A combined lower face and neck lift typically costs between $12,000 and $19,000 for the surgeon’s fee alone, with total out-of-pocket costs often reaching $15,000 to $25,000 once facility and anesthesia fees are added. A neck lift on its own runs $7,500 to $13,000 in surgeon fees, according to 2024 data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The final number depends heavily on where you live, how experienced your surgeon is, and whether you’re combining procedures.
What the Quoted Price Actually Includes
When a surgeon’s office gives you a number, it may or may not include everything you’ll pay. The surgeon’s fee is the largest portion, but two other costs add thousands to the total. Anesthesia typically runs $1,200 to $2,500, depending on how long you’re under and whether the anesthesiologist is independently contracted. The operating room or facility fee adds another $1,600 to $3,100, covering the use of an accredited surgical center, nursing staff, and equipment.
Beyond those three main charges, smaller costs accumulate. Pre-operative bloodwork and medical clearance exams, prescription medications for recovery, compression garments, and follow-up visits can add several hundred dollars more. Some practices bundle everything into a single quote, while others list each line item separately. Always ask whether the price you’re given is “all-in” or surgeon-fee only, because the difference can be $3,000 to $6,000.
Neck Lift Alone vs. Combined Procedure
A standalone neck lift addresses sagging skin and excess fat below the jawline and chin. Its surgeon fee range of $7,500 to $13,000 makes it the more affordable option, but it only targets the neck and immediate jawline area. A lower facelift (sometimes called a “lower rhytidectomy”) addresses the jowls, nasolabial folds, and mid-to-lower cheek area in addition to the neck.
Most surgeons recommend combining the two when both areas show signs of aging, and there’s a cost advantage to doing so. You pay one anesthesia fee and one facility fee instead of two, and the surgeon’s combined fee is typically less than the sum of both procedures done separately. If a neck lift alone would cost $10,000 total and a lower facelift $15,000 total, a combined procedure might come in around $18,000 to $22,000 rather than $25,000. The exact savings depend on the practice, but consolidating into one surgery, one recovery period, and one set of facility charges almost always costs less than staging procedures months apart.
How Location Changes the Price
Geography is one of the biggest price drivers in cosmetic surgery. A facelift that costs $8,000 to $12,000 in Miami can run $15,000 to $20,000 in New York City. Los Angeles falls in a similar range to New York, with prices commonly starting around $15,000. Cities like Dallas and Houston tend to be more competitive, with pricing closer to Miami’s range.
Chicago falls somewhere in the middle, with costs running roughly 15 to 25 percent higher than Miami. The gap comes down to real estate costs, local demand, and the concentration of surgeons in the area. Cities with a high volume of cosmetic procedures, like Miami, benefit from competition and surgical infrastructure that keeps overhead lower. That said, choosing a surgeon based solely on geography is a mistake. Surgeon experience and board certification matter far more than saving a few thousand dollars by traveling to a lower-cost market.
Why Prices Vary Between Surgeons
Even within the same city, you’ll see quotes that differ by $5,000 or more. Several factors explain the spread. Surgeons with decades of specialized facial surgery experience and strong reputations command higher fees. The technique matters too: a deep plane facelift, which repositions deeper tissue layers for longer-lasting results, takes more surgical skill and operative time than a skin-only lift, and costs accordingly.
The type of facility also plays a role. A hospital-based operating room costs more than a private surgical suite within a doctor’s office. Board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is a baseline credential to look for, but it doesn’t standardize pricing. During consultations, ask what technique the surgeon plans to use, how many lower face and neck lifts they perform per year, and what the revision rate looks like. These details tell you more about value than the price tag alone.
Insurance and Financing
Lower face and neck lifts are cosmetic procedures, and health insurance does not cover them. There are rare exceptions for reconstructive cases, such as surgery after trauma or cancer treatment, but elective aging-related lifts are entirely out of pocket.
Most practices offer financing to spread the cost over time. CareCredit is the most widely accepted option in plastic surgery offices, functioning as a healthcare-specific credit card with promotional financing periods. Some practices also work with Alphaeon Credit or Prosper Healthcare Lending. These plans let you break a $15,000 to $20,000 total into monthly payments, but the details matter. Promotional periods with zero interest typically last 12 to 24 months, and if the balance isn’t paid off by the end of that window, interest charges retroactively apply at rates that can exceed 25 percent. Read the terms carefully before signing.
Some surgeon’s offices offer in-house payment plans with no interest, splitting the cost into installments leading up to and shortly after the procedure. These are less common but worth asking about during your consultation. A few practices also accept health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) funds, though this only applies in cases where the procedure has a documented medical component.
Getting an Accurate Estimate
Online price ranges give you a ballpark, but the only way to get a real number is through in-person consultations. Most facial plastic surgeons offer free or low-cost consultations where they assess your anatomy, discuss technique options, and provide a written quote. Plan to visit at least two or three surgeons before deciding.
When comparing quotes, make sure you’re looking at the same thing. One office might quote $14,000 all-inclusive while another quotes $11,000 for the surgeon’s fee alone, with anesthesia and facility fees listed separately. Ask each office to itemize every charge so you can compare apples to apples. Also ask what happens financially if you need a revision or have a complication. Some surgeons include minor revisions in their original fee, while others charge separately.