How Much Does a Facelift Cost?
We all have aspects of our appearance that we don’t love, whether it’s excess fat, signs of aging, an anatomical quirk, or what have you. So why isn’t everyone getting plastic surgery? While it actually is more common than most people realize, the cost is usually the largest issue that holds patients back. For that reason, the cost of cosmetic surgery is always one of the primary questions patients ask in an initial consultation. As a double board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in facelifts, I’m happy to offer a bit of insight to help you budget for plastic surgery.
Cost of a Facelift
There are a number of variables that affect the price of a cosmetic surgery, like the surgeon’s experience, the location of the office (because some metro areas have higher costs of living than others), the extensiveness of your procedure, and more. For this reason, a true “average” isn’t really achievable, but various sources have put the average cost of a facelift anywhere between $7,000 and $12,000. At my own plastic surgery practice, a traditional facelift generally costs between $7,000 and $7,500, although many patients choose to add other facial rejuvenation procedures into the surgery, like an eyelid lift, a brow lift, and/or liposuction under the chin. This will raise the price of the facelift, but it will be much less expensive than if you had received each procedure in a separate surgery.
There is, however, another option that is significantly less expensive. In fact, the vast majority of my facelift patients actually choose to have the Band Aid Mini Facelift instead. The Band Aid Mini Facelift is a procedure I developed and have been performing with great success for twenty years. It’s performed in-office with gentle numbing rather than general anesthesia, and this is possible because of advanced, minimally invasive techniques. On top of an easier surgical process, the Band Aid Mini Facelift also has a much easier recovery, with about half the recovery time and much less swelling, bruising, and scarring than a traditional face lift. While it’s not suitable for a more extreme degree of aging, the Band Aid Mini Facelift is actually a great option for nearly all of my patients, offering the ability to take as much as a decade off your appearance with minimal inconvenience. Because it’s performed in-office and is less time-consuming, the Band Aid Mini Facelift costs less than $5,000, compared to over $7,000 for a conventional facelift*.
Plastic Surgery Expenses
When you’re planning the financial side of your cosmetic surgery, it’s important to know that you won’t just have one transaction. In fact, there are a number of fees involved, and they all vary from one patient to the next, but when you schedule a plastic surgery consultation, you’ll receive a more specific outline of the expenses you can expect. The primary costs involved in cosmetic surgery include:
- Surgeon’s fee
- Fee to use the operating room
- Anesthesia fees
- Specialty compression garments to wear after the surgery
- Prescription medications
- Pre-surgical medical tests
It’s not surprising that some forms of plastic surgery can carry a hefty price tag considering the amount of time, sources, and training that is required to perform it. But while the overall cost may give you sticker-shock, my patients truly come to their follow-up appointments and future appointments raving about how thrilled they are with their results and how strongly they feel that their new confidence is worth the price. If you want to learn more about face lifts, my Band Aid Facelift, or other cosmetic surgery procedures, remember to follow me, Dr. John LeRoy on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
*Prices as of October 2017. Pricing may change in the future.