Choosing a Facelift Surgeon
How to find a properly qualified, regulated facelift surgeon in the UK — and the warning signs that should make you walk away.
Verification beats marketing
Anyone with a medical degree can legally call themselves a ‘cosmetic surgeon’ in the UK — the title is not protected. That makes verifying credentials essential. This section shows you exactly how to confirm a surgeon’s training, professional memberships and the regulation of the hospital they operate in.
In this section
How to Choose
The checks that genuinely protect you, step by step.
Read →Questions to Ask
What to ask at consultation — and the answers to expect.
Read →GMC Specialist Register
How to verify a surgeon is a registered specialist.
Read →BAAPS & BAPRAS
What these memberships mean and how to check them.
Read →CQC Hospitals
Why the hospital’s regulation matters as much as the surgeon.
Read →Red Flags
Warning signs that should make you walk away.
Read →The surgeon matters more than the technique
If you take one thing from this website, let it be this: who operates on you matters more than which lift they use. A skilled, properly trained surgeon will choose the right technique for your face and execute it safely. The checks below are not bureaucracy — they are how you separate a regulated specialist from someone trading on marketing alone.
Three checks cover most of the ground: confirm the surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for plastic surgery (or is an appropriately trained facial plastic surgeon), check membership of BAAPS or BAPRAS, and confirm the hospital is registered with the CQC (or equivalent national regulator).
Not sure where to start?
The complete facelift guide walks you through ageing, candidacy and the consultation before you compare techniques.