For basic upper or lower blepharoplasty, expect to pay about $3,500-$4,000 (procedure and facility fees). For all four lids (that is, uppers AND lowers) performed at the same time, expect to pay about 50% more. If you get fancy and start adding on a brow lift, canthopexy, chemical or laser peel, and/or a midface lift, expect a higher charge.
One myth to be debunked is that the most expensive surgeon is the best. While experts won't come cheap, there is not always a direct correlation between quality and price.
On the other hand, be wary of the "bargain basement deals," a precaution you may have already learned from prior sad experience. Sign up with a budget building contractor and your house may end up leaking.
In most cases, though, you'll get what you pay for. Most patients discover (although sometimes too late) that employing the services of an expert is well worth the modest premium.
Average prices in different regions of the United States may vary by as much as 50%, being highest in the New England states and lowest in the south central states. Fees in cities where the price of beauty doesn't matter (Beverly Hills, New York City) are often double that of anywhere nearby and, in some cases, completely out of touch with reality. The widely-used marketing slogan that goes "drive a little, save a lot" seems especially apropos in such areas.
Recently, a variety of innovative and "creative" promotions have emerged to capture the consumer out shopping for the lowest possible price. Online, we have encountered advertisements for $999 surgery, 50% member discounts, auctions, and sites that will "negotiate" costs. Cosmetic surgery centers from Costa Rica to Thailand offer "surgery-vacation" packages at fees considerably less than those in the United States. What do we think of all this? Well, Ebay is probably not your best place to buy a blepharoplasty.
Be aware that financing your surgery through a bank, credit union, or special surgery financing agency will increase the final total cost of your operation. Not that this is bad. Most of us still use this method to buy houses and cars and pay for all sorts of other major expenses.
Remember, too, that "cosmetic surgery" is a luxury service provided at a substantial price by practitioners in direct competition with one another for your business. All surgeons know this and have already given careful consideration to the price at which they are willing to provide services. While it is certainly in your best interests to make the effort to become familiar with "going prices" in your community, trying to negotiate price with a quality surgeon is unlikely to work. Not only can this strain the relationship, but your chances of any meaningful reduction (or any reduction at all) are about next to zero.
Enough said? Not quite. Before you grow too comfortable with the subject of fees, be sure to read the next chapter.
Related Article: The $21,000 Eyelid Lift
Dr. Meronk's Prices
