Dry Eye Clinic Leeds | Abra & Co
Specialist dry eye care for patients across Leeds, Batley, Dewsbury, Cleckheaton, Liversedge & West Yorkshire.
Your eyes have been trying to tell you something.
If you have been searching for a dry eye clinic in Leeds, chances are you already know that what you have been given so far is not working. Artificial tears multiple times a day. A warm flannel in the morning. Maybe a referral to someone who told you the same thing.
We hear this story repeatedly — because it is an extremely common one. Dry eye is the most frequently under-treated condition we see across all five of our practices. Not because it is difficult to manage, but because most patients are never shown the real reason their eyes are struggling in the first place.
At Abra & Co, dry eye is not a brief conversation at the end of a routine eye test. It is a clinical specialism we have been developing since 2017 — shaped by ophthalmologist-level training, delivered by seven optometrists across five practices, and built on a simple conviction: that our patients deserve a lasting solution, not a temporary one.
Our Heckmondwike practice — Armitage Opticians, just 16 kilometres from Leeds city centre — is your nearest Abra & Co location. We regularly see patients from across West Yorkshire, many of whom have tried everything else before making the short journey to us.
600+
Patients
treated
90%
Report lasting relief
2017
Pioneers
since
What is actually happening inside your eyes?
Dry eye is not a single condition with a single fix. It is a collective term for several related problems, all of which result in the same outcome: your eyes cannot maintain the stable, healthy tear film they need to function comfortably and see clearly.
That tear film is more sophisticated than most people realise. It has three distinct layers, each with a specific role. When any layer breaks down — whether through blocked glands, insufficient tear volume, or inflammation — the whole system destabilises. Your eyes dry out. They burn, sting, water, and blur. Your contact lenses become unwearable. Your vision fluctuates even when your prescription is correct.
Understanding which layer is the problem — and why — is the starting point for everything we do. It is what separates a genuine clinical response from another box of drops.
The EyeClean Programme — our complete clinical response to dry eye
The EyeClean Programme is Abra & Co’s structured, clinician-led treatment protocol for dry eye. Developed in-house, standardised across all five of our practices, and built around a single principle: treat the underlying cause, not just the surface symptom.
The programme combines three stages — professional lid cleaning, medical-grade heat therapy, and manual meibomian gland expression — delivered across three visits over six to eight weeks. This is the protocol that has delivered lasting relief to 90% of our patients.
Everything begins with your specialist assessment: 45 to 60 minutes dedicated entirely to your eyes, using advanced diagnostic imaging to show you precisely what is happening inside your eyelids. You will see your own meibomian glands on screen. You will understand clearly and in plain language exactly what is causing your symptoms — and what we can do about it.
Two types of dry eye — and why the difference changes everything
The vast majority of dry eye patients have one of two underlying causes, or a combination of both. Identifying which is driving your symptoms determines the entire treatment approach — which is why we establish this at your very first visit.
Three visits. Each one building on the last.
Visit 1 — The Deep Clean (Week 0–1)
Stage 1 — Clean: BlephEx micro-exfoliation of the eyelid margins, removing bacterial biofilm, demodex debris, and crusting that accumulates along the lid edge. This professional-grade clean is not replicable with any home routine.
Stage 2 — Heat: Precisely calibrated medical-grade heat at 40 to 42 degrees Celsius, held consistently until the thickened oil inside the glands begins to soften. A warm flannel applied at home does not approach this temperature reliably, and without proper heat, expression is ineffective.
Stage 3 — Express: Your optometrist uses specialist forceps to compress each gland individually, physically extracting the stagnant, thickened oil that has been blocking it. You will see the material being cleared. This is the step that determines whether treatment works — and it requires genuine clinical experience to do properly. Most patients notice a difference before leaving the practice.
Visit 2 — Follow-Up (Week 2–4)
A reassessment of your symptoms and gland imaging, followed by a second round of heat therapy and expression. With the glands partially cleared from the first visit, this session typically moves faster. We review your home care routine and refine it based on how your eyes have responded.
Visit 3 — Consolidation (Week 6–8)
A final treatment to confirm full gland function and embed your long-term maintenance plan. The majority of patients then return every six to twelve months for a brief top-up session — a short visit that keeps the glands clear and prevents the cycle from restarting.
Why nothing else worked — a clear comparison
If you have tried the usual options and found no lasting relief, there is a straightforward clinical reason for each one.
Eye Drops cover no clinical stage at all. They lubricate the surface briefly but have no effect on the blocked glands or the missing oil layer that is causing your tears to evaporate in the first place.
A warm flannel gets partway through Stage 2 at best. The temperature is too low and too inconsistent to properly soften the thickened oil inside the glands — and without manual expression to follow, whatever softens simply re-solidifies.
BlephEx alone covers Stage 1 only. It removes debris and biofilm from the eyelid margins effectively, but it does not heat or express the glands. The root cause remains completely untreated.
Updated glasses cover nothing. If your vision is blurring or fluctuating, the problem is an unstable tear film — not your prescription. A lens change will not resolve it.
What all of these miss is the same thing: the complete three-stage pathway. The EyeClean Programme delivers all three stages — professional clean, medical-grade heat, and thorough manual expression — in a single structured course of treatment. That is why it works when everything else has not.
Serving Leeds and surrounding West Yorkshire communities
Our Heckmondwike practice — Armitage Opticians, 14 Market Street, WF16 0JU — is the closest Abra & Co location to Leeds city centre and is easily reachable by road or public transport from across West Yorkshire.
We regularly see patients travelling from:
- Leeds — approximately 8 miles, 15–20 minutes via the M62/A638
- Dewsbury — 3 miles, 8 minutes
- Batley — 2 miles, 5 minutes
- Cleckheaton — 3 miles, 7 minutes
- Morley — 7 miles, 15 minutes
- Birstall — 4 miles, 10 minutes
- Liversedge — 2 miles, 5 minutes
- Mirfield — 5 miles, 12 minutes
- Wakefield — 10 miles, 20 minutes
- Huddersfield — 10 miles, 18 minutes
- Bradford — 9 miles, 20 minutes
If you are in Leeds or anywhere across West Yorkshire and have been unable to find lasting relief from dry eye, we are worth the short journey. Many of our patients say they wish they had come sooner.
What Our Patients Say
“I had been using drops eight to ten times a day for over three years. After completing the EyeClean Programme, I barely use them anymore. I only wish I had found this sooner.” — Heckmondwike patient
“I could see the blocked oil being extracted during the treatment. The relief was immediate and it has lasted. Nothing else I tried came close.” — Heckmondwike patient
“I was told by two other opticians that it was just dry eye and there was nothing to be done. The imaging at Abra & Co showed me exactly what was wrong. Seeing it on screen made it all make sense.” — West Yorkshire patient
Now you can see why nothing else worked
Once you understand the three stages, the pattern becomes obvious:
What you tried | Which stage it covers | What it misses |
| Eye Drops | ❌ None | Replaces tears only. Doesn’t touch the glands at all. |
| Warm Flannel | ⚠️ Partial Stage 2 | Can’t reach 180°C consistently. Without Stage 3, oil re-hardens. |
| BlephEx only | 🔍 Stage 1 only | Cleans the surface but doesn’t heat or express the glands. |
| IPL or LipiFlow | ✅ Stages 1 & 2 | No thorough manual expression; glands aren’t fully cleared. |
| New Glasses | ❌ None | Blurry vision is a tear film problem, not a prescription issue. |
| Our EyeClean Programme | ⭐ All Three Stages | Nothing. This is the complete clinical pathway. |
If three or more of these describe you, drops alone won’t solve this. The glands need to be cleared. That’s exactly what we specialise in.
Why Abra & Co
We did not begin offering dry eye treatment because it became a trend. We started because our patients kept returning with the same unresolved symptoms, and we refused to accept that drops and warm flannels were the standard of care they deserved.
Co-founder Sohail Khan began developing our approach in 2017, training alongside ophthalmologists and attending specialist conferences across Europe — Silmo, Mido, and ophthalmology forums — driven by a straightforward conviction: that patients deserved a real solution, not a temporary one. He has personally treated over 500 dry eye patients.
Clinical Director Arbra Khan built the diagnostic protocols, introduced standardised OSDI symptom scoring across all five practices, sourced the clinical equipment, and personally trained every optometrist who delivers dry eye care today.
Seven trained optometrists. Five practices. Over 600 patients treated. 90% reporting lasting relief. Independent, family-owned, and genuinely invested in your outcome.
Your investment
Specialist Dry Eye Assessment — £95
- Dedicated 45–60 minute consultation
- Standardised symptom scoring (OSDI)
- Lifestyle, screen use, and environmental review
- Advanced imaging of your meibomian glands
- Tear film quality mapping
- Manual gland function testing
- Severity grading — mild, moderate, or severe
- Personalised written treatment plan in plain English
- £50 credited towards your EyeClean Programme if you proceed
The EyeClean Programme — £450
- Three treatment sessions over six to eight weeks
- BlephEx professional lid clean at every visit
- Medical-grade heat therapy at every visit
- Manual gland expression at every visit
- Progress imaging and symptom tracking
- Home care kit — heat mask, lid wipes, recommended drops
- Ongoing support between visits
For comparison: automated treatments such as IPL or LipiFlow at other clinics typically cost £800–£1,500. Our EyeClean Programme is £450 — comparable clinical outcomes, greater precision, and a fraction of the cost.
Your investment
What's included — and what it costs
Specialist Dry Eye Assessment — £95
A dedicated 45–60 minute consultation focused entirely on understanding your dry eye. This is not a standard eye test with dry eye mentioned in passing — it’s a thorough, specialist assessment.
- Standardised symptom scoring
- Lifestyle, screen use, and environmental assessment
- Advanced imaging of your oil glands
- Tear film quality mapping
- Manual gland function testing
- Severity grading — mild, moderate, or severe
- Personalised written treatment plan, in plain English
- Home care recommendations
- All your questions answered — unhurried
You leave with a complete understanding of why your eyes are dry — and exactly what to do about it.
The EyeClean Programme — £450
If treatment is recommended following your assessment:
Three treatment sessions over six to eight weeks
BlephEx deep-clean at every visit
Medical-grade heat therapy at every visit
Manual gland expression at every visit
Progress imaging and symptom tracking
Home care kit — heat mask, lid wipes, drops
Ongoing support between visits
When you proceed with treatment
We credit £50 from your assessment towards your programme
Your assessment effectively costs £45 — less than a month’s supply of premium eye drops.
For comparison: automated treatments like IPL or LipiFlow elsewhere cost £800–£1,500.
Our programme: £450. Comparable results. Greater precision. A fraction of the price.
Your specialists
Co-Founder & Dry Eye Specialist
Sohail has been at the forefront of dry eye treatment since 2017, when he recognised that patients were suffering unnecessarily because the standard advice simply wasn’t working. He’s since trained extensively across Europe and has personally treated over 500 dry eye patients.
Co-Founder & Clinical Director
Arbra designed the diagnostic protocols and training systems behind the EyeClean Programme. She personally trains and mentors every optometrist who delivers dry eye treatment, ensuring the same exacting standard at every practice.
Plus seven trained optometrists across all five locations — every one personally mentored by Arbra, with regular case reviews and clinical audits.
Five clinics across Greater Manchester & West Yorkshire
- Abra & Co — Cheadle
19 Wilmslow Road, SK8 1DW · 0161 527 7355
HD Firefly imaging · Serving Stockport, Wilmslow, Bramhall
- Abra & Co - Middleton
36 Long Street, M24 6UQ · 0161 653 0771
Ocufy diagnostic imaging · Serving North Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham
- Ashworth Opticians - Heald Green
214 Finney Lane, SK8 3QA · 0161 527 7356
Serving Heald Green, Wythenshawe, Gatley
- Winsford Eyecare - Winsford
27 Delamere Street, CW7 2LX · 01606 599030
Serving Winsford, Northwich, Middlewich, Mid-Cheshire
- Armitage Opticians - Heckmondwike
14 Market Street, WF16 0JU · 01924 669649
Serving Dewsbury, Batley, Cleckheaton, Spen Valley
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No. You can book directly by calling our Heckmondwike practice or using our online booking form. No GP referral is required.
That is exactly what your specialist assessment establishes. You do not need to know in advance — we determine the underlying cause using diagnostic imaging and standardised symptom scoring during your consultation.
Most patients describe the treatment as mildly uncomfortable rather than painful. The BlephEx cleaning feels like a gentle tickling sensation along the eyelid margins. The manual gland expression involves light pressure on the eyelids. Any minor discomfort passes quickly and is far outweighed by the lasting relief that follows.
Yes. Armitage Opticians in Heckmondwike is approximately 8 miles from Leeds city centre — around 15 to 20 minutes by car via the M62 or A638. There are also regular bus services connecting Leeds, Dewsbury, Batley, and Heckmondwike. Free parking is available nearby.
Ready to find out what is causing your dry eyes?
Book your £95 specialist dry eye assessment at our Heckmondwike practice — the nearest Abra & Co clinic to Leeds. 45 to 60 minutes dedicated entirely to your eyes. £50 credited to your treatment programme if you proceed.
Armitage Opticians — Heckmondwike
14 Market Street, Heckmondwike, WF16 0JU
Call us on 01924 403617
Ready to find out what's causing your dry eyes?
Book your £95 specialist assessment. 45–60 minutes, dedicated entirely to you.
£50 credited to your treatment if you proceed.
Cheadle: 0161 527 7355 · Middleton: 0161 653 0771 ·
Heald Green: 0161 527 7356 Winsford: 01606 599030
· Heckmondwike:1924 403617
GOC Registered · College of Optometrists · Association of Optometrists
· BlephEx Certified Abra & Co — Independent, Family-Owned Eye Care Since 2017