Facelifts are popular cosmetic surgery procedures in Australia. But try to find out how much a facelift costs, and you will have a hard time getting a clear idea. The cost of a facelift will vary according to the type of facelift you need, the extent of work necessary, the surgeon you pick and where the surgery is to be performed. This article helps you understand the full costs of a facelift in Australia.
Fast Facts
- Surgeons have developed a number of different facelift techniques that focus on different tissue layers.
- Each of these techniques carries their own cost, with more complicated and time consuming procedures coming with a higher price tag.
- A surgeon’s fee usually includes the cost of the procedure including pre-operative and post-operative care.
A facelift or rhytidectomy is a cosmetic surgical procedure that addresses wrinkles, loose and sagging skin, fat deposits and other visible signs of ageing on the face.
Surgeons have developed a number of different facelift techniques that focus on different tissue layers. The basic facelift technique, known as the skin-only facelift, addresses the most superficial layers of the skin. It often results in a ‘pulled skin’ look. The SMAS facelift, considered the standard facelift at present, works on the superficial musculo aponeurotic system or SMAS, a layer of fibrous connective tissue just under the facial fat layer. While the SMAS facelift results in a more natural looking type of facelift, it too may require some level of pulled skin for good results.
The third is the deep plane facelift, a technique employed by only a few surgeons around the globe. The deep plane facelift repositions the soft tissue of the face underneath the SMAS tissue layer, releasing it from muscles and reattaching it at higher anchor points. As a result the deep plane facelift avoids the pulled skin effect entirely. It also minimises trauma to tissue layers close to the skin.
There are also other techniques that are limited in scope, like the mid face lift, endoscopic facelift or the feather lift.
Each of these techniques carries their own cost, with more complicated and time consuming procedures coming with a higher price tag.
The specific techniques your surgeon recommends will depend on your needs as well as your surgeon’s preferences. These will also influence the total cost.
The best way to determine the costs of facelift surgery is in consultation with a surgeon. Although you may be able to get a ballpark figure online or from other sources, you will not find exact costs of a facelift. This is because the Australian Medical Board Guidelines for advertising of regulated health services prevents medical service providers, like your surgeon, from providing inexact information. Guidelines also discourage advertisements that give a price and then list conditions or variables that can change that price. As each person and his or her requirements are different, it is impossible for a surgeon to give a specific cost for any cosmetic procedure.
Once you visit a surgeon for a consultation and have an idea of the costs of a facelift in your area, you may also want to get a second opinion from a second surgeon before making the decision to undergo facelift surgery.
Facelifts can be combined with other surgical procedures like eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), brow lift and liposuction. If you plan to combine your facelift procedure with others, the costs will go up accordingly. Only a surgeon can give you an idea of the exact costs that may be involved.
What makes up the total costs of a facelift?
The total costs involved in a facelift can be broken into a number of components:
- Surgeon’s fees
- Assistant surgeon’s fees
- Anaesthetist’s fees
- Hospital and theatre costs
- Follow up visits for a given period
As with most other cosmetic surgeries, facelift costs are given as block figures.
Almost all costs of a facelift are dependent on how long the procedure is likely to take.
You can expect surgical costs to fall within the following ranges:
- Short scar facelift or endoscopic facelift, $ 6,500 – 12,000 (AUD)
- Cost of SMAS facelift and necklift, $ 17,000 – 25,000 (AUD)
- Deep plane facelift, $ 20,000 – 30,000 (AUD)
GST must be added to all costs quoted.
Surgeon’s fees
A surgeon’s fee usually includes the cost of the procedure including pre-operative and post-operative care. That means you do not pay extra for a specified number of follow up visits or for follow up visits during a given period.
The surgeon’s fee depends on the surgeon you choose. The wide range in fees reflects differences in surgeons’ expertise in facial surgery, qualifications, experience, professional recognition and popularity.
Because there are medical doctors who are not qualified in surgery performing these operations—often at a discounted price—be sure the surgeon you choose has the requisite training and experience in surgical facelift techniques. Besides the typical risks and complications involved in any surgery, facelift surgery can lead to temporary or permanent numbness and weakness due to facial nerve injuries, dry or rough skin, facial asymmetry, hair loss around the incision sites and the need for revision surgery if scars are unsightly.
You may want to read the Costhetics article, Do Your Homework, before selecting a surgeon for your facelift.
Surgeon’s fees are also likely to vary based on geography and where the surgeon’s offices and practices are located.
Your surgeon should provide you with a detailed breakdown of costs at the initial consultation.
Initial consultation fees
There will be an initial consultation fee when you see a surgeon regarding a facelift. Initial consultation fees for a facelift vary with the surgeon.
Consultation fees range between $50 (AUD) and $500 (AUD), depending on the surgeon. If you see more than one surgeon—and you really should—you will have to pay a fee for each consultation.
Anaesthetist’s fee
Fees for the anaesthetist depend on their qualifications. A GP attending you as an anaesthetist during a facelift will charge much less than a qualified anaesthetist. Because your anaesthetist watches over your life and vital functions during surgery and ensures your comfort both during and after the procedure, using a qualified medical professional is important. Most qualified surgeons only use qualified anaesthetists.
Anaesthetists, like most other professional medical specialists, do not have a standard scale of fees. For cosmetic procedures the hourly charge ranges between $600 and $650 AUD. A facelift typically takes two or more hours, depending on how much work is needed. The anaesthetist’s fee increases with the time needed.
Hospital fees
Hospital fees vary significantly from facility to facility. The key element is operating theatre fees. Most hospitals charge on an hourly basis, with the charge covering theatre fees, accommodation and sundries. For an hour, hospital fees start at around $750 (AUD) and can vary widely, sometimes by thousands of dollars.
Depending on the technique and the extent of work necessary, a facelift can take as little as two hours or as much as several hours. Sometimes it requires more than one surgical session to complete. Although facelifts can be performed as day procedures, an overnight stay can be required. Hospital costs increase significantly if an overnight stay is needed.
Are costs of facelift covered by insurance?
Medicare reimbursements cover only medically necessary procedures. Facelifts are treated as purely cosmetic procedures and are not covered.
Whether your private insurance fund covers facelifts depends on the type of cover you have. Some funds cover hospital fees and some other costs. Whatever elements are not covered by private insurance will be out-of-pocket expenses for you.
Before having surgery, clarify with your insurance fund what exactly is and is not covered.
We hope that this article gives you a better idea of the costs involved in lower and upper eyelid surgery. We welcome your comments on this article.
Hi, I have keloid scaring. Can I still have a facelift?
I need a face and neck lift due to massive weight loss, not aging. Do you think any of this would be covered by Medicare?
Are you serious ? You want our tax payers dollars to go towards your cosmetic wishes ? How self entitled
No need to be mean about it. Just reply with facts.
it is facts though my man (I want a taco now!)
If you have nothing nice to say dont say anything at all
Hi Iam inquiring about a face and neck lift Iam 64yrs young I weigh 50kl I would like to have it done August Thankyou Suzanne
I’m a 61 year old lady I need a lift of the lines around my mouth how much
How much does a mini facelift cost in Australia.
I suffer from an autoimmune syndrome (Parry Romberg Syndrome) so my face on the right side has lost fat, muscle and I have jowls on both sides of my face with the right side worse and a wrinkly neck on the right side. Would I be covered for some Medicare and Private Insurance as my problems are due to a medical condition.
Hi Carol, that is a great question! The short answer is – maybe. Medicare does have item codes 45587 and 45588 which are payable for facelift operations due to non-ageing causes such as trauma congenital conditions or a disease. Source: Health.gov.au article.
While the rebates from Medicare are quite small and will not cover the full surgery, having a medicare item code will allow you to access your private health care which may cover some or all of your hospital, theatre fees and anaesthesia fees. Overall, that is a large amount of money. We cover medicare and private health insurance payments in more detail here.
A surgeon specialising in facial plastic surgery can help you more with your questions during a consult. You can search our site for surgeons who perform facelifts here by clicking here.
I would like to know how much it would cost to do a face lift to completely hide my scars (left by stitch marks) under might right eye, top of my nose and my forehead.
How much does a mini face lift cost
Following radiation for head and neck cancer I lost all collagen and elastin on my face. (your face melted a plastic surgeon commented) . Would a face lift be safe.?My ENT warned me of the dangers of interfering with irradiated skin.
They used radiation on your head and face!?
Hi I am a 42 year old male. I have tried everything for acne scars from dermatologists with no results at all. Can a facelift/mini facelift offer something or any other alternative treatments? Tom
Hi I’m 62 years old i have wrinkles on my checks what is the cost to get the removed and were can i go to see .?
and this is why we go overseas for procedures… wow… expensive…
Yes, and I really think even though these doctors are amazing and should be rewarded finacially for their skill and expertise, they are too greedy. No one needs that much money to live on. No one!
Where do you overseas and trust that they will do the surgery correctly?
The other thinks to consider is hotels and flights associated with a procedures overseas ?
Of course the prices quote in australia is stupid and ridiculers ? Something like 10$ per hour ? To 20$
How much does a full face and neck lift cost. And can you get back any thing with priviate health insurance.
I just want to know how much does it cost to do a face lift it just on the face I’m in my eay 40 but because since an early age I have been looking after my parents and siblings I was the eldest in family I had to look after my mother who has major depression and my father who had passed away not long ago he had major heart problems and my two twin siblings that have Down syndrome and one brother who has schitozopina I had to to all and everything for them it was to much for me to handle as I was looking after my own family children of three and my eldest who is know 25 has been suffering from cardiomyopathy since the age of 11 as I had to chose to live in the same street opposite to my parents so that I can take of them on day to day basis I had no time to rest and I’m still doing the same thing things caught upto me then my younger brother got married also use to live next door to me so I was looking after my patents house and there needs and also looking after my brother that he and his wife started working andookong after my nephew for a couple of years and then also looking after my family I was looking after 3 family’s the hard work did not stop washing cooking etc for all I was to busy looking after all of them and forgot about myself where sometimes I would not realize that I have nothing to eat or drink for 3 or 4 days only if a friend or relative would ask me what have eaten today then I realize that it’s been a few days since I have eating I have forgotten about my self and I am to EMBARESSED and ashamed to go outside because many of my friends or relatives would tell me I look 15 years older than my age and even more and know I don’t look at myself in the mirror because what I see is not me I have list and forgotten about myself and to woored that I had to look after my family first
Dear Heidi, As tempting as it is to focus on the outside appearance, because of your traumatic past I truly believe that you would do best seeing a ” Dr Phil a clinical psychologist).. You can get 10 free visits a year if you see a (GP) doctor for a Better Access to mental health plan and a referral.
I disagree, do whatever you want. Let deb see Dr Phil.. You deserve it