What is upper eyelid surgery?
It is an operation to remove loose skin from the upper eyelids. The incision is placed in the natural eyelid crease, which keeps the scar largely hidden, and a small amount of fat may also be removed. It is one of the two operations covered in our guide to blepharoplasty in the UK; the other is lower blepharoplasty for eye bags.
Who is it for?
People whose upper lids have become heavy, hooded or crepey with age, and people whose excess skin sits low enough to get in the way of their vision. Excess upper-lid skin can reduce peripheral vision, which is the main reason the NHS will sometimes fund it. See NHS eligibility.
A low or drooping brow can look like hooded eyelids. Removing eyelid skin won’t lift sagging eyebrows, so a surgeon should check your brow position before recommending upper blepharoplasty. A drooping eyelid margin (ptosis) is a different problem with a different operation.
How is upper blepharoplasty done?
Skin is removed through the crease incision and the wound is closed. The NHS says eyelid surgery takes around 45 minutes to 2½ hours and most people go home the same day. Upper lids alone are quicker (one Glasgow clinic lists about an hour), and several clinics we looked at do them under local anaesthetic, including one Glasgow clinic, a Bath Street consultant clinic and a Birmingham clinic.
How much does it cost?
Published upper-lid prices we found included £2,395 and £3,500 in Glasgow, from £2,650 in Birmingham, and £2,200–£4,005 in a January 2026 Manchester round-up. A London surgeon lists £3,000 for his fee alone. More in the cost guide.
What are the risks of upper eyelid surgery?
The NHS lists occasional complications including blurred or double vision, uneven-looking eyes, noticeable scarring and altered eyelid sensation, and rare ones such as eye muscle injury, bleeding behind the eye and long-term vision problems. Ask your surgeon how often they see each complication and how they would manage it.
What is recovery like?
Expect swelling and bruising. The NHS advice is to keep your head propped up and use cold packs for a couple of days, avoid driving for several days and plan about two weeks off work, with suture strips removed up to a week after surgery. Full detail is in the recovery guide.