Unblock your oil glands, and keep them flowing.
MGD is the most common cause of dry eye. Our experienced dry eye optometrists photograph every gland, clear them by hand, and treat what keeps blocking them. Treatment can start the same day.
★★★★★ 4.9 from 600+ Google reviews
At Cheadle, Heald Green, Middleton, Winsford and Heckmondwike. IPL at Cheadle and Middleton.
Along the edge of each eyelid are about 30 tiny oil glands, called meibomian glands. Every blink squeezes out a thin layer of oil that stops your tears drying out. In MGD the oil thickens like butter and blocks the gland, so your tears evaporate in seconds.
How it feels: gritty, burning or tired eyes; vision that blurs, then clears when you blink; eyes that water; worse on screens, in wind or with heating; contact lenses that dry out by the afternoon; red or crusty lid edges.
Most people with blocked oil glands also have inflamed lid edges, and most people with blepharitis also have blocked glands. So we treat both. Every programme clears the glands and cleans the lid edge. Which visits you have depends on what your eyes need.
10 minutes of moist heat at about 42°C. The oil that has set in your glands melts.
Your optometrist gently presses each gland clear under magnification. You see the oil come out on the screen.
A soft spinning sponge cleans your lid edge and lashes: the crusts, bacteria and film wipes leave behind. It tickles.
Part of: EyeClean, and in EyeRelief and Max
About 15 minutes. Eyes shielded, gentle flashes on the skin below the eyes calm the inflamed vessels that keep blocking the glands.
15 to 20 minutes. Warms the glands from inside and calms the lids.
10 minutes. Melts the oil right before it is cleared.
Each gland pressed clear while the oil is soft.
Part of: EyeRelief and EyeRelief Max
Everything in an EyeClean visit.
About 15 minutes over closed eyes, for the bacteria and mites along the lash line.
Calms the inflamed lids. No flash, safe for every skin.
Part of: EyeClean with red and blue light
Skin doctors first used IPL to treat rosacea, and noticed their patients’ dry eyes got better too. Short flashes of filtered light pass through the skin below your eyes. The light settles the tiny inflamed blood vessels along the lid edge and warms the oil in the glands. It is not a laser, and your eyes are shielded throughout. IPL is not suitable for brown or darker skin.
LLLT stands for low-level light therapy, the medical name for red light therapy. A soft mask of red light rests over your closed eyes for about 15 minutes. It gently warms the glands from the inside so the oil softens, and calms inflamed lids. Painless, nothing touches the eye, and it is safe for every skin type. It is part of every IPL visit, and available on its own at all five of our practices.
Our system is eye-light® by Espansione, made in Italy. It does both, IPL and red light, in one visit, at Cheadle and Middleton.
Most people find it comfortable. Expressing the glands can be uncomfortable for a moment, and we go at your pace.
Yes. Your eyes are closed for the steam, and the pressure is on the eyelid, not the eye.
No downtime. You can drive home and go back to work.
No eye make-up on the day. Tell us about any new medicines.
What blocks them: inflamed lid edges (often with rosacea), bacteria and tiny mites along the lashes, screens (we blink half as often), age, hormones such as the menopause, and contact lenses. Heat masks and drops help for a while, but they cannot reach the deepest blockages, and the inflammation thickens the oil again.
Why it matters: left alone, a blocked gland shortens and is eventually lost, and lost glands do not grow back. Clearing them early saves the glands you have.
What the research says: the latest international guidance (TFOS DEWS III) starts with warm compresses and lid hygiene, then in-clinic gland expression, and IPL when MGD keeps coming back. In controlled studies, IPL with gland expression improved tear stability and symptoms more than expression alone. So we clear the glands, then treat what keeps blocking them.
It sets like butter in a blocked gland. Warm steam softens it, then gentle pressure clears it. Once it flows again, your tears stop drying out.
Press play if you want to see it. Skip it if you would rather not. Nothing touches the eye itself.
BeforeAfterBefore: crusty debris round the lashes and blocked gland openings. After: one EyeClean session, in the chair. Drag the line to compare.
I’m Sohail, one of the two directors here, and I have had dry eye for years. Contact lenses that dried out by lunchtime. Gritty eyes, vision that comes and goes until you blink it clear, drops that buy you ten minutes, and the frustration that builds when none of it changes. And every time I asked, the same standard answers: baby shampoo on the lids, try these drops, it’s just your age.
It is not in your head. It is not a small thing. And it is not something you have to put up with. In 2017 I decided to work out a proper solution, for myself and for my patients, and that is why we built this clinic the way we did: time to listen, your own eyes on the screen so you can see what we see, and a plan written down for you to keep.
You will be looked after here. By an optometrist who has the time, who has treated hundreds of people like you, and who knows how it feels from the inside.
Our treatment protocols are our own. They are built on the latest international research (TFOS DEWS III) and refined over hundreds of patients. 9 in 10 EyeClean patients told us their eyes improved.
We do not hand you drops and a leaflet. We take time to understand what you are going through and how it affects your life. We find your cause, build a plan around you, then guide you and manage your care, from your first visit to your follow-up.
We photograph every gland, so you see how many are blocked, shortened or lost, and test for inflammation. If nothing rules it out, your first treatment can be the same day. £50 of the fee goes towards your programme.
EyeClean: 3 visits of about 30 minutes. If your lids are inflamed (EyeRelief): 4 IPL visits two weeks apart, plus 1 EyeClean visit.
New gland photos and your symptom score, compared with your first visit, so you see the change. If you have not improved, your next session is free.
A daily heat mask and gentle lid massage at home, a yearly check (£195), and a single top-up visit if the glands start to block again.
MGD is a long-term condition. It rarely goes away completely, but it can be managed, and your symptoms can be greatly improved. Our job is to get your glands flowing, and then keep them that way, with you.
We developed each programme ourselves, from the latest international research (TFOS DEWS III) and what we have seen work in hundreds of patients since 2017. Already made up your mind? Book your treatment directly. You don’t need a separate assessment: your optometrist checks your eyes at the start of your first visit. Not sure which suits you? Book the Essential assessment first, and we tell you. Everything listed is included in the price.
We listen first, choose your treatment with you, and only suggest what will help. Then we stay with you until your eyes feel better.
Mild MGD: glands blocked, lids calm
or £240 today, £240 at your next visit
Home kit included. No IPL.
Moderate MGD: inflamed lids, glands that keep blocking
or £450 today, £450 at your next visit
No BlephEx at the IPL visits. Home kit included. IPL at Cheadle and Middleton.
Advanced MGD: glands already shortened, rosacea or mites
or £747 today, £748 at your next visit
EyeRelief, extended.
Home kit included. IPL at Cheadle and Middleton.
Not suitable for IPL? EyeClean with red and blue light: 3 visits of about 45 minutes, £660. No flash, and safe for every skin type.
Had an assessment with us first? £50 of the fee goes towards your programme. Pay in full, or half today and half at your next visit. A single EyeClean visit is £195 and a single IPL visit £295, the top-ups if you need a little more at your follow-up.
Questions first? Book a free 10-minute call with an optometrist
45 minutes with an optometrist. Every oil gland is photographed with infrared, so you see how many are blocked, shortened or lost, and an inflammation test shows whether you need IPL.
You leave knowing exactly what is causing your symptoms, with a written plan, your options and the prices. If nothing rules it out, treatment can start the same day. £50 goes towards your treatment.
“Patience, caring and so much help. It was the best thing ever I decided to have.”Pat Smith, Middleton
Dry eye is personal. It changes how you work, drive, read and sleep, and most people have been told to put up with it. You will not be told that here. These are the words of our patients, exactly as they wrote them.
“I had the blepharitis treatment. Everything was properly explained and great care was taken to carry out the procedure. Plenty of time was taken during my appointment to put me at ease. All the staff are cheerful, helpful and welcoming. Can’t thank them all enough for an excellent experience.”
Stephanie Taylor · Middleton
“Patience, caring and so much help during the time I was having the Dry Eye Treatment Programme. It was the best thing ever I decided to have, in between and after my cataract surgery. I would highly recommend it. With all my treatment from starting to finishing it, wow. Just to say to each and every one of you, a massive thank you. You all were the very best.”
Pat Smith · Middleton
“Everyone is very attentive and caring and I have had positive results from my treatments.”
Tim Baker · Middleton
“Helpful and friendly. I had complete confidence in your actions and guidance.“
Carla Reuben
“Excellent service, extremely helpful staff. Thanks for all you have done for me, I am very grateful. A special thanks to optometrist Lara and dispenser Emily, you are a great team!”
Mr P E Garo-Jones
“I was told by two other opticians that it was just dry eye and there was nothing to be done. The imaging showed me exactly what was wrong. Seeing my blocked glands on the screen made it all make sense.“
Cheadle patient
9 in 10 EyeClean patients improved. 4.9 stars from more than 600 reviews.
Book online any time, or call us Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. Outside those hours, the number offers to ring you back when we open.
IPL clinic
Abra & Co · 19 Wilmslow Road, Cheadle SK8 1DW
Also for Stockport, Didsbury, Bramhall and Wilmslow. Free parking.
Or call 0161 428 3717 · Practice page · Directions
IPL clinic
Abra & Co · 36 Long Street, Middleton M24 6UQ
Also for Rochdale, Oldham, Bury and Prestwich.
Or call 0161 653 0771 · Practice page · Directions
Ashworth Opticians · 214 Finney Lane, Heald Green SK8 3QA
Also for Gatley, Wythenshawe and Sale.
Or call 0161 437 3400 · Practice page · Directions
Winsford Eye & Footcare · 27 Delamere Street, Winsford CW7 2LX
Also for Northwich, Middlewich and Crewe.
Or call 01606 599030 · Practice page · Directions
Armitage Opticians · 14 Market Street, Heckmondwike WF16 0JU
Also for Dewsbury, Batley, Leeds and Wakefield.
Or call 01924 403617 · Practice page · Directions
| What it does | Our advice | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat mask | Softens the oil in the glands | Every day, 10 minutes. Home heat rarely reaches badly blocked glands, which is why we clear them in clinic. |
| Eyelid massage | Helps the softened oil flow | Gently, straight after heat. Never press hard on the eye. |
| Eye drops | Comfort. Drops with oil in them help the most | Useful, but they do not unblock glands. Which drops help MGD → |
| Lid wipes | Keep the lid edge clean | Daily, from your home kit. |
| Gland probing | Opens a gland with a fine wire | We do not offer it. Most people with MGD need expression and the inflammation treated. |
| LipiFlow, iLux | Heat and press the glands with a device | We do not offer them. We clear the glands by hand after warm steam. |
MGD is a long-term condition, and it rarely goes away completely. But when the glands are cleared and the inflammation is treated, most people’s symptoms improve a great deal, and they stay comfortable with a simple home routine.
Clearing the glands in clinic, after proper heat, and treating whatever keeps blocking them. For mild MGD that is EyeClean. When the lids are inflamed, IPL and red light are added (EyeRelief).
After warm steam softens the oil, your optometrist gently presses along the eyelid to push the blocked oil out of each gland. You see it on the screen. It is part of every EyeClean and IPL visit.
It can be uncomfortable for a moment, especially the first time. The steam makes it much easier, and we go at your pace.
EyeClean is 3 visits plus a follow-up. EyeRelief is 4 IPL visits and 1 EyeClean visit plus a follow-up: 6 visits over about 3 months. EyeRelief Max is 10 visits over about 6 months.
A daily heat mask and gentle massage help keep them flowing, but home heat rarely clears glands that are badly blocked. That needs expression in clinic.
Drops with oil in them help the most with comfort, but no drop unblocks a gland. We tell you which one suits you. MGD eye drops →
No. Most people with MGD need the glands expressed and the inflammation treated, which is what our programmes do.
They often come together. Blepharitis is inflamed lid edges; MGD is the oil glands just behind them. Blepharitis treatment →
The Essential assessment is £225, and £50 of it goes towards your programme. EyeClean is £480, EyeRelief £900 and EyeRelief Max £1,495. You can pay half today and half at your next visit.
EyeClean is at all five of our practices. IPL is at Cheadle and Middleton.
Still have a question? Talk it through with one of our optometrists first. It’s free, takes 10 minutes, and there’s no obligation to book.
Choose your treatment · from £480 Not sure which? Book the Essential assessment (£225) Or book a free 10-minute call with an optometrist
