Skip to main content

Facial plastic surgery · London

Mid-face lift, by a specialist mid-face surgeon.

A targeted lift of the malar fat pad, tear trough and nasolabial fold - performed by an oculoplastic or facial plastic surgeon with a high personal volume, in a CQC-registered London theatre. The bridge between a lower blepharoplasty and a full facelift.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

Indicative pricing

What a private mid-face lift costs in London.

Indicative ranges across UK surgeons and theatres.

In short

A mid-face lift in central London: £8,500 to £14,000, home the same evening.

Procedure Indicative range
Consultation, photography and written plan £250–£450
Mid-face lift alone (SOOF or subperiosteal) £8,500–£14,000
Mid-face lift + lower-lid blepharoplasty +£3,500–£5,500
Extended deep-plane facelift (mid-face + jowl + neck) £22,000–£38,000
Autologous fat transfer to mid-face (adjunct) £3,500–£6,500
Second-opinion review of prior surgery or plan £250–£450

Prices vary by surgeon, by whether a lower blepharoplasty or fat transfer is combined, and by theatre choice (Cadogan Clinic, London Bridge Cosmetic Surgery, HCA The Wellington, King Edward VII s or London Facial Plastic Surgery).

The problem

The right surgeon, the right technique, the right vector.

A mid-face booked onto a general aesthetic list, without careful analysis of ptosis versus volume loss, is a recipe for a hollowed eye, a retracted lid and a face that no longer looks like yours.

  • Is a mid-face lift right for me?

    If your descent is confined to the malar region, yes. If your jowl and neck have also gone, an extended deep-plane facelift is the honest answer.

  • Worried about a hollow, operated look?

    Fat repositioning across the tear trough - not fat removal - is central. Look for surgeons whose photographic portfolio proves it.

  • Want it done in a specialist theatre?

    A named oculoplastic or facial plastic surgeon on the BAAPS, BAPRAS or BOPSS register, in a CQC-registered London theatre with consultant anaesthesia.

When it helps

When a mid-face lift is the right step - and when it is not.

The patterns of mid-face ageing seen most often, plus the signs that mean a non-surgical route or a full facelift is the honest answer.

  • Malar fat pad ptosis in your 40s or 50s

    The cheek highlight has slid down and inwards, flattening the malar prominence while the lower lid looks longer than it used to.

  • Deep tear trough with a visible V

    A clear step-off from lower lid to cheek, worse when tired, that filler either cannot correct or has made puffy over time.

  • Nasolabial fold accentuation

    A deep nasolabial groove driven by descended cheek tissue rather than by upper-lip volume loss - repositioning the fat pad softens the fold.

  • Younger patient not ready for a full facelift

    Mid-face descent is the primary concern; the jawline and neck are still tight. A targeted mid-face lift bridges lower blepharoplasty and a full facelift.

  • Post-blepharoplasty hollowing

    A previous lower blepharoplasty that took too much fat has left a skeletonised look - SOOF lift with fat repositioning restores the lid-cheek junction.

  • Volume loss dominant, not ptosis

    A flat, deflated mid-face with good skin tone is often better served by fat transfer or HA filler than by surgery. A good surgeon will tell you if this is you.

  • Lower-lid laxity or scleral show

    A snap-back test that is slow, or visible white below the iris, changes the plan - a canthal support is added to protect the lid.

  • Red flag: unrealistic expectation

    If you want a dramatic change to the jawline or neck, a mid-face lift alone will disappoint - a deep-plane facelift or staged plan is the honest answer.

Technique options

Mid-face lift is a family of techniques - and volume sits beside it.

What each option on the table actually involves - and which fits which face. For descent that has spread to the jowl and neck, an extended deep-plane facelift is the usual referral.

  • SOOF lift via lower-lid incision

    Sub-orbicularis oculi fat lift through a transcutaneous or transconjunctival lower-lid approach, with fat repositioning across the tear trough and malar suspension.

  • Subperiosteal mid-face lift

    Endoscopic access through temporal and upper buccal incisions, elevating the cheek fat pad and malar tissue subperiosteally to a higher, more youthful position.

  • MACS-lift, modified for mid-face

    Minimal Access Cranial Suspension with a short preauricular incision, using vertical purse-string sutures to suspend the mid-face without a full facelift dissection.

  • Extended deep-plane facelift

    A full deep-plane dissection that includes the mid-face, jowl and neck - the answer when descent is not confined to the malar region.

  • Autologous fat transfer

    Volume restoration adjunct - fat harvested from the abdomen or thigh, purified and injected into the malar and tear-trough region. Non-surgical alternative when ptosis is mild.

  • HA filler cheek augmentation

    A non-surgical option for volume-dominant cases in younger patients - covered on its own page and never mixed with surgery in the same visit.

  • Combined lower blepharoplasty

    Often paired with SOOF lift when skin and orbicularis excess coexist with mid-face descent - one anaesthetic, one recovery.

  • Second-opinion review

    A specialist review of your photos, prior operative notes and current plan - sometimes the answer is a smaller procedure than the one you were offered.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

Mid-face lift is a well-established operation. The things worth planning are the lower-lid recovery, the two- to three-week bruising window, malar oedema that can linger, and the honest revision rate.

  • Lower-lid retraction - the one to fear

    Over-tightening or over-resection of the lower lid can pull it down. This is the most feared complication of mid-face lift and, if it happens, needs a formal revision with a spacer graft.

  • Ectropion

    Outward turning of the lower lid, usually transient, occasionally permanent. Managed with massage, taping and, rarely, a canthopexy or canthoplasty.

  • Prolonged malar oedema

    Swelling over the cheekbone can persist for 3 to 6 months after subperiosteal work. It settles fully but the timeline is honest and worth planning for.

  • Infraorbital sensation change

    Numbness or altered sensation across the cheek and upper lip is common in the first weeks and usually resolves within three months.

  • Asymmetry

    Small differences between the two sides are expected during healing. Persistent asymmetry at six months may need a minor revision.

  • Temporal alopecia

    A small area of hair loss at a temporal incision, uncommon and usually reversible. Discussed if a subperiosteal or extended approach is planned.

  • Hollowing from over-resection

    Too much fat removed - typically from a prior lower blepharoplasty - leaves a skeletonised look.

  • Revision rate around 10%

    Around one in ten patients has a small revision within the first year - a suture adjustment, a scar refinement, or a top-up of fat. Costed transparently up front.

  • Red flags after discharge

    Rapidly worsening swelling on one side, severe pain, vision change or fever - call the surgeon or go to A&E the same day.

Reading your operative notes

Your notes in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever technique was used, the note the surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.

A London facial plastic surgeon reviewing operative photographs

A quiet reminder

Operative language is precise and can read coldly - ask for anything unclear to be put in plain English.

If you would like the note talked through before your review, just ask your surgeon.

  1. 01 Header

    Grade of mid-face descent

    Mild flattening, moderate ptosis or severe descent with tear-trough and nasolabial-fold accentuation - graded on your consultation photographs.

  2. 02 Technique

    Approach, vector and fixation

    Which incision was used, whether the lift was sub-orbicularis, subperiosteal or MACS-style, the direction of suspension and how the tissue was fixed.

  3. 03 Findings

    Fat repositioning and canthal support

    Whether SOOF was mobilised and repositioned across the tear trough, and whether a canthopexy or canthoplasty was added to protect the lower lid.

  4. 04 Impression

    Recovery plan and review schedule

    Read this first: sutures out at 7 to 10 days, back to office work at 10 to 14 days, exercise at 4 to 6 weeks, final result at 3 to 6 months.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Cosmetic surgery is generally self-funded. Insurance may contribute if there is a functional component such as lower-lid malposition after prior surgery.

Frequently asked

Everything patients commonly ask about mid-face lift.

Quick answers on recovery, complications, filler versus surgery, and how a mid-face lift differs from a full facelift.

  • What is a mid-face lift and who is it for?

    A mid-face lift is a targeted procedure that repositions the malar fat pad and cheek soft tissue upwards, correcting descent across the tear trough, malar region and nasolabial fold. It bridges the gap between a lower blepharoplasty and a full facelift and suits younger patients, or patients whose mid-face descent is their primary concern rather than the jowl or neck.

  • How is a mid-face lift different from a full facelift?

    A facelift addresses the jowl and neck through a preauricular and post-auricular incision. A mid-face lift targets the cheek and lower eyelid through a lower-lid, temporal or short preauricular access. If descent is confined to the mid-face, a mid-face lift is a smaller operation with a shorter recovery. If the jowl and neck have also descended, an extended deep-plane facelift is the honest answer.

  • How much does a private mid-face lift cost in London?

    A mid-face lift alone runs between £8,500 and £14,000 in London. Combined with a lower blepharoplasty, add £3,500 to £5,500. An extended deep-plane facelift package that includes the mid-face, jowl and neck runs £22,000 to £38,000. Fat transfer as an adjunct is £3,500 to £6,500.

  • How long is the recovery?

    You will be back to office work at 10 to 14 days. Bruising fades over 2 to 3 weeks. Swelling settles over 4 to 8 weeks, with malar oedema sometimes lingering longer. Exercise returns at 4 to 6 weeks. The final result appears at 3 to 6 months once soft-tissue oedema has fully resolved.

  • What is the most serious complication I should know about?

    Lower-lid retraction from over-tightening or over-resection is the most feared complication of mid-face lift. It can pull the lower lid downwards and, if severe, needs a formal revision with a spacer graft. Choosing a surgeon with a high mid-face volume who routinely adds a canthal support is the single biggest way to reduce this risk.

  • Would filler or fat transfer be better for me than surgery?

    If your mid-face is flat and deflated but your soft tissue has not descended, volume-based treatments - HA filler or autologous fat transfer - often give a better, less invasive result. If your tissue has clearly slid downwards, no amount of volume will lift it and surgery is the honest answer. The first assessment should tell you which pattern you have.

Related treatments

Looking for something else?