Pricing & Services

If you have any questions at all please contact us via the contact page or call us on 01159-501-123.

In just 3 appointments we will hand make your ocular prosthesis or scleral shell.

In the first appointment, we will take an impression of your socket with alginate: Alginate is a material made of agar-agar and is one of the safest ways to make moulds and castings of the human eye socket.

The alginate powder is mixed with water to make a paste which will then be injected into your eye socket to make an impression of the socket. The paste will set very quickly - normally 1 minute or less - once it has set we will remove it from your socket (the texture of the dried alginate will feel somewhat rubbery). 

This process can sometimes be a little uncomfortable, however, this is the only invasive part of the manufacturing process and once it’s done, it’s done! Using the mould we will be able to make a very comfortable prosthesis that you can wear, in most cases, all day every day (excluding scleral shells which can be worn for up to 8 hours).

After this, we start work on the shaping of a wax eye. This is used to achieve the shape of your prosthesis which will ensure a perfect fit - your description of how the wax feels in your socket will help determine the final shape.

The first stage of iris painting is also completed during this first appointment.

The second appointment lasts about 2 hours and this is when the painting of the iris will be enhanced. We will refer to your human eye as a colour reference to ensure we include all those splashes of colour and little flecks that make your eye unique to you. This is the reason we need you with us for the whole of the 2 hour appointment. We will continue working on your prosthesis and process it overnight, ready for you to collect in appointment three.

This traditional way of approaching ocular prostheses has been used for centuries and is still popular today.

The first known Ocularists constructed artificial eyes from glass in Europe way back in the 16th Century. By the 19th century, Europe was acknowledged as a centre of excellence in artistic craftsmanship. So, there is no wonder that when people think about artificial eyes it is likely that the term 'glass eye' will come to mind.

Very different to the acrylic (PMMA) approach, the glass eyes are made by glass-blowing (you can see this in action in the video below).

It takes one day to make a cryolite glass ocular prosthesis which makes it a more affordable and quicker alternative to acrylic eyes.

It is very important that you have 2 check-ups per year to ensure your prosthesis is clean and that your socket is healthy.

​

We recommend that you have your prosthesis professionally removed, descaled, cleaned, polished and re-inserted at least twice a year (every 4 - 6 months or so). Some people may need more regular check-ups due to excess secretion or even due to dusty home/work environments.

Maintaining your acrylic prosthesis is key to its longevity.

Click here to learn more.