What is the Cost of Facelift?

Many factors are in play with the cost of a facelift procedure. First, surgeon’s expertise and credentials. It’s no secret that surgeons of all specialties appear to be dabbling in the realm of cosmetic procedures in an effort to thrive in a more profitable medical business. Most of these cosmetic cowboys engage in an array of marketing practices including sketchy Hollywood shows and internet astroturfing.

Let’s assume you have come across this article after weeding out the cosmetic cowboys and narrowed down to a selection of board-certified facelift surgeons to choose from. Perhaps you have an array of surgical quotes, and they are all different, after consulting for the same facial rejuvenation enhancements.

Facelift surgical quotes are known to be vastly different from surgeon to surgeon in this industry. Some include the neck as part of their face lift procedure, some don’t. Some include ancillary procedures such as the upper and lower eyes, or blepharoplasty, as part of their face lift. While others may recommend upper and/or lower blepharoplasty in addition to the face lift according to your individual needs.

Either way, the cost of your face lift procedure should include what you seek. However, the industry is witnessing a rise in the upsell quoting practices we are most familiar with when buying a new car: you are presented with a quote that has all the bells and whistles possible. The luxury of each is appealing, but are they what you really need?

Like a car dealership, you engage in a back-and-forth of negotiations, reducing the whistles you do not want, cannot afford, or do not need. The same could be said with many facial rejuvenation quotes today. Some surgeons are engaging in a four-square-like sales tactic in the name of “surgical recommendations.”

How do Plastic Surgeons Determine their Professional Fees?

The modern facelift surgeon has a variety of overhead expenses beyond rent and payroll. Long gone are the simple referral patient acquisitions of their patient being referred to them by another physician or a display ad in those bulky telephone book directories that we used to do to let our “fingers do the walking. Finding a surgeon has done from our fingers thumbing those thin paper pages to clicking through an array of internet search results.

Hence, marketing for the modern surgeon has become a significantly increasing expense. Therefore, the surgical quote may or may not reflect the surgeon’s marketing expenses, or popularity. To help narrow down the bottom line, here are some factors to consider:

• Plastic Surgery Marketing

To help narrow down your pre-surgery consultation process, take in consideration the cosmetic propaganda involved with this industry: celebrity endorsements, paid-for media placements such as television shows, podcasts, billboards, social media marketing campaigns, and fancy websites. Unfortunately, all plastic surgeons must engage in this marketing madness to some degree to keep their doors open for business.

• Celebrity Endorsements

Buyer beware when it comes to celebrity endorsements. Some of the celebrities would not dare want their cosmetic improvements advertised under any circumstances. There is very little benefit for them in allowing their likeness to be used without the lure of financial compensation. There are ethics against this practice for surgeon board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. And, yes, there are some notable names that have great admiration of their surgeons that are willing to allow their favorite surgeon to use their likeness to some degree as endorsements or merely hanging a signed photo on their wall.

However, there are some non-recognized board certifications that do not adhere to the same strict marketing ethics. These cosmetic cowboys are known to take advantage of these boundaries to gain territory on the real board certificated plastic surgeons adhering to their principles and ethics.

• Before and After Photos

Next, let’s explore the patient photos galleries presented by the surgeon. If every patient photo is too good to be true, almost porcelain doll like post-operative photos, then something is amiss. The surgeon’s patient photo room should have adequate lighting, simple background, and use of the same camera for all photos. This ensures that the after photos are taken under the same setting as the before photos for realistic comparison. If the after photos are of different lighting and background, something is amiss.

• Plastic Surgery Price Range

Now that we have eliminated some of the sketchy surgeons, let’s take a look at quoting practices by phone and internet. The industry standard practice is for surgeons to quote a price range by phone. Most surgeons recognize this practice and are willing to extend a range by phone to not waste either of your time. Many surgeons post their price ranges on their websites, while others prefer to retain such information by phone or in person.

When encountering a surgeon that does not provide a price range by phone, buyer beware. This surgeon could have an ego the size of Mars and is adhering to the “if you have to ask, you cannot afford me.” This kind of surgeon arrogance can also indicate a very real prediction of a failed doctor-patient relationship in the future. If their ego is this big, imagine trying to communicate with them during the post-operative process. Your simple questions just may be too burdensome for them to address. If they cannot openly communicate their fees in a simple price range, then you may be in for more than sticker shock throughout your cosmetic experience.

• Four-Square Surgical Quotes

If you have ever experienced the four-square sales system of buying a new car, then you know exactly what to expect here. You present to the dealership to buy a new car. You have your credit score, downpayment, know the make and model. However, the dealership is most interested in your credit score and your monthly payment range. They seek to run your credit score for the most a bank will approve, and then begin their upsell. Your personal budget is for a $60,000 car, but they discovered they can get you approved for a $100,000 car and proceed with pushing that sell.

The same could be said for a growing practice in the cosmetic surgery industry. They analyze you according to your job, what kind of car you drive, the jewelry you wear, and designer handbag. When you see the quote, you see why they do not give surgery price ranges by phone. Your quote for surgery might be according to what they think you can afford. One patient may be quoted $15,000 for a facelift, while another is quoted $50,000 for the exact same procedure.

If the patient is interested in financing the procedure, then the four-square sales agenda could become more of an agenda should the patient get approved for more than financially or surgically expected.

• Being Quoted for the Kitchen Sink

Loaded surgical quotes fall in line with the four-square sales method but can also fall outside of medical ethics. Medical recommendations in cosmetic surgery can be varied from specialist to specialist, often according to their experience, expertise, and surgical skill. It’s the surgical skill that brushes up the most here as some surgeons are known to quote everything they offer to everyone.

For example, a patient presents for a facelift, desiring to address jowls and sagging neck. But the surgeon not only quotes for face and neck lift but includes a small chin implant as the surgeon recommends the chin implant as part of their rejuvenation approach. The most skilled face lift surgeon would ask to see photos of the patient from their younger years. Did the patient have a small chin before the effects of aging?

To the novice, chin implants make for a great French fry sale in facial rejuvenation of the face and neck. With facial sagging, the chin often becomes hidden but may be revealed again when the skin is tightened and restored to a more youthful position. The inclusion of facial implants is common with facial rejuvenation but may not always be necessary. Some of the best facelift surgeons recommend chin and cheek augmentation as a secondary procedure after the patient has healed from the face and neck lift. Otherwise, the chin implant proposed could be of nice benefit, or could be so small and minor, since implants come in an array of sizes, that the true effect may leave the patient wondering if it was truly necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

Buyer beware if you go into the consult with a few facial rejuvenation requests but walk out with a quote to do everything in their surgical armamentarium. Do not be afraid to request multiple quotes according to the procedures that matter the most to you and your budget. Some surgeons have patient coordinators that earn commission. While this is typically frowned upon in the industry, it does happen and the incentive for these commission-based employees to meet sales goals may not align with your facial rejuvenation goals.

The surgeon’s professional fees should be broken down by procedure recommended and may include a standard fee column followed with another column reflecting a potential discounted fee for specials or discounted for multiple procedures.

The operating room fee should be itemized separately as this fee may be paid by the patient directly to the surgical facility. Additionally, the anesthesia fee should be itemized independently of the operating room fee because these fees are almost always calculated according to the amount of time the surgeon needs to complete the procedure.

Other expenses such as implants and supplies should be included in the surgical quote as well. Aside from facial implants recommended, other supplies could include garments, post-operative scar treatments, and post-operative care products such as bandages. Always inquire about any potential expenses that may not be included in the surgery quote.

Finally, it is industry standard for surgeons to collect all surgery fees approximately two to four weeks before surgery. Most surgeons require a deposit to reserve the surgery date, will payment of all fees due in advance.

Average Cost for Face Lift

The cost for face and neck lift procedures have varied over the decades and most certainly vary from surgeon to surgeon, and even demographics. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of facelift surgery is $11,395. They acquire this average from their membership’s responses to an annual questionnaire. Member surgeons are asked to provide their average fees charged for a variety of cosmetic procedures. Take note, this average is for professional fees only and does not reflect other costs associated with cosmetic procedures as mentioned earlier such as operating room and anesthesia.

Facelift professional fees are known to range from under $10,000 to well over $100,000. Some surgeons offer VIP packages for facial rejuvenation that include post-operative recovery suites and caretakers. In the end, there is no price for getting the surgeon you feel is the best for your cosmetic improvements.

The key takeaway from this article should be to do your homework: get at least three quotes from board certified surgeons, compare the quotes, and decide on which one is right for you. Of course, choosing the cheapest surgeon may not be the best choice especially if their results are not as comparable or in line with your cosmetic goals. Afterall, you want to have complete confidence in your surgeon’s skill and ability to help you get the result you seek. Do not allow a cheap quote to skew your goals and put your surgical outcome in jeopardy.