New York City

The City Sets
The Bar

In New York, nobody hands you a reputation — you earn it, in front of the toughest room there is. The people who are genuinely good at something tend to end up here, and the ones who want them come looking. MILA's in Midtown, near Central Park — and plenty of the people who walk in got on a plane first.

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The MILA Difference

New York Doesn't Slow Down. Neither Should Your Recovery.

Traditional facelifts require general anesthesia, an operating room, and weeks of recovery hidden at home. That's not how New Yorkers want to spend their time. Or their lives. MILA was built differently. Our laser-assisted approach works with your body's natural biology. The laser makes the procedure faster and more precise — less trauma to tissue, less bruising, less swelling, and a faster return to the city you live in. Results build quietly over the first three months — until someone says what you've been waiting to hear.

Tell Us a Little About You.

A MILA Patient Care Consultant will reach out personally — by call, text, or email, whichever you prefer.

Preferred contact method

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Notice at Collection. By submitting this form, you provide personal information such as your name, contact details, and the information you choose to share about your interest in our services. We use it to respond to your inquiry, schedule and manage your consultation, and communicate with you consistent with your preferences. We do not sell your personal information. For details about the information we collect, how we use and share it, your privacy rights, and how to exercise them — including your California rights — see our Privacy Policy. To opt out or manage your choices, see Your Privacy Choices.

The MILA Facelift. And Enhancements.

The Flagship

The MILA Facelift

Laser-assisted. Awake, without general anesthesia. Same day. Results that keep building for up to 90 days. Our singular focus — refined at the intersection of laser technology and facial surgery.

Enhancement

Neck Lift

Jawline definition. Profile transformation. Often combined with a MILA for patients whose concerns include the neck and lower face. Priced separately. Discussed at consultation.

Enhancement

Eyelid Lift

Address hooding. Refresh the gaze. A natural complement to a MILA for patients whose concerns include the eye area. Priced separately. Discussed at consultation.

MILA NYC

Dr. Christopher Chia

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

A surgeon who trained the surgeons, and who helped bring the awake facelift to New York.

Begin Your Consultation

The Surgeon

An educator, first.

In practice since 2003, Dr. Christopher Chia has spent his career at the center of American aesthetic surgery — not only performing it, but teaching the surgeons who perform it. Double board-certified in plastic surgery and in surgery, he trained at Georgetown, in New Haven and Louisville, and completed his aesthetic fellowship at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, where he would later return as Program Director.

In The Operating Room

With his partner, Dr. Spero Theodorou, he helped carry the awake, local-anesthesia approach from the body to the face — the procedure now known as the MILA. He is, by temperament, an educator: faculty and speaker for the ASPS and ASAPS, co-editor of an aesthetic surgery textbook, and co-creator of a livestream series that brings surgery itself into the open.

In Consultation

The first thing patients notice is that he doesn't rush. He listens closely — to what someone doesn't like when they catch their reflection, and to how they want to feel walking out of a room. What he cares about is what the surgery gives back: the confidence to stop thinking about their face, and to move through life feeling more like themselves. He cares about his patients, and it shows — he stays with each of them from the first consultation to the final post-op, his hands the whole way through.

Credentials

Training & Distinction

Certification

Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery · Diplomate, American Board of Surgery

Education

Georgetown University · Georgetown University School of Medicine

Residency

General Surgery — St. Raphael's Hospital, New Haven · Plastic Surgery — University of Louisville

Fellowship

Aesthetic Plastic Surgery — Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital & the NYU Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery

Faculty

Former Program Director, MEETH Aesthetic Fellowship · Faculty & Speaker, ASPS and ASAPS

Scholarship

Co-editor, aesthetic surgery textbook · Peer-reviewed author and journal reviewer

Frequently Asked

MILA Facelift FAQs

How long is recovery after a laser-assisted facelift?

Most MILA patients return to light activities within a few days and are comfortable being seen socially within one to two weeks. Traditional facelift recovery typically requires three to four weeks of visible downtime. The laser-assisted approach reduces tissue trauma and accelerates healing significantly.

Will I need general anesthesia?

No. A MILA does not require general anesthesia. Your sedation plan is tailored to you and reviewed at your consultation, and the procedure is performed at an accredited facility. It's designed to keep you comfortable throughout, and most MILA procedures are performed awake. Not all patients are candidates; candidacy is evaluated at your consultation.

What makes a MILA different?

The laser-assisted approach. It lets your surgeon work gentler and more precisely — less trauma to tissue, less bruising, less swelling, and faster recovery. It also stimulates collagen afterward, so results keep building for up to 90 days.

Do you offer financing?

Yes. MILA offers financing through a range of lenders, including options with 0% promotional-interest periods and monthly payment plans. Your Patient Care Consultant walks you through the options at your consultation.

Ready to Meet in New York?

Consultations are available in person at our NYC location, or by secure video where available. Your surgeon walks you through the procedure and your expected results. There's zero pressure to commit.