Facial plastic surgery ranges from about $3,000 for a single targeted procedure to $40,000 or more for complex work with a high-profile surgeon. The total you’ll pay depends on which procedure you’re getting, where you live, and whether the surgery is purely cosmetic or partially covered by insurance. Here’s what to expect for the most common facial procedures in 2024 and 2025.
Cost by Procedure
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons publishes average surgeon fee ranges each year. These are the 2024 figures for facial procedures, and they represent only the surgeon’s fee, not the full bill:
- Facelift: $12,000–$19,000
- Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping): $7,500–$12,500
- Neck lift: $7,500–$13,000
- Forehead/brow lift: $4,000–$7,500
- Ear surgery (otoplasty): $4,500–$7,500
- Chin augmentation: $4,000–$6,000
- Lower eyelid surgery: $3,709–$6,500
- Upper eyelid surgery: $3,000–$5,500
- Chin liposuction: $3,000–$5,500
- Buccal fat removal: $3,000–$5,500
- Facial fat grafting: $3,000–$5,500
These numbers are a starting point, not the final price. The surgeon’s fee typically accounts for roughly half to two-thirds of your total cost.
What the Surgeon’s Fee Doesn’t Include
Every facial surgery comes with additional charges that can add thousands to the bill. Anesthesia fees vary based on how long you’re under, and operating room or facility fees cover the use of the surgical suite and equipment. You’ll also pay for pre-surgery medical tests, post-surgery garments or dressings, and prescription medications for recovery. For a procedure like a neck lift with an average surgeon fee around $7,885, your all-in cost could easily reach $12,000 to $15,000 once these extras are factored in.
Rhinoplasty: The Most Searched Procedure
Nose reshaping is the most common facial plastic surgery, and it also has one of the widest price ranges. A first-time cosmetic rhinoplasty runs $9,000 to $20,000 when you include all fees. Revision rhinoplasty, where a surgeon corrects or refines a previous nose job, jumps to $15,000 to $35,000 or more because of the added complexity of working with scar tissue and altered anatomy.
If you’re choosing a surgeon with a national reputation or celebrity clientele, expect $20,000 to $40,000 or higher. These premiums reflect demand and expertise rather than fundamentally different surgical techniques. Preservation rhinoplasty, a newer approach that reshapes the nose while keeping more of the original structure intact, falls in the $12,000 to $25,000 range.
How Location Affects Price
Where your surgeon operates plays a significant role in what you’ll pay. Cities with a high cost of living, particularly New York and Los Angeles, have the most expensive procedures because rent, staffing, and overhead for medical offices are all higher. A facelift in Manhattan can cost considerably more than the same surgery in a mid-size city.
Miami is an interesting case. It’s a major hub for plastic surgery with a high volume of procedures, but the lower cost of living compared to New York or LA allows surgeons to charge less while still running busy practices. If you’re considering traveling for surgery, the savings in a lower-cost city can be meaningful, though you’ll need to factor in travel, lodging, and the logistics of follow-up appointments during recovery.
When Insurance Covers Part of the Cost
Insurance doesn’t cover cosmetic procedures, but some facial surgeries serve a medical purpose. Eyelid surgery is a common example. If drooping upper eyelids obstruct your vision, the procedure may qualify as medically necessary. Medicare requires prior authorization for blepharoplasty, meaning your surgeon submits documentation proving functional impairment before the surgery is approved for coverage. Private insurers follow similar rules.
Rhinoplasty can also be partially covered when it includes correction of a deviated septum or other structural problems that affect breathing. In those cases, the functional portion of the surgery is billed to insurance while any cosmetic changes remain out of pocket. Patients undergoing a functional rhinoplasty with insurance coverage typically pay $3,000 to $10,000 out of pocket for the cosmetic component and associated costs. Procedures needed after accidental injury are also generally covered.
Financing and Payment Plans
Most plastic surgery practices offer financing, either through third-party lenders or in-house payment plans. Medical financing companies provide loans ranging from $200 to $50,000 with terms between 1 and 60 months. Interest rates vary widely, from 0% promotional APR for qualified borrowers up to about 36% APR, depending on your credit profile and the lender.
Medical credit cards like CareCredit are common in this space, though they come with a catch: many offer a deferred interest period rather than true 0% financing. If you don’t pay off the full balance before the promotional period ends, you can get hit with retroactive interest on the entire original amount. Newer financing platforms market themselves as alternatives without deferred interest, offering fixed rates instead. Either way, read the terms carefully before signing. A $15,000 rhinoplasty financed at 20% APR over five years would cost you roughly $8,000 in interest alone.
Combining Procedures Can Lower Total Cost
If you’re planning more than one procedure, doing them in a single session typically costs less than having them done separately. You pay one anesthesia fee and one facility fee instead of two. A facelift combined with upper eyelid surgery, for instance, shares operating time and recovery. Most surgeons offer a reduced combined rate, and you only go through one recovery period. The tradeoff is a longer surgery and slightly more demanding healing process, but for many patients the savings of several thousand dollars make it worthwhile.
What Drives the Biggest Price Differences
The single biggest factor in cost is which procedure you’re getting. A facelift at $12,000 to $19,000 in surgeon fees alone is a fundamentally different undertaking than upper eyelid surgery at $3,000 to $5,500. Beyond that, surgeon experience matters. Board-certified facial plastic surgeons with decades of experience and strong before-and-after portfolios charge more, and the premium often reflects lower revision rates and more refined results.
Complexity also shifts the price. A rhinoplasty on a nose that’s never been operated on is more straightforward than revising a previous surgery. Patients with thicker skin, significant asymmetry, or structural damage from injury require more surgical time and skill, which raises the fee. When you’re getting quotes, ask what’s included: some practices bundle the surgeon fee, anesthesia, facility, and follow-up visits into one price, while others list each charge separately. Comparing all-inclusive quotes side by side gives you the most accurate picture of your actual cost.