Medical professionals specializing in eye surgery have raised concerns about an increase in complications among patients who have undergone blepharoplasty procedures at low-cost clinics outside the United Kingdom. The procedure, which removes skin from above the eyes, typically costs thousands of pounds domestically but is available at significantly reduced prices at international clinics.
One company, Faceland, operates clinics across the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland and reports having performed more than 2,950 bleph procedures on UK patients since October 2024. The company positions itself as making the procedure more affordable and accessible while maintaining quality standards. Faceland states that practitioners are accredited medical doctors who receive internal training and that less than 1% of procedures have resulted in complaints, though this figure does not account for revision surgeries.
However, numerous patients have reported serious difficulties following their procedures. Some experienced wounds that reopened after stitch removal, leading to infections that required emergency room visits and subsequent NHS care. Others reported an inability to close their eyes properly after surgery or excessive removal of eyelid skin. UK surgeons have noted that such complications typically indicate inadequate training, as properly executed procedures should rarely result in such outcomes. Video content about the procedure has generated substantial engagement, with BBC analysis finding nearly 150 million views across four major social media platforms over a three-year period.
Patients reported spending less than an hour at clinics for procedures that typically require approximately three hours in the UK, including preparation, surgery, and post-operative care. The company attributes its lower costs to allowing practitioners to perform higher volumes of treatments. When complications arose, some patients found it difficult to obtain follow-up support, with company representatives sometimes recommending that patients seek treatment locally rather than returning for assessment.
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