Do I need to pay 500k for a facelift?

Question

I follow a famous Dr that does minimal access deep plane facelifts and has gotten so big his prices are up to 500k w a two year wait. What other facelift drs are famous for natural results? Is there really one Dr that is the gold-mark? I like that he's done over 4K lifts, is confident; I want to know the risks while feeling confident the dr will get the best outcome.Does Dr need to be Otolaryngologist and facial and plastic surgeon? I prioritize looking natural.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Sadly, a $500,000 facelift is no guarantee of a great facelift. There is no one surgeon who is the best at providing a facelift. What you get are surgeons with massive egos spending a fortune each month on public relations and on-line marketing. It may seem like this is your best option but understand that Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles is a very rich market, and no doubt the billionaire class can afford these fees. but it is not the only option for great work. One option is to look at other markets. I see many patients harmed by deep plane face and neck lifts by very famous surgeons. I think it is very challenging to know what you are getting for your money. You can purchase a private jet and fly to New York or you can fly commercial. Both approaches get you where you need to go. Let the buyer beware.

Robert M. Wald, Jr., MD · Answer

Just because a doctor charges an exorbitant amount, this does not mean the results are any better. Unfortunately, advertising and marketing and social media contribute to these excessive costs. There are many board certified plastic surgeons who will obtain equal if not better results for costs around 20 to 30,000 dollars. I would recommend a plastic surgeon or board certified ENT doctor with a 1 year fellowship in facial cosmetic surgery. The consumer must do their homework to ensure quality and a fair cost.

Luis Macias, MD, FACS · Answer

You've asked some interesting questions. Let me address each one. I specialize in the Deep Plane Facelift, aiming for comprehensive rejuvenation, including addressing loose skin, volume loss, lids, brows, and the neck. Expertise, consistent results, location and demand do influence costs. There's no set number of prior facelifts that guarantees success; it's about delivering excellent, reliable outcomes. I advise against solely relying on social media, checking before and after photos and testimonials is crucial.
Regarding otolaryngologists (ENT) and facelift expertise: While they're trained in facial procedures, expertise with facelifting can come from aesthetic plastic surgery training whether as a plastic surgeon or an ENT, either are qualified. Careful as there are surgeons who perform facelifts and are neither. They may be caridiologists, gynecologist, dermatologists or general surgeons. It is important to do your research about individual surgeons and their board certification, you can verify what board they are certified with by abms.org.
I hope this clarifies things for you. Don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Yasin Kursad Varsak, MD · Answer

Hello, first of all, it should be known that surgery is an art, requiring manual skill and talent. When we combine this with evidence-based medicine and add experience on top of it, we can achieve very good results. This part is the responsibility of the surgeon. Additionally, in cosmetic surgery, patient expectations vary greatly from person to person. If a person wants to be happy, they should discuss the limits, positive and negative effects, and risks of the procedure with their doctor and adjust their expectations accordingly. Finally, there is a period of wound healing where the doctor cannot intervene, and this varies from person to person. When you understand these well, to find the right doctor, you can examine the results of the doctor. If you have found the right person, whether they are a plastic surgeon or an otolaryngologist doesn't matter. However, it should be noted that individuals who specifically focus on working with the face can be much more successful in this field.

Carey Nease, MD · Answer

First of all, just because a surgeon is well known and charges way too much money for certain procedures does NOT make him/her an expert of the best surgeon for you. I would actually not choose that surgeon for those reasons alone. A facelift price is highly variable based on region of the country/world. I practice in Nashville, TN, I am triple board certified including Facial Plastic Surgery and have performed close to 2,000 facelifts in my 20 year career. Cost for me is about 25-30k and my results are very good and very natural. There are lots of great surgeons out there who can do what I do for a similar cost. Don't be fooled by the hype. Good luck!

Pasha Mostofi, MD, DMD · Answer

Hello, I think you're quite right, a natural looking result should be a patient's and surgeon's top priority. Anything less than that takes away from the magic that is an amazing facelift result. There are many surgeons that could help you achieve that desired result. My advice to you is to prioritize researching a surgeon's experience, specifically, looking at their before and afters to help you decide whether their results are something you would be satisfied with. Expensive price tags and being booked out months or years in advance might give you the impression that someone is superior in their trade compared to another, but that in of itself can be difficult to surmise for many reasons. Sometimes expensively priced procedures can be seen as a marketing tool to help convince the patient the surgeon is a cut above everyone else and that they must be well worth the money - whether this is true is uncertain. Experience and before & afters play a large role in helping you decide this. Being booked out in advance might have to do with how many procedures the surgeons decides to do in a week. Some might do one a day, whereas others may elect to several a day. Some surgeons work 3-4 days a week, wheres others work 5 days a week. Again, I would go back to comparing and contrasting different before and afters from different surgeons to see if paying that much more is really getting you that much more of a difference. I hope your search is fruitful. Good luck!

Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD · Answer

The truth is that everybody who does deep plane facelifts gets a good result. Experience is valuable, unquestionable, and a facial plastic surgeon is a good place to start. However, you're unlikely to get a meaningful difference spending 500K vs 40K.

Stephen Prendiville, MD · Answer

You do not need to pay $500,000 to have a facelift done, nor do you have to wait two years to find a confident and competent Surgeon.

Gianfranco Frojo, MD · Answer

Prices vary on what the market can tolerate for the particular area or the wait list for a surgeon. I would highly recommend seeing a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience in facelift surgery. This includes proper training such as a 6 year integrated plastic surgery residency training program followed by an aesthetic fellowship accredited by the Aesthetic Society. I would also extensively review before/after photos, Google reviews, and meet with the physician. An otolaryngologist/facial plastic surgeon completes 5 years of otolaryngology training and then completes a 1 year fellowship (non-accredited in "facial plastic surgery"). Selecting a proper physician is very important. I always tell patients to focus on training, certification, and outcomes.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Some people think that the more you pay for your procedure the better the surgeon is and the  better the result will be. And that’s the way many surgeons want you to think. I can assure you that you could get an excellent facelift in the range of $20,000. I’ve been doing plastic surgery for 35 years in a competitive market so I’ve been able to see the work of many surgeons.

Dallas Buchanan, MD · Answer

First of all.....nobody is paying $500K for a facelift.....nobody. And if someone has the audacity to charge that, let me let you in on a little secret....they are not worth it. I have spent time with some of the most renowned and talented facelift-focused plastic surgeons on the planet (Dr. Mike Nayak, Dr. Ben Talei, etc.) and even though they do charge a premium for their expertise, their prices might barely get into 6 figures. 
If you want natural results, my first piece of advice is to avoid some type of gimmick like a "minimal access" procedure. When you compromise your approach, your visualization, or your vectors of lifting to avoid scars/incisions, then you tend to get very unnatural appearances in some cases (in my opinion). Stick to traditional incision approaches and focus on surgeons who do deep lifting to offload skin tension that produces excellent scar healing. 
As for who to use, there are literally hundreds of very talented plastic surgeons across the country who are doing natural and excellent facelift procedures every day. They might not have a $100K price tag, or great marketing, or live in Beverly Hills, but that does not mean their results are any less impressive. I know of one specifically in Florida ;). They run the gamut of both ENT facial plastics as well as general plastics. Find someone who is board-certified by a recognized board and spend time discussing your goals and expectations and reviewing some of their outcomes. Find someone you are comfortable with and remember that price does not always equal quality. I know of plenty of young talented surgeons who are pushing the boundaries of techniques and procedures and staying on the cutting edge who charge $15K for a facelift and have amazing outcomes, and I also know there are other surgeons out there still doing facelifts just like they have always done them for the last 20 years and producing completely mediocre results and charging 2-3 times that amount. 
Hope this helps!
Dallas Buchanan
VIVIFY plastic surgery
Tampa, FL