To-Do List
Mulling a medical makeover? The pros and cons of 36 cosmetic procedures, what they cost, and how long they’ll keep you away from your cubicle.
BY KATHERINE GROWNEY
Prices do not include anesthesia or hospital stay, where applicable. Length of recovery is based only on the amount of time it’ll take you to get back on your feet; physical pain may linger, depending on the procedure.
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FACE
Botox Injections
Cost: $500–$2,000
Procedure: Botox (Botulinum toxin, type A) is injected into the muscles of the face, causing temporary paralysis and preventing the skin from wrinkling, reducing the appearance of frown lines, forehead furrows, and nostril flaring. Can also be used under arms or on palms to prevent sweating.
Downside: Treatment lasts only three to six months.
Back to work: Immediately
Phenol Chemical Peel
Cost: Full face, $1,200–$2,000; regional, $500–$750
Procedure: The deepest of all peels; a phenol chemical solution is applied to the face to diminish deep wrinkles and even out severely sun-damaged skin by peeling away the skin’s top layers.
Downside: Not recommended for those with dark or oily skin. Permanently increases sun sensitivity. Pores may appear larger and skin may not tan evenly after treatment.
Back to work: 10 to 21 days
 TCA Chemical Peel
Cost: Full face, $1,000–$3,500; regional, $500–$1,000
Procedure: A medium-strength peel; trichloroacetic-acid solution is applied to the face to remove wrinkles and sun damage by peeling away the skin’s top layers. Can be used on patients with medium skin and has a lower risk of creating uneven pigmentation patterns.
Downside: Pores may appear larger and skin may not tan evenly.
Back to work: 5 to 7 days
Alpha-Hydroxy Peel
Cost: Full face, $150–$250
Procedure: A mixture of alpha hydroxys — such as glycolic, lactic, or fruit acids — are applied to the skin to even skin texture and reduce superficial wrinkles. Ten percent strength peels can be performed by aestheticians in a spa.
Downside: Must be performed in a series to achieve the kinds of effects created with deeper peels.
Back to work: Immediately
Microdermabrasion
Cost: $250–$500
Procedure: A handheld device scrubs the skin with tiny crystals to reduce fine lines, spots, and scars. Increases skin elasticity and promotes production of collagen. Good for all skin types; can be performed by an aesthetician in a spa.
Downside: It takes five to twelve treatments to achieve the same results as deep peels; works best on younger skin.
Back to work: Immediately
Ablative Laser Skin Resurfacing
Cost: Full face, $4,000–$6,000; regional, $1,000–$2,000
Procedure: A CO2 or Erbium laser burns off the outer surface layers of skin, causing new skin cells to regenerate. Reduces wrinkles, scars, sun damage, and superficial skin cancers.
Downside: Skin will be permanently sun-sensitive; a risk of uneven pigmentation patterns in darker skin types.
Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks
Nonablative Laser for Wrinkle Reduction
Cost: $500–$1,000
Procedure: The CoolTouch laser uses light to stimulate the production of collagen in cells underneath the skin’s surface, so skin appears tighter and plumper.
Downside: Multiple treatments may be necessary.
Back to work: Immediately
Rhytidectomy (or Face-lift)
Cost: $8,000–$20,000
Procedure: Targets deep wrinkles, sagging skin in the cheeks, and excess skin and fat in the neck. Incisions are made within the hairline in front of and behind the ears, then skin is surgically lifted and tightened. Can be performed on an outpatient basis.
Downside: May require general anesthesia.
Back to work: 10 to 14 days
 Forehead-lift (or Brow-lift)
Cost: $3,500–$7,000
Procedure: Minimizes forehead creases, drooping eyebrows, frown lines, and hooding over the eyes. An incision is made just behind the hairline from one ear to the other, and the excess skin is removed and tightened. Usually performed on an outpatient basis.
Downside: Results are not permanent.
Back to work: 7 to 10 days
HAIR
Hair Transplantation
Cost: $7,500–$10,000
Procedure: A permanent procedure in which balding areas are filled in with patient’s own hair or plugs, using scalp reduction, tissue expansion, and strip grafts, scalp flaps, or clusters. Performed on an outpatient basis.
Downside: May require multiple sessions over one to two years.
Back to work: 2 to 5 days
EARS
Otoplasty (or Ear Surgery)
Cost: $3,500–$10,000
Procedure: Reduces the size and prominence of large ears -- usually performed on children between the ages of 4 and 14. An incision is made in the back of the ear to expose the ear cartilage. The cartilage is then sculpted or removed, and the ears are folded back into the new position. Usually performed on an outpatient basis with local anesthesia and sedation; surgery is permanent.
Downside: Young children may require general anesthesia and a hospital stay.
Back to work: 5 to 7 days
 NOSE
Rhinoplasty
Cost: $5,000–$10,000
Procedure: A permanent procedure to refine the size of the nose. Different techniques using short incisions inside the nose and along the columella remove or reshape the cartilage and tissue in the nose. Can be performed on an outpatient basis.
Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks
CHEEKS
Cheek Implants
Cost: $4,000–$7,500
Procedure: Incisions are made on the insides of the cheeks or under the eyelids, and implants are inserted, creating greater definition and prominence in the cheekbones. Implants are permanent, and the procedure is usually performed on an outpatient basis.
Downside: Implants may shift or become misaligned, requiring additional surgery.
Back to work: 1 week
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Next page: Lips, breasts, butts, and more....
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| From
the May 27, 2002 issue of New York Magazine.
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