact you to arrange a consultation. Ask for the total price, what it covers and what further surgery would cost, in writing.

Recovery

The NHS says most people take about 2 weeks off work to recover from eyelid surgery, depending on their job. You won’t be able to drive for a number of days after the operation, bruises and redness may take several weeks to fade, and scarring may be visible and feel tight for a few months.

To help your recovery, the NHS says you may need to:

• prop your head up with pillows for a couple of days when resting, to reduce swelling
• gently clean your eyelids with the prescribed ointment or eye drops
• apply a cold pack to your eyelids to help reduce swelling
• wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and wind
• take paracetamol or any painkillers you were given after surgery

And to avoid:

• strenuous activity and swimming for a few days
• smoking, as smoke can irritate your eyes
• wearing contact lenses or rubbing your eyes

Risks and side effects

The NHS says it’s common after eyelid surgery to temporarily have:

• puffy, numb eyelids that are difficult to close
• irritated, sensitive or watery eyes, which may last a few weeks
• bruising
• scars, which should eventually fade to almost invisible

Occasionally, it can result in:

• blurred or double vision
• your eyes looking uneven (asymmetrical)
• noticeable scarring
• reduced or increased sensation in the eyelids

Rarely, it can cause more serious problems, including:

• injury to eye muscles
• the lower eyelid drooping away from the eye and turning outwards (ectropion)
• bleeding into the eye socket
• visual impairment, though vision may improve in the long term

As with any operation, there is also a small risk of excessive bleeding, a blood clot in a vein, infection or an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic. The NHS says your surgeon should explain how likely these risks are and how they would be treated, and that occasionally people feel the result they wanted wasn’t achieved and need another operation. If you have severe pain or any unexpected symptoms after surgery, contact the clinic where you had the operation as soon as possible; you can also call NHS 111.

Blepharoplasty FAQs

Sources

• Sapphire Eye Care: Our prices (prices from, per eye unless stated; read 18 September 2026)
• Blue Fin Vision: Oculoplastic surgery (no published price for eyelid surgery; read 18 September 2026)
• NHS: Eyelid surgery (page last reviewed 15 September 2023)
• Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board: Blepharoplasty and brow lift (eyelid and brow surgery) policy (version 1.1, an example of local NHS funding criteria)

We only publish the prices of the clinic groups we work with. General information, not personal medical advice: your surgeon will tell you which operation, if any, suits your eyelids.