Is 60,000 Dollars Too Much for a Facelift?

Thanks for your question -
There are some facelift specialists in Manhattan and LA (some of whom I have trained with) that regularly command $40K-$55K for a facelift and blepharoplasty.
They are well trained, amazing surgeons and routinely get amazing results... Having a facelift performed by them also generates a bit of a social buzz. That is to say, right or wrong, there is some social status in paying those fees and seeing those surgeons.
However, there are many well trained plastic surgeons who also routinely get great results. You may not get the social bump from having a facelift by Dr. X but you'll still get a caring physician that does a great job.
In our San Francisco area practice our fees (all inclusive) are considerably less than $60K (or even the $30K that you got quoted from your other surgeon) and our patients have been very satisfied with their results.
Decide what you're really buying and see a few more board certified plastic surgeons before you make your decision.
I hope this helps!

Price of a #Facelift is always a concern when deciding whether or not to have a cosmetic procedure. Patients’ needs and goals vary, so there is no fixed price for a facelift. These are the contributing factors to the cost of a facelift:-Surgeon’s fee-Facility fee-Medication cost-Anesthesia feeEstimated fees may also be found here on Real Self, and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery website. It is important to choose a highly skilled and experienced surgeon to match your #facelift goals and skin type with the appropriate surgical techniques.Also, its best to work with a #board #certified plastic surgeon who is highly trained with your desired procedures. I also encourage you to look at before and after photos of the surgeons actual patients. Also, reading patient reviews of those who have had combined surgeries will be beneficial. Gathering all of this information will help you make a well-informed decision.

The cost of a facelift depends on several factors, such as the city, surgeon, surgical facility, technique applied, and extent of correction desired. In Toronto, Ontario, you can expect to pay around $13,000 to $15,000. Financing is available with monthly payment plans from a couple hundred dollars. $60,000 seems quite high, but not unheard of in California.

If you have the money and will not miss it then fine, go for it! As the other posts have said you can find top notch quality for much less! Review several doctors pictures and credentials and ask about their complications and how often they occur and who pays if they do occur. Bleeding is the number one complication. You want to ask about it so if it does happen you are not stuck with a big bill. Good Luck!

I have been in Beverly Hills for several years and that price seems to be on the most expensive side. That being said is the price just for the facelift or are other things included like the eyelids, brow, laser, fat injections as well as the OR/anesthesia fees. The best thing to do is get more than one consult and see who you are comfortable with. Additionally pictures don't lie, ask to see before and after pictures and you can make up your mind to see if there is any real difference. Hope this helpsRitu Chopra MD

My personal viewpoint after practicing for more than 25 years and having trained many plastic surgeons practicing in Beverly Hills is that $60,000 is an egregious amount and  is an embarrassment to our profession. The cost for some of the best surgeons in Newport Beach, CA would be a fraction of this. My feeling for extreme charges is that paying more does not mean you will receive more. 

 

I have no doubt that more than a few of my Beverly Hills collegues will charge you this much for a facelift. If your criteria for a surgeon is that they were featured in Harpers' Bazaar for doing some actor or actress's facelift, then without a doubt, you are going to pay a premium. After all, it is likely that the surgeon did the facelift at no charge in return for publicity and they will need to recover their investment with you.
That high end office with with the 2000 sq ft waiting room also comes at a high price. I will remind you of the story of the Emperor's New Clothes. Hopefully, after getting your $60,000 facelift you will have $60,000 worth of satisfaction. Of course, after boasting to your friends how much you paid for your facelift, it would be very embarassing to admit that it wasn't everything you hoped for.
It could be that you learned of this surgeon from someone in the exact same predicament. It is said that if you are going to tell a lie, make it a big one. In L.A., these can be self-fufilling things. As others have noted in this set of answers, L.A. values are a little messed up. Perhaps cognitive dissonance will be so strong that you won't dare admit to yourselft that the results are not so good.
You have posted so many times to this site about your facelift, perhaps you are so focused on this particular surgeon that you will talk yourself into paying $60,000. However, I can assure you that any of the surgeons answering this post will do a facelift that is just as good if not better than the facelift you will get for $60,000 for a fraction of this price.

The cost is way too much. I am in Orange County and most surgeons down here do not charge nearly close to that. Way over priced and no matter how good the surgeon is, the price is not justified.
You can find a great surgeon with nice results, look around on surgeons websites in your area. Go and see a few surgeons who's results you liked and take it from there.
Good luck.

Paying more for a basic facelift operation does not guarantee better results. Facelift prices will bear in general what the market is willing to pay. In places like New York City, Miami, LA, and Chicago, you might pay I would expect closer to $30,000 for a facelift. I can tell you in our part of the country, here in Jacksonville, Florida patients are paying much closer to $12,000 all inclusive which may reflect why I have patients from California and New York.
The facelift procedure itself is one of the most common and straight forward facial plastic procedures that are performed. I personally cannot justify those costs for this procedure even taking into account the cost of supplies, anesthesia, facility, etc.
That being said, often times it costs more in those places due to the expectations to pay more as well as the increased cost of living, etc. While I would not let cost alone be the driving issue for surgery, certainly the procedure in my opinion does not justify those types of fees. I hope this information helps.

$60,000 for a facelift is out of the norm even for areas like LA and NYC. You could get an exceptional result for much less than that, in LA or elsewhere in the US if you were willing to travel and stay for a couple of weeks for your recovery (you would probably end up saving a lot of money even including your travel and hotel expenses). Look at website photos from other surgeons and ask to speak with some of their patients to get an idea of their experience and what they think of their results-- this will probably give you more information than anything else.

Without going into a long dissertation with regards to the outcomes, experience, or reputation of the surgeon, $60K is beyond unreasonable to be paying for a facelift. We are a fortunate profession. We are well remunerated for performing work we enjoy doing. We have to provide excellent care and good results. The surgeon who quoted that fee values his services a bit too much.