Costs of facial surgery

The cost of a surgical procedure is made up of the surgeon professional fee, theatre time, consumables (things used during the operation) and the anaesthetist fee. There will be a charge for the hospital in both recovery and if you are staying in hospital. 

There are some procedures that can be covered by your insurance company such as Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty where the excess skin hangs onto or over the lashes enough to cause some visual obstruction. 

For Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty, the complete cost for surgery is often around $8000 but could be more if a general anaesthetic is needed. For a Brow Lift, it might be $12,000 with a general anaesthetic.  

Ear surgery to set the ears back is usually under general anaesthesia especially for children and younger teenagers. Adults can sometimes have the surgery under local anaesthesia. The cost under local is around $12,000 and for a general anaesthetic it may be $17,000.

A Deep Plane Lower Face and Neck Lift (DPFNL) on its own will be around $31,000. A Deep Plane Facelift with submental incision, removal of fat under the chin, joining the muscle together (corset platysmaplasty) and liposuction of the jowls will take around half a day of surgery time with the approximate cost of $38,000. If further procedures are added in, such as upper eyelid surgery, the cost might be around $49,000 for the longer time needed. Surgery performed as a day case is less expensive but it is important to have a support person with you for the first evening. Most of my patients will have their surgery as a day case. A stay in hospital overnight is needed is for those having a comprehensive procedure, those patients from out of town and wish to stay in hospital as well as those who have a more complicated medical history and are better to stay in hospital for the post-operative supports.

As an example for a comprehensive facelift (which would take most of the day) with a stay overnight at one of the private inpatient hospitals in Auckland, the breakdown of costs are as follows:

Theatre fee	$11,500
Consumables	$6100
Anaesthetist fees	$8700
Other hospital fees	$1010
Recovery	$650
Overnight charges	$1250
Surgical Fees	$18,500 – $26,500

If you choose to have facial aesthetic surgery with us, the follow-up charges up to 1 year post-op are all inclusive with the upfront Surgeon professional fee.

Overseas the cost of facelift surgery can vary considerably. Thailand or Philippines offer facelift surgery for about half the value that we can here. The reason for the much lower values are for the same reasons why travelling in those countries is much cheaper than in NZ – staff, rent, equipment and regulatory requirements are all less costly.

The flip side to the cost of surgery here is that in other countries the cost is much greater. In the US the cost of a facelift can be up to USD $200,000.

The Cost of Facelift, Neck Lift and Eyelid Surgery in New Zealand and Australia – a comparison.

This page covers realistic costs for the three most common facial rejuvenation procedures at my practice, alongside current Australian benchmarks, and explains what drives the differences.

Facelift Surgery

New Zealand (Dr Jonathan Wheeler)

The cost of a deep plane lower face and neck lift (DPFNL) at this practice starts from around NZD $31,000. When the procedure includes a submental incision, removal of fat beneath the chin, corset platysmaplasty, and jowl liposuction, the approximate cost is NZD $38,000. For a comprehensive session combining facelift with upper eyelid surgery, costs are typically in the range of NZD $45,000–$50,000, reflecting the additional operative time involved. Follow-up appointments for up to twelve months post-operatively are included in the surgeon’s fee.

Australia

Australian facelift pricing varies considerably by city, surgeon, and technique. For a deep plane facelift with neck lift, costs in Sydney are approximately AUD $35,000 all-inclusive. At the higher end, deep plane facelifts in Sydney and Melbourne typically range from AUD $35,000 to $70,000. The deep plane facelift is an advanced technique and gives amazing results but not all surgeons are able to offer this.

Neck Lift Surgery

A neck lift is often performed as part of a facelift, but can be undertaken as an isolated procedure where the primary concern is the neck and jawline rather than the mid-face.

New Zealand (Dr Jonathan Wheeler)

An isolated neck lift — addressing skin laxity, platysmal banding, and submental fat — is typically in the range of NZD $20,000–$25,000, depending on the complexity of the neck anatomy and whether liposuction is included.

Australia

In Australia, a lower face and neck lift starts from approximately AUD $29,585 at specialist plastic surgery practices, with pricing rising for more complex cases or when combined with other procedures.

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

Eyelid surgery is the most accessible of the three procedures in terms of cost, and is frequently combined with facelift or performed as a standalone procedure.

New Zealand (Dr Jonathan Wheeler)

Upper eyelid surgery at this practice is approximately NZD $6,000–$8,000. Combined upper and lower blepharoplasty is typically in the range of NZD $12,000–$16,000, depending on the complexity and whether fat repositioning is required in the lower eyelids.

Australia

Upper blepharoplasty in Sydney ranges from approximately AUD $4,500 to $8,000. Lower eyelid surgery ranges from AUD $4,500 to $14,000, and combined upper and lower blepharoplasty is typically AUD $15,000 to $20,000.

It is worth noting that upper eyelid surgery may attract a Medicare rebate in Australia when excess skin demonstrably impairs peripheral vision. A rebate of approximately AUD $650–$1,100 may apply where a visual field defect is verified by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. No equivalent public subsidy currently applies in New Zealand, where the procedure is treated as elective regardless of functional impact.

Why Cheaper Is Not Always Better Value

The price of facial surgery is not just a reflection of geography or market competition — it reflects training, technique, and the depth of anatomical understanding your surgeon brings to the procedure.

Low-cost surgery is typically performed by a non-Plastic Surgeon or clinician without FRACS recognition, often in a clinic setting using twilight anaesthesia rather than general anaesthesia, and may not be fully customised to address your concerns. The Doctor may not have hospital admitting rights should something not go to plan.

A deep plane facelift performed by a specialist plastic surgeon with craniofacial training is a fundamentally different procedure from a skin-tension facelift performed in a day clinic. The difference in technique drives the difference in outcome — and ultimately, in longevity of the result.

Getting an Accurate Quote

The only way to receive a meaningful cost estimate is through a consultation. Every face is different, and the complexity of the surgical plan — which procedures are appropriate, how long the operation will take, and what facility is required — determines the final fee.

At this practice, I provide a transparent, itemised quote following consultation. There are no hidden costs, and follow-up care for twelve months is included in the surgeon’s fee.

If you would like to discuss your goals and receive a personalised cost estimate, I invite you to book a consultation.