Before you spring for plastic surgery using all your savings, consider the expenses you may have to pay in the future. You might find that most procedures are more expensive than you thought.
Many people are fully aware of the costs of plastic surgery. Whether you choose to get breast implants,
a tummy tuck, a nose job, or other procedures, you have probably set aside money or plan to use a credit card as your payment method. Either way, you might feel financially ready for this decision. However, most procedures have some hidden costs that you might not have considered, and it is wise to learn about them now so you can save up before you actually need the funds.
One major cost is revision surgery. If your doctor messes up the procedure after having disregarded your wishes, or even simply makes a mistake, you can usually have it fixed for free. However, you may find it hard to trust that you will like the result, so you may not be thrilled at the prospect of going under the knife in the same doctor's office. If so, you will have to pay out of pocket for a different surgeon, and while you may like the result better, your wallet will not.
In some cases, the doctor did not make a mistake, but you realize that you do not like the result anyway. Perhaps your new nose looks a little too small, or your implants are too large. If your miscommunication or wrong directions to the surgeon caused the issue, you are responsible for paying for revision surgery. Some doctors may try to appease patients by tweaking the result until they are satisfied, but you cannot expect this, and it may not fix your problem anyway. Therefore, be prepared to live with a result you do not like, unless you can afford to get it fixed right away.
Even if insurance paid for the initial procedure, it will not always cover the other costs associated with it. If you need certain medications, such as painkillers, you may have to pay out of pocket. Compression garments, extra gauze, and other items necessary for healing are usually your financial responsibility, too. You can at least expect to pay for a portion of these costs, if not the entire bill.
You should also be aware that some types of plastic surgery results are not permanent. Breast implants usually need to be replaced after ten years. Your face may start to sag again years after a face-lift, especially if you only got the mini procedure when you were younger. Fat may come back to your body after liposuction, only in different places on your body, and your eyelids may droop again years after an eyelid lift.
In general, plastic surgery is often a lifelong commitment that may require money from you all your life, though of course the results are often worth it. If you are struggling to save up cash right now, be sure to set some aside in an account for later in life when you need to pay for the additional costs. Otherwise, you may just have to let nature take its course while the plastic surgery results fade away gradually or cause other issues that you cannot afford in the future.
