As the famous F. Scott Fitzgerald line goes, the rich are different from you and me — and apparently so, too, are their face-lifts.

Just ask Hilda Back, 63, who traveled from her home in Woodlands, Texas, to New York and shelled out $230,000 for a nip and tuck at the hands of Dr. Andrew Jacono, a plastic surgeon who is perhaps best known for doing the designer Marc Jacobs’s recent face-lift. Ms. Back said the cost for her surgery, which included a brow-lift, upper and lower eyes, face-lift, lip-lift, neck-lift, earlobe reconstruction and rhinoplasty, was “a little higher than what I expected,” but she is happy with her results.

“I have a Rolls-Royce, I have three homes, I have everything I could possibly want, but I was still depressed,” Ms. Back said. “The way I look at this is: This is my face, and it’s going everywhere I go.”

So, then, why not the $200,000 face-lift? Just as the prices of luxury real estate, art, cars and other collectibles have skyrocketed in recent years, so has the cost of a nip and tuck at the hands of an elite group of savvily marketed plastic surgeons, most of whom specialize in face-lifts and have monthslong waiting lists, despite their fees.

“It’s a little like the label on clothes, or if the price of the wine is more, it’s better,” said Dr. Jonathan Sykes, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills and Sacramento and a past president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “Is facial surgery worth the super-high tariff? Only the consumer can decide that.” (Dr. Sykes’s face-lifts cost $40,000 to $50,000, he said.)

While inflationary pressures, including the cost of medical supplies and support-staff salaries, and a jump in demand — what the industry has christened the “Zoom boom” — have led many doctors to raise their rates, the average cost of a face-lift in the United States has increased only marginally to $9,127 in 2021, up 3 percent since 2020, according to the Aesthetic Society, an association of board-certified plastic surgeons.

The doctors touting their “designer” face-lifts insist that their advanced technique, elevated aesthetic sensibilities and experience allow them to charge these rates. Dr. Lara Devgan, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan, likened what she does to “commissioning an artist to make a very beautiful painting for you.” Dr. Devgan charges up to $200,000 for a face-lift.

“At first blush, it may seem like a big number, but I think of this as a question of value, not of cost,” Dr. Devgan said. “Your face is your job, it’s your love life, it’s your identity.”

Dr. Julius Few, a plastic surgeon in Chicago and Los Angeles, charges $50,000 for a “basic face-lift,” he said, and “well into the six figures” for more extensive procedures. In an interview, he spoke about his love of painting and photography and 22 years of focusing on faces.

“For the affluent patient I treat, this is really more like purchasing artwork than purchasing a technical procedure,” said Dr. Jacono, who helped pioneer a technique that’s referred to as an “extended deep plane” face-lift, which he has taught to other doctors around the world.

The key difference between a deep plane face-lift and the SMAS (which stands for superficial musculoaponeurotic system and refers to the layer of tissue and fascia between the skin and the muscles of the face) is that the deep-plane lift allows the skin and SMAS to stay attached, preserving capillaries and blood flow to the skin, while the SMAS technique separates them. The deep-plane lift works by repositioning the facial ligaments that stretch with age and gravity, allowing for movement of the face so that it doesn’t look pulled, as was often the result of face-lifts of yore.

Many surgeons perform deep-plane face-lifts and don’t ask their patients to drop close to a quarter-million dollars on the surgery. “I understand it is a luxury item, and it does have tremendous value, but it shouldn’t be just for the 1 percent,” said Dr. Matthew White, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan who does extended deep-plane face-lifts.

Dr. White said that the procedure should be at a premium because it does require a lot of skill but that, morally and ethically, a wider range of patients should have access to such work.

For the very well-heeled — and such sentiments notwithstanding — the idea of dropping the equivalent of four years of college tuition on elective surgery barely raises an eyebrow.

Dr. Steven Levine, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan, recalled a follow-up visit with a patient who was about to have a fitting for a dress that she was going to wear to the Met gala and that she said cost $425,000. “I thought, ‘You got a great deal on this face-lift,’” said Dr. Levine, who charges $50,000 to $110,000 for a face, brow and neck lift, plus lower and upper eyelids.

So, assuming it’s in the budget, what exactly does $200,000 buy?

Surgery is priced depending on several factors, including how complicated it is and how many areas of the face are treated. A face-lift can include a brow lift, lower and upper eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, lip lifts, mid-face lifts, neck lifts and a host of other add-ons — fat grafting, facial implants, buccal fat par removal and skin lasers — all of which add thousands to the final bill.

Then there is the postoperative care, which can include 24/7 direct access to your surgeon and at-home nurses. Dr. Chia Chi Kao, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills who is known for his scar-free endoscopic “ponytail face-lift,” meaning that incisions are made behind the hairline, runs an outpatient surgery and aftercare center with suites where patients can recover with the help of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

“It’s like a luxury hotel,” said Lily Bell, 48, a beauty industry executive in Beverly Hills, who stayed five days and four nights in Dr. Kao’s center and spent $212,000 on her face- and neck-lift and recovery.

Diane Pizzoli, 68, a fashion designer in Roseland, N.J., had several face-lift consultations with doctors, some of whom presented her with estimates that were close to six figures, before choosing Dr. White to do her surgery this winter.

“Some of these other doctors were really self-promoting and bragging about celebrities they’ve done,” said Ms. Pizzoli, who ultimately spent $50,000 on her face-lift and neck-lift and eyelid surgery and recovery.

“I still look like myself, just much younger,” she said. “A higher fee is not always co-measured with a successful result.”

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BYUN Facelift: Not Just an Expense—An Investment in Timeless Quality

The BYUN Facelift is an investment—an experience—not just a procedure. It’s for those who appreciate the finer things in life and understand that true value isn’t just about cost; it’s about the experience, the craftsmanship, and the lasting impact.

Consider this: Have you ever boarded the Venice Simplon–Orient-Express, a luxurious journey through Europe costing upwards of $100,000 per night? Or flown to the Kentucky Derby in a private jet for $300,000, enjoying the thrill of the race before returning to your penthouse just hours later? Perhaps you found yourself captivated by a piece of art at the Louvre Museum in Paris, becoming the winning bidder at Christie’s in London.
Or maybe you’ve sipped on Romanée-Conti wine while securing a 1988 McLaren F1 at the Bonhams auction in Zoute, Switzerland.

These experiences are not merely for the wealthy—they represent a life well-lived, a commitment to quality and authenticity. We all long for the experiences money can buy, but what we truly desire are the memories, the moments, the emotions—nostalgic flashes of generosity, joy, and meaning.

Now imagine this: a private safari in Africa, where you wake to the sound of lions in the distance, enjoy breakfast alongside giraffes and elephants, and stay in a luxury tent at the Four Seasons.
Or perhaps you own multiple properties—a lake house, an offshore retreat, and a penthouse—each a symbol of success and refined taste.

These experiences, while costly, are essential to a life lived with purpose and meaning. They aren’t just luxuries—they’re milestones that define a refined existence.

You have the chance to gain something just as meaningful through the BYUN Facelift. The BYUN Facelift is no different from these extraordinary experiences. It’s not a frivolous expense—it’s about restoring your face to its natural, youthful state, not altering it beyond recognition. Just like a luxury car or an exquisite piece of art, your face deserves to be treated with the same attention, care, and precision.

Why is the BYUN Facelift essential? Because, just like a well-planned journey, your face must remain aligned with your vision of who you are—authentic, vibrant, confident. A facelift isn’t about looking different; it’s about looking like yourself again, but with more energy and vitality. When a procedure is done incorrectly, it’s like being driven off course by someone who doesn’t know the way—unpredictable and unsettling. But when it’s done right, it feels like a natural restoration, returning you to the best version of yourself.

In a world full of alternatives, the BYUN Facelift is not just another procedure. It is a necessary investment for those who seek the best. It is for those who demand precision, expertise, and results that endure. This is not about vanity. It’s about restoring the essence of who you are—confident, vibrant, timeless. And like the world’s finest experiences, it is an investment that continues to deliver value long after it’s complete.

The BYUN Facelift is not simply a luxury. It’s a necessity. And when done right, there is no greater reward than seeing your reflection express the energy and vitality you’ve always known you had within you—the greatest investment, yielding an experience that surpasses any luxury destination or piece of property. With BYUN, you don’t just own another thing—you own yourself again.

True luxury isn’t about status—it’s about standards. If you recognize excellence when you see it, you recognize the BYUN Facelift. Private. Safe. Unparalleled.

Yes, it’s exclusive. Yes, it’s expensive. But for those who demand the best, it is the only choice.

BYUN — The One and Only.

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Image Credit: Vanessa Saba | The New York Times, May 3, 2022