I Spent a Week As My Friend’s Facelift Nurse. Here’s What No One Tells You.

Nevertheless, I remained dedicated to my caregiving duties and was shocked at how many surprises still lay in store after all my research. Here are 10 things no one told me (or certainly never told me).

1. Budget above base cost – additional charges will be added

Facelift prices vary considerably. Dr. Stephen Levinthe New York City surgeon who performed perhaps the most famous facelift in history last year (yes, that one on Kris Jenner) is now reportedly asking for $400,000. This number is also the median cost of buying a home in America. Realistically, experienced and popular plastic surgeons in the United States charge between $40,000 and $50,000 for a facelift (including anesthesia and surgical costs, but not including common additional procedures such as brow lifts, lip lifts, blepharoplasty, and fat grafting). If you’re traveling to beauty destinations like South Korea or Turkey, you can expect a facelift to cost anywhere from $20 to $35,000, but saving money requires a whole other set of considerations and risk management.

And even if you don’t take an international flight, there are plenty of incidental costs to consider. Before she even approached the operating room, my super-enthusiastic friend had 13 consultations with doctors in New York, Florida, Texas, and Los Angeles, as well as on Zoom with surgeons in South Korea and Turkey. That’s overkill, but another woman I know, Julie, who is in her late 40s and recently had a facelift, had four procedures. At $250 to $1,000 apiece, meetings can get expensive quickly. (Fees apply to surgery if you decide to proceed).

Ultimately, Robin chose Dr. Murphy based on a series of factors: Dr. Murphy’s natural aesthetics, 25 years of experience, bedside manner (which is important), pricing, and recovery plan. “I met with various surgeons, including some who are now famous. Dr. Ben Talei [Denise Richards’ plastic surgeon] and Dr. Stephen Levine, who charges top dollar,” says Robin, who writes the beautiful, no-BS, completely transparent Substack. charlotte’s book. “I really liked Dr. Talay, but I couldn’t justify his pricing. I tried Dr. Levine, who was also very expensive, and the consultation was about 15 minutes, which was a little unacceptable considering the price. For something this big involving my face. , it took more time and a personal connection than that. Many people only focus on the before and after procedures, but I wouldn’t do something like this unless I felt completely confident and comfortable with the person, not just the results. Everything went well for me.”

After surgery, all reputable surgeons require a nurse to accompany you for at least 18 to 24 hours ($100 to $200 per hour) to ensure you are safe and comfortable, taking important medications, and icing properly. For Dr. Murphy’s patients, this means using a full ice mask for the first 18 hours, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off (smaller ice packs are used for more targeted areas if needed). The second day’s icing schedule is 20 minutes on, 40 minutes off during waking hours, and by the third day you can usually stop icing.