Plastic Surgery Advice

In the not too distant past, it was the wealthy and the celebrities who could afford to pay to have plastic surgery procedures performed.

However, the price of plastic surgical procedures has become more reasonable, and financing options have become readily available to pay for plastic surgery as well. If you want a breast augmentation or rhinoplasty, you now have many options to choose from to pay for it.

Unless your procedure is deemed to be “medically necessary,” most insurance companies will not pay for any of the costs.

Thankfully, today many financial companies realize the need for loans designed especially for people who want to have cosmetic treatment or dental work performed.

Rather than have to charge a surgery to a high interest credit card like you would have in the past, many financial institutions now offer what are referred to as “medical loans.”

With a medical loan you can easily finance the cost of your tummy tuck or liposuction, and make payments on it over time. And, unlike credit cards, the interest rate on a medical loan is usually at a very reasonable rate as long as you have decent credit scores at the time you apply for the loan.

Medical loans from financial companies are generally available for amounts between $1,000 and $25,000 and usually offer terms of payback over 24 to 60 months.

Some people have a hard time justifying the financing of their plastic surgery. However, it is often helpful to think of it as an investment in yourself and your physical and emotional wellbeing.

For example, if your house needs new paint and if you couldn’t afford the bill all at once, then you would put it on a credit card. This allows you to maintain your house when it’s needed, and make payments on the work that was done.

Similarly, financing allows you to have the work done to improve the look and feel of your body and then pay it off over time, rather than having to come up with a large amount of money all at once which can be hard to do.

If you need assistance in paying for your face lift or tummy tuck, the first place you should start is at your plastic surgeon’s office. Many physicians’ offices can help guide you to reputable finance companies who offer medical loans. Some physician’s offices are partnered with finance companies and are therefore able to offer you a favorable rate.

If you would prefer not to work with a bank or financing company, many clinics can work with you directly to offer you a payment plan. The exact payment options depend on the plastic surgery clinic you choose to use and how much debt they are willing to take on from their patients.

No matter which financing option you choose, make sure that before you ever sign anything promising to pay, you completely understand the terms of repayment and the exact costs of the loan. If the interest rate or payments are too high for you to be comfortable with, shop around and find yourself a better deal.

Financing plastic surgery can be a great way to get the medical care you need or want and to spread the cost out over time to make it more affordable for you. By working with your plastic surgery clinic you can find the best financing terms available to you.

Are you a guy who has thought about plastic surgery or cosmetic treatment but figures these are only for females? Well, think again. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that males in the United States are undergoing more than 1 million plastic surgeries or cosmetic treatments each year, which amounts to 9 percent of plastic surgeries.

Statistics still are being compiled for 2008, but in 2007, the number of men who exercised plastic surgery options increased by 17 percent.

It’s not always a question of surgery. In fact, men most often choose nonsurgical options.

Botox injection for a younger look is the most popular by far, with 329,000 injections over the course of a year, according to the society’s survey. Guys want to look younger, too, even if James Bond seems to gradually grow older.

Laser hair removal is next at 185,000. Despite the caveman in those insurance commercials, a lot of fellows don’t want to look excessively hairy.

You may not have heard of microdermabrasion, but a specialist in plastic surgery and cosmetic treatment can tell you about it. The dead outer layer of skin, or derma, is removed. Based on the society’s survey, more than 85,000 men picked microdermabrasion as an alternative to Botox.

Another alternative to Botox is a chemical peel, applied by specialists to literally peel the outer layer of dead skin away.

On the surgical side, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that liposuction was the most popular procedure. Nearly 58,000 men decided to have some of their fat removed over the course of the survey year. However, a lesser-known partner with liposuction is called abdominal etching, which means you can look like you’ve done some sit-ups and crunches. Implants also are available for the calves, biceps and triceps. Specialists say liposuction is actually easier for men than for women, because men have more elastic qualities in their skin.

There were 32,000 men who had eyelid surgery. We may perceive that nose jobs are the most common method of changing the facial appearance, but when plastic surgeons show before-and-after pictures, men are surprised to see how much difference the eyes can make.

Surgery on the nose, called rhinoplasty, isn’t always for cosmetics. Men often discover that breathing problems are eased or cured through rhinoplasty.

For men who are embarrassed by scars or other facial marks, collagen skin replacement is becoming popular.

One procedure that might send an otherwise skeptical man to a plastic surgeon is male breast reduction. The male chest sags with age, and even if the man is not overweight, breasts can develop. This is known as gynecomastia. Men become so embarrassed that they leave on their shirts while they’re at the swimming pool or simply to avoid the swimming pool. A plastic surgeon can perform male chest sculpture or can recommend male compression garments.

Male breasts shouldn’t sag and neither should male necks. Simple neck lifts have become popular among older men.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate medical professional.

People who receive plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments aren’t all upper-income patients, in spite of the stereotype, and this means the tough economy will have an impact on the plastic surgery industry in 2009.

In a 2008 survey by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, some 27 percent of patients said they were considering less expensive options. That figure is up from 20 percent during the past years.

For example, a person may consider injections rather than a major surgery. Doctors say they might cut prices, depending on further feedback.

Before the economic recession took hold, the society polled more than 600 people who said they were considering plastic surgery during the next two years. Plastic surgeons were stunned to learn that:

- 30 percent reported annual incomes of less than $30,000.

- 41 percent made between $30,000 and $60,000.

- 16 percent made between $60,000 and $90,000.

- A mere 13 percent reported incomes higher than $90,000.

So much for associating plastic surgery exclusively with Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

According to the people surveyed, their main reasons for plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments are to improve their looks and often to enhance their romances or their prospects for romance. They said that they did not feel that they were vain or self-centered. Many wanted to remove or alter an irritating physical feature.

Nearly half of plastic surgery and cosmetic treatment patients are between 35 and 50, but nearly a quarter are younger than 35.

As for gender, 91 percent of plastic surgery and cosmetic treatment patients are women, but the number of men undergoing plastic surgery is growing rapidly.

The society reported that 11.7 million Americans spent money on either plastic surgery or cosmetic treatment during 2007. Figures for 2008 still are being compiled. Plastic surgery patients spent $8.3 billion on plastic surgery during 2007, led by liposuction and breast augmentation, and another $4.7 billion for cosmetic treatments, led by Botox injections for younger-looking skin.

Some doctors say they specialize in convincing insurance companies to help pay for various plastic surgeries and cosmetics, and patients often are surprised to learn that they qualify.

Through the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, doctors also reported their standard fees for dozens of procedures and treatments. Here are a few examples, followed by total amounts spent in a year:

- Breast augmentation, $3,600 ($1,185,920,285)

- Breast lift $4,200 ($437,952,317)

- Remove breast implants $2,319 ($63,669,776)

- Nose reshaping $3,511 ($1,047,697,610)

- Liposuction $2,750 ($832,747,086)

- Tummy tuck $5,063 ($740,343,243)

- Facelift $4,856 ($505,305, 441)

- Botox injection $492 ($2,011,283,275)

- Chemical peel $686 ($729,527,236)

- Cellulite treatment $192 ($6,453,888)

Most people who undergo plastic surgery can avoid paying for a hospital bed. Seventeen percent of procedures were performed in hospitals, 29 percent in free-standing surgi-centers and 54 percent in doctors’ offices.

Caucasian Americans comprise 67 percent of the population and received 78 percent of the plastic surgeries and cosmetic treatments over the course of the survey year. Hispanic Americans are 14 percent of the population and comprised 9 percent of patients. African Americans are 13 percent of the population and comprised 6 percent of patients. Asian Americans are 5 percent of the nation and were a matching 5 percent of patients.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate medical professional.