Midface Lift in Seoul

What is a midface lift?

A midface lift, also called a cheek lift, repositions the soft tissue between the lower eyelid and the corner of the mouth. With age, the fat pad over the cheekbone slides downwards and inwards. This leaves a hollow under the eye, a longer-looking lower eyelid, a flatter upper cheek and a deeper fold beside the nose.

A midface lift moves that tissue back up towards the cheekbone and secures it there. It treats the cause of these changes, rather than filling the hollows around them.

Who is a midface lift suitable for?

A midface lift may suit you if you have:

• a visible hollow or groove under the eye, where the lower lid meets the cheek;
• flattened cheeks that used to be fuller and higher;
• deepening nasolabial folds caused by cheek descent;
• a tired look that has not improved with fillers.

If your main concern is jowls or the neck, a facelift is the more effective operation. If the issue is mainly under-eye bags with little cheek descent, under-eye fat repositioning may be enough.

How Dr. Kim plans a midface lift

Dr. Kim examines where the cheek has moved from and to, how long the lower eyelid looks, the depth of the tear trough and how much volume has been lost. Gently lifting the cheek by hand at consultation shows you what repositioning could change.

The aim is a rested, youthful cheek in your own proportions, not a raised or wide-looking face. Where volume has been lost as well as moved, a small amount of fat grafting may be planned alongside the lift.

The technique

There are two main approaches, and the choice depends on your eyes and cheeks:

• Through the temple: short incisions are hidden in the hair above the ear. Using an endoscope, the cheek tissue is released from the cheekbone and lifted upwards and outwards, then fixed to the firm layer over the temple. This is the approach used in an endoscopic facelift.
• Through the lower eyelid: when the lower eyelid also needs surgery, the cheek can be released and lifted through the same incision used for lower blepharoplasty, and the eyelid is supported at the same time.

In both, the lift is anchored in the deep layer, so the skin is not pulled and the result looks natural.

How to prepare

Dr. Kim reviews your medical history and any medicines or supplements that affect bleeding before surgery. Some are usually paused beforehand; the guide to medications and supplements to pause explains this. Stop smoking and nicotine for several weeks before and after surgery, and plan a few quiet days at your accommodation afterwards.

Anesthesia and surgery time

A midface lift is usually performed under deep IV sedation or general anesthesia and takes about 2 to 3 hours, or longer if it is combined with eyelid surgery or fat grafting.

The anesthesia options explained guide covers the differences, and the safety and anesthesia standards page explains how you are monitored at Will Be.

How long does recovery take?

A typical recovery looks like this:

• First 3 days: swelling of the cheeks and around the eyes, tightness and possible difficulty opening the mouth widely; sleep with your head raised.
• Days 5–10: stitches are removed; bruising begins to fade.
• Weeks 2–3: most people feel comfortable in public, though the cheeks may still look slightly full.
• Months 2–6: swelling settles fully and the final shape appears.

The guide to reducing swelling and bruising has practical tips.

Risks and how they are minimised

The main risks of a midface lift are:

• Prolonged swelling of the cheeks, which settles over weeks;
• Temporary numbness of the cheek or upper lip;
• Pulling of the lower eyelid when the eyelid approach is used, reduced by supporting the lid at the end of surgery;
• Asymmetry, reduced by careful planning with you upright;
• bleeding, infection and nerve weakness, which are uncommon.

Dr. Kim discusses the risks that apply to your chosen approach at consultation.

Midface lift, fillers or fat grafting?

Fillers and fat grafting add volume; a midface lift moves tissue back to where it was. If the cheek has mainly lost volume, adding it back with fat grafting or dermal filler may be the simplest answer. If the cheek has mainly moved down, filling the hollow above it can make the face look heavy, and a lift is more natural.

Many faces have both, and a lift combined with a small amount of fat is often the most balanced plan.

How long do results last?

Because the cheek is repositioned and fixed in the deep layer, the improvement is long-lasting, usually many years. The face continues to age, but the cheek stays higher than it would have been without surgery. Sun protection, not smoking and a stable weight help the result last.

Combinations to consider

A midface lift is often combined with:

• lower blepharoplasty or under-eye fat repositioning for bags and the tear trough;
• an endoscopic forehead lift or temple lift when the brows have also dropped;
• a facelift when the jawline and neck also need lifting;
• fat grafting where volume has been lost.

The guide to combining procedures safely explains how this is decided.

Why the one-surgeon model matters

The midface sits between the eyes and the mouth, and small changes there alter the whole expression. At Will Be, the surgeon who plans your lift is the same surgeon who operates and sees you at every follow-up, with no hand-over. The one-surgeon principle explains why this matters.

Staying in Korea as an international patient

Most international patients plan to stay in Seoul for about 10 to 14 days, so that stitches can be removed and Dr. Kim can check the result before you fly. Stay close to Sinsa to make follow-up visits easy.

The page on how long to stay in Korea helps with planning, and follow-up care abroad explains how Dr. Kim continues to review your progress after you return home.