Open wounds and eyes that can't close after cheap bleph
Surgeons warn over a concerning rise in complications, open wounds, and inability to close eyes following cheap eyelid surgery abroad.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Patients face severe complications and open wounds after undergoing cheap blepharoplasty abroad.
- Nikita Morgan, 31, described extreme pain and a burning skin smell during surgery at a Düsseldorf clinic.
- Faceland stated it has performed over 2,950 bleph procedures on UK patients since October 2024.
- UK surgeons report seeing patients unable to close their eyes due to excessive skin removal.
The aesthetic trend of tightening and lifting the face via blepharoplasty, commonly known as a "bleph," has surged in popularity across social media platforms. BBC analysis revealed that videos about blephs posted by UK accounts on four leading platforms were viewed nearly 150 million times over the past three years, marking a fivefold increase compared to the preceding three years.
However, oculoplastic surgeons in the UK have raised alarms regarding a troubling number of patients reporting serious issues after receiving cheap eyelid surgery, typically performed abroad where costs are significantly lower than the thousands of pounds charged domestically.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Nikita Morgan, 31, from Dublin, wanted more defined eyes but could not afford the over €4,000 (£3,400) price tag in Ireland. She discovered through TikTok that she could book a bleph with Dutch company Faceland for €750 (£650), describing their clinic in Düsseldorf as a constant conveyor belt of patients.
"Everyone made it out to be so easy, but my face felt like it was on fire and there was a horrible smell of burning skin,"
Nikita Morgan
Despite receiving a local anaesthetic, Nikita experienced unprecedented pain when the delicate eyelid skin was cut. Swayed by social media videos, she boarded a flight home on the exact same day of her procedure, a practice strongly discouraged by both medical experts and the clinic itself.
The booming medical tourism industry for low-cost cosmetic procedures highlights how social media normalizes invasive surgeries by framing them as trivial treatments like Botox. Streamlining operations to cut costs often compromises pre-operative consultations and vital aftercare, frequently transferring the burden of managing severe complications onto public health systems like the NHS.
Another patient in her early 40s, using the pseudonym Laura, underwent the procedure at Faceland's Amsterdam clinic in June. Complications arose eight days later when she removed her own stitches back in the UK, causing the crescent-shaped cuts above her eyes to split open, exposing raw red wounds and leading to an infection. After failing to reach Faceland's emergency helpline, she rushed to A&E, where an NHS eye specialist confirmed that excessive skin had been excised.
Faceland defended its practices by stating that all patients undergo consultations and sign consent forms beforehand, and that high patient volumes allow them to significantly reduce costs. The company reported performing over 2,950 bleph procedures on UK patients at its clinics in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland since October 2024.
Source: BBC Health
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