Face Lift Recovery

Facelift Cost

Reviewed by Yael Halaas, MD

Cost is likely an important factor in your decision to undergo facelift surgery. Can you afford the price of a facelift? Is now the right time for you financially?

Consider this:

In general, facelift cost comprises the anesthesia fee, the facility fee and the surgeon's fee. The surgeon's fee is the lion's share of the cost and is difficult to estimate without first knowing the extent of the procedure and the qualifications of the plastic surgeon.

Courtesy of AAFPRS

Some more extensive facelifts such as the deep plane facelift and the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) lift are more costly than less invasive lifts such as the short scar facelift, for example.

Where you live or choose to have your facelift surgery also affects its cost. Facelift costs tend to be higher in urban areas — like New York City or Los Angeles — where overhead is more expensive and because surgeons are in greater demand in these more populated locales.

On average, the upfront costs of facelift surgery range from $6,000 to $15,000. The cost for anesthesia makes up $1,000 to $1,300 of the total, and the facility or hospital fee comprises $500 to $2,000. The remaining cost is the surgeon's fee. According to the most recent statistics on cost from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the average surgeon's fee for a facelift is now $7,327.

Facelift Cost: Hidden Fees

There may also be hidden fees (those not included in your initial estimate) for your facelift.

These may include:

  • Blood tests before your surgery
  • X-rays or other diagnostic tests
  • A physical exam by your primary care doctor
  • Any prescription drugs (painkillers or antibiotics)
  • Special bandaging or elastic garments
  • Follow-up appointments (these may or may not be included by your surgeon)
  • Revision procedures
  • The costs of staying overnight in the hospital (if this should occur)

Combining Procedures

Sometimes other procedures are done at the same time as your facelift, such as brow lift or eyelid surgery. These will increase your out-of-pocket costs. That said, if all the procedures are performed at the same time, the fees will be lower than if they were performed separately. The combined procedures incur one facility fee and one anesthesia fee, and some plastic surgeons will give you a break on their fee when you have two or more procedures simultaneously.

Protect yourself and your pocketbook by asking for specific information about these extra costs before your facelift.

If the costs are prohibitive, ask your surgeon about payment plans or financing options. Many surgeons do offer payment plans.