The Midface Lift in Beverly Hills: The Missing Piece Most Facelifts Leave Behind
There is a specific frustration that brings patients to this page. They have done their research on facelifts. They understand the deep plane. They know the neck can be addressed, the jowls corrected, the jawline restored. And yet when they look in the mirror, something in the middle of the face still bothers them. The cheeks sit flat. The under-eye hollows persist. The nasolabial folds remain deeper than everything else suggests they should be.
That is the midface. And it is the zone that a standard facelift, even a well-performed deep plane facelift, does not always fully address on its own.
A cheek lift and midface lift in Beverly Hills with Dr. Daniel Golshani is the surgical answer to exactly that gap. Using either the subperiosteal midface lift or his modified version of the FAME technique, Finger Assisted Malar Elevation, Dr. Golshani repositions the descended malar fat pad back to its anatomically youthful position, restores the volume of the upper cheek, softens the nasolabial fold at its source, and brings the entire face into the harmony that a lower face procedure alone cannot achieve.
The midface is the most technically demanding zone in facial rejuvenation. It is also, when addressed correctly, the one that makes everything else look complete.
What Is the Midface, and Why Does It Age the Way It Does?
The midface occupies the space between the lower face, where the deep plane facelift does its primary work, and the temporal area and forehead above. It is defined by the cheekbones, the soft tissue of the upper cheek, and most critically, the malar fat pad: a localized mass of subcutaneous fat that in youth sits high on the cheekbone, giving the face its lifted, full, apple-cheeked quality.
As we age, that fat pad descends. Gravity pulls it forward and downward, away from the cheekbone and toward the nasolabial crease. The effects are multiple and connected. The cheeks flatten. The under-eye area hollows, making lower eyelid fat bulges more prominent. The nasolabial folds deepen as the descended soft tissue accumulates along the crease. And the overall impression of the face shifts from lifted and full to drawn and tired.
In some patients this descent is gradual and mild, corrected adequately as part of a comprehensive deep plane facelift. In others, the malar fat pads have descended more aggressively, sometimes actively pulled downward by the facial muscles, or the upper nasolabial folds are deeply etched in a way that requires direct intervention at the midface level. For these patients, a dedicated midface lift is not optional. It is the procedure that makes the difference between a result that looks good and one that looks genuinely complete.
How Dr. Golshani Determines Whether You Need a Midface Lift
This question gets answered during the preoperative examination, not during a website consultation, and Dr. Golshani takes the evaluation seriously.
During your consultation, he assesses three areas with specific attention:
The position and mobility of the malar fat pads. He evaluates how far they have descended, whether they are being held down by the facial muscles, and whether they respond to manual repositioning in a way that suggests a lift will be effective.
The depth and character of the nasolabial folds. A deep plane facelift addresses nasolabial folds by lifting the malar fat pad as part of the composite flap. But when the upper nasolabial fold is the primary concern, or the folds are particularly deep and resistant, a midface lift provides the additional mobilization that the deep plane approach alone may not fully achieve.
The under-eye area. Descended malar fat pads create a hollow in the lower eyelid and make herniated lower lid fat appear more prominent than it may actually be. In patients where lower eyelid concerns are driven partly by midface descent rather than fat herniation alone, a midface lift addresses the root cause rather than just the surface presentation.
When all three of these findings are present together, a midface lift is almost always part of Dr. Golshani’s surgical plan.
Sherrell J. Aston and the FAME Technique: The Foundation
To understand how Dr. Golshani approaches the midface, it helps to understand the surgeon whose work shaped this specific area of facial surgery.
Dr. Sherrell J. Aston is one of the most influential figures in modern facelift surgery. He first introduced and described the FAME technique, Finger Assisted Malar Elevation, in the early 1990s, presenting it at the Aging Face Symposium at the Waldorf Astoria in New York in 1993. His technique was built on a fundamental anatomical insight: that the midface could be accessed through a surgically safe space, the prezygomatic space, without aggressive dissection or significant risk to the facial nerve branches.
The FAME technique is a composite procedure that elevates the skin, the lateral orbicularis oculi muscle, and the malar fat pad together as a single repositioned unit. It is performed through the temporal area, passing between the temporal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve and entering the prezygomatic space, a plane that research has confirmed to be relatively avascular and anatomically safe. The malar fat pad is detached from the underlying SMAS, elevated superiorly, and secured to restore the youthful cheek contour the patient has lost.
The results, when correctly performed, are a direct and powerful correction of midface descent that complements the lower face work of the deep plane facelift and produces the harmony that neither procedure achieves in isolation.
Dr. Golshani’s Modified FAME Technique: Precision Over Force
Dr. Golshani performs a modified version of the FAME technique that reflects both his training in the foundational approach and his own refinements developed through extensive surgical experience.
Where the original technique uses finger dissection to elevate the tissues within the prezygomatic plane, Dr. Golshani employs specific blunt-tipped instruments, including the Trepset, to work within this plane in a more controlled and less traumatic fashion. The principle is identical: access the prezygomatic space, elevate the orbicularis oculi muscle minimally and precisely, and reposition the malar fat pad superiorly. The execution is refined for maximum safety and minimum tissue disruption.
This matters because the facial nerve branches run in proximity to the prezygomatic space. While the space itself is relatively avascular and safe, the margin for error in accessing it is not unlimited. By using blunt-tipped instruments rather than finger dissection alone, Dr. Golshani minimizes the mechanical force applied to surrounding tissue and reduces the already low risk of injury to the distal facial nerve branches.
The result is a midface lift that is powerful in its repositioning effect and conservative in its surgical footprint, which is the precise combination that produces natural, lasting outcomes without prolonged recovery or visible signs of intervention.
The Subperiosteal Midface Lift: When a Deeper Approach Is Indicated
In addition to the FAME technique, Dr. Golshani performs the subperiosteal midface lift in cases where the anatomy warrants a deeper plane of dissection.
The subperiosteal approach accesses the midface at the level of the bone itself, elevating the soft tissue off the periosteum and repositioning it superiorly as a single unit. Working at this depth allows for a comprehensive release of descended tissues, including in patients with more advanced midface aging or more deeply anchored soft tissue that the FAME approach alone may not fully mobilize.
The subperiosteal plane is also relatively avascular, reducing bleeding and tissue irregularity during dissection. Dr. Golshani determines which approach, FAME, subperiosteal, or a combination, is appropriate for each patient based entirely on the anatomy evaluated during the preoperative examination. There is no template here. There is only the correct decision for the specific person in front of him.
When the Midface Lift Is Part of a Larger Plan
The midface lift is most commonly performed in conjunction with the procedures that address the zones above and below it:
- Deep Plane Facelift as the primary lower face and jowl correction, working in concert with the midface lift to produce a result that is harmonious across every zone
- Neck Lift with Corset Platysmaplasty to address the neck and submental region in patients where that zone has also aged
- Blepharoplasty to address the periorbital frame directly, particularly where lower eyelid concerns are both a midface descent issue and a lid tissue issue simultaneously
- Endoscopic Brow Lift to address the upper face and restore the lateral brow arc
- Fat Grafting with G-Stem to restore volume in the temples, periorbital area, and midface zones where repositioning alone is insufficient
- Nose Lift (Mini-Rhinoplasty) to refine the nasal tip through a short incision approach in patients where subtle nasal changes complement the overall midface result
- Short Incision Lip Lift to restore the upper lip-to-nose ratio and add definition to the lip border in patients where the perioral area has also aged alongside the midface
- Laser Resurfacing to improve skin quality and surface texture in a way that complements the structural surgical work
The goal is a face where no single zone announces itself as having been treated in isolation. The cheeks belong to the same face as the jawline. The jawline belongs to the same face as the neck. The midface lift is what connects those zones and makes the result look whole.
The Standard Dr. Golshani Holds Himself To
The most reliable indicator of a technically excellent midface lift is what the patient sees three months later and what everyone around them cannot quite identify. The cheeks are fuller and higher. The nasolabial folds have softened. The under-eye area is less hollow. And yet the face looks entirely like itself, just younger. Nobody knows why.
That invisibility is the standard. And it is the one Dr. Golshani applies to every midface procedure he performs in Beverly Hills.
Why Beverly Hills Patients Choose Dr. Golshani for Cheek Lift and Midface Surgery
The patients who seek out Dr. Golshani specifically for midface rejuvenation have typically already researched the anatomy. They understand that the midface is technically the most demanding zone of the face to address surgically, and they are looking for a surgeon who has both the foundational knowledge and the refined technique to do it correctly.
Dr. Daniel Golshani, MD, FACS is a double-board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon with advanced fellowship training in cosmetic surgery and a subspecialty focus on complex facial procedures. His modified FAME technique, refined through his own extensive surgical experience, represents an approach to midface rejuvenation that is anatomically precise and outcomes-oriented in the way that Beverly Hills patients require.
His practice at 9301 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 410 in Beverly Hills serves patients from Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, West Hollywood, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, and internationally. When the midface is the concern, the standard for getting it right is high. Dr. Golshani’s results are built to meet it.
Your Cheek Lift and Midface Lift Journey: Step-by-Step
Step 1 — The Consultation
Your consultation begins with a detailed evaluation of the midface: the position and mobility of the malar fat pads, the depth and character of the nasolabial folds, the condition of the lower eyelid area, and the relationship between the midface and the lower face zones that may also require attention. Dr. Golshani determines whether a midface lift is indicated, which technique is appropriate for your anatomy, and how it fits into the broader surgical plan. A patient coordinator attends every consultation, recording everything discussed so that nothing is lost between your visit and your surgery date.
Step 2 — Preparation
In the weeks before surgery, Dr. Golshani walks you through specific preparation: stopping smoking at least six weeks before and after the procedure, discontinuing medications and supplements that increase bleeding risk, and optimizing your skin health ahead of surgery. His team ensures you have everything you need before you arrive.
Step 3 — The Procedure
The midface lift is performed under general anesthesia at the Rexford Surgical Institute, an accredited surgical center on the same floor as Dr. Golshani’s Beverly Hills office. When performed as part of a combined facelift procedure, the midface component is integrated into the same surgical session, accessed through the temporal incisions already made for the facelift. Dr. Golshani enters the prezygomatic space using his blunt-tipped instrument approach, elevates and repositions the malar fat pad with precision, and secures it in its new position. The full procedure, including the deep plane facelift component, typically takes three to five hours depending on scope.
Step 4 — Recovery
Recovery from a combined midface and deep plane facelift follows a similar timeline to the facelift alone. Plan to rest at home for the first week. Most patients are socially presentable between ten and fourteen days. Midface swelling can take slightly longer to fully resolve than lower face swelling, and the settled cheek contour is typically visible at the three-month mark with continued refinement over six to twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cheek Lift Surgery
What is a cheek lift and midface lift in Beverly Hills?
A cheek lift, also called a midface lift, is a surgical procedure that repositions the descended malar fat pad and soft tissue of the upper cheek back to its anatomically youthful position on the cheekbone. Dr. Daniel Golshani performs midface lift surgery in Beverly Hills using the FAME technique and subperiosteal approach to restore cheek fullness, reduce nasolabial fold depth, and soften under-eye hollowing caused by midface descent.
What is the FAME technique?
FAME stands for Finger Assisted Malar Elevation, a midface lift technique first described and developed by Dr. Sherrell J. Aston in the early 1990s. It repositions the skin, the lateral orbicularis oculi muscle, and the malar fat pad as a single composite unit by accessing the prezygomatic space, a surgically safe anatomical plane between the facial nerve branches. Dr. Golshani performs a modified version of this technique using blunt-tipped instruments for greater precision and reduced tissue trauma.
When is a midface lift necessary?
A midface lift is indicated when the malar fat pads have descended significantly, when nasolabial folds remain deep after lower face correction, when under-eye hollowing is partly caused by midface tissue descent, or when a deep plane facelift alone would not achieve sufficient upper cheek elevation. Dr. Golshani determines this during the preoperative examination based on a detailed assessment of your specific anatomy.
How is a cheek lift different from a facelift?
A facelift primarily addresses the lower face, jowls, jawline, and neck. A cheek lift specifically targets the midface zone between the lower face and the forehead, repositioning the malar fat pad and upper cheek soft tissue. The two procedures are frequently performed together as complementary components of a comprehensive facial rejuvenation plan.
How much does a cheek lift cost in Beverly Hills?
Cost varies depending on whether the midface lift is performed alone or as part of a combined procedure, the specific technique used, anesthesia, and surgical facility fees. Dr. Golshani’s team provides personalized, itemized cost estimates during the consultation.
How long does a cheek lift last?
The results of a well-performed midface lift, particularly one that includes structural repositioning of the malar fat pad, typically last ten years or longer. Because the procedure addresses descent at its anatomical source rather than simply tightening the surface, the results are more durable than non-surgical alternatives.
What is the recovery time for a cheek lift in Beverly Hills?
When combined with a deep plane facelift, most patients rest at home for the first week and are socially presentable at ten to fourteen days. Midface swelling can take slightly longer to fully resolve. Full settled results are typically visible at three months.
Am I a good candidate for a cheek lift or midface lift?
You are likely a good candidate if you have noticed significant flattening of the upper cheeks, persistent deep nasolabial folds, under-eye hollowing caused by descended midface tissue, or a lower face rejuvenation result that feels incomplete because the midface has not been addressed. Dr. Golshani evaluates candidacy individually during consultation based on a detailed examination of your anatomy.
What are the risks of a midface lift?
As with all surgical procedures, midface lift surgery carries risks including swelling, bruising, asymmetry, and anesthesia-related complications. The proximity of the facial nerve branches to the surgical field makes precision technique essential. Dr. Golshani’s modified blunt instrument approach specifically minimizes mechanical force in this area to reduce the already low risk of nerve-related complications.
