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.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A specialist mid-face surgeon, not a general list
A named oculoplastic or facial plastic surgeon with a high mid-face volume, in a CQC-registered London theatre with an anaesthetist you meet in person.
- 02
The right technique for the anatomy
Mid-face lift is not always the answer. If volume loss dominates over ptosis, fat transfer or filler may serve you better. We say so before you commit.
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Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What a private mid-face lift costs in London.
Indicative ranges across our partner surgeons and theatres. Send us your photographs and we quote firm figures across two or three options.
In short
A mid-face lift in central London: £8,500 to £14,000, home the same evening.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation, photography and written plan | £250–£450 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| Mid-face lift alone (SOOF or subperiosteal) | £8,500–£14,000 | 2–3 h | Day case |
| Mid-face lift + lower-lid blepharoplasty | +£3,500–£5,500 | 3–4 h | Day case or 1 night |
| Extended deep-plane facelift (mid-face + jowl + neck) | £22,000–£38,000 | 5–7 h | 1–2 nights |
| Autologous fat transfer to mid-face (adjunct) | £3,500–£6,500 | 60–90 min | Day case |
| Second-opinion review of prior surgery or plan | £250–£450 | 30 min | 48 hours |
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). We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
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.
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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.
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Worried about a hollow, operated look?
Fat repositioning across the tear trough - not fat removal - is central. We only send you to surgeons whose photographic portfolio proves it.
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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.
The journey
From first message to final result - what happens, in order.
One team from first message to the six-month review - including combined blepharoplasty planning and fat transfer if you need it.
Phase 1 · Before your surgery
Concierge, off-stage for you
Phase 2 · On the day
A day at the theatre
Phase 3 · After
Concierge, back on
- 01
Before
You send us a photo set
A short, confidential form with front, three-quarter and profile photographs. Any prior blepharoplasty, filler or facelift history and a brief note on what you want changed.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether a mid-face lift fits, or whether tear-trough filler, fat transfer or a deep-plane facelift is the better call. Indicative price. An honest read either way.
- 03
Before
A face-to-face consultation
Assessment of malar fat pad ptosis versus volume loss, tear-trough depth, lower-lid laxity, skin quality and asymmetry. Photographs, consent, and a written quote.
- 04
On the day
Arrival at the theatre
Admission the morning of surgery. General anaesthetic with a consultant anaesthetist. Marking, and a final chat with the surgeon before you go to sleep.
- 05
On the day
The mid-face lift itself
Two to three hours. SOOF lift, subperiosteal elevation or MACS-style suspension, with fat repositioning across the tear trough and malar suspension to a higher vector.
- 06
On the day
Day case or overnight
Most patients go home the same evening. Combined cases with lower blepharoplasty often stay one night. Drains are rare.
- 07
After
Reviews, sutures and final result
Sutures out at 7 to 10 days. Back to office work at 10 to 14 days. Swelling settles across 4 to 8 weeks. Final result at 3 to 6 months.
Typical end-to-end: 2 to 4 weeks to surgery. Back to office: 10 to 14 days. Final result: 3 to 6 months.
When it helps
When a mid-face lift is the right step - and when it is not.
The patterns of mid-face ageing we see most, plus the signs that mean a non-surgical route or a full facelift is the honest answer.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. We will tell you if this is you.
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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.
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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, we refer to an extended deep-plane facelift.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Combined lower blepharoplasty
Often paired with SOOF lift when skin and orbicularis excess coexist with mid-face descent - one anaesthetic, one recovery.
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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.
Our vetted London network
A small panel of mid-face surgeons, we picked them.
Consultant oculoplastic and facial plastic surgeons on the BAAPS, BAPRAS or BOPSS registers - including Mr Naresh Joshi and Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai among others. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every surgeon in our network.
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Oculoplastic and facial plastic surgeons on the BAAPS, BAPRAS or BOPSS specialist registers
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High personal mid-face volumes and photographic portfolios, not general aesthetic lists
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CQC-registered London theatres with consultant-delivered general anaesthesia
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A written revision policy and a named point of contact for the first six weeks
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.
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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.
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Ectropion
Outward turning of the lower lid, usually transient, occasionally permanent. Managed with massage, taping and, rarely, a canthopexy or canthoplasty.
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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.
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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.
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Asymmetry
Small differences between the two sides are expected during healing. Persistent asymmetry at six months may need a minor revision.
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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.
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Hollowing from over-resection
Too much fat removed - typically from a prior lower blepharoplasty - leaves a skeletonised look. Prevention through fat repositioning is central to our surgeons practice.
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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.
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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 quiet reminder
Operative language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the note before your review, just ask.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Cosmetic surgery is generally self-funded. Insurance may contribute if there is a functional component such as lower-lid malposition after prior surgery. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about mid-face lift.
Quick answers on recovery, complications, filler versus surgery, and how a mid-face lift differs from a full facelift.
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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.
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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.
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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. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
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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.
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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.
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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. We tell you which pattern you have at the first assessment.
Ready to talk?
Send us three photographs. We come back with a plan, a price and a name.
One working day. Independent. Free. If a mid-face lift is not the honest answer, we will tell you what is.
Related treatments
Looking for something else?
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Deep-plane facelift
For descent that has spread to the jowl and neck.
Learn more -
Endoscopic brow lift
Upper-third rejuvenation, often paired with mid-face work.
Learn more -
Upper-eyelid blepharoplasty
Hooded upper lids, tightened in a short day case.
Learn more -
Tear-trough filler
Non-surgical volume for a hollow under-eye.
Learn more -
Preservation rhinoplasty
A conservative approach to nasal reshaping.
Learn more -
Lip fillers
Subtle volume and shape for the lip.
Learn more