By: David Stoker, MD

It can be frustrating if you’re ready to make some changes to your appearance, but don’t have the finances to get your there. If this is the case for you, you may have spent a long time debating your timing, your choice of procedure, and your choice of surgeon – should you just give up because payment isn’t easy? Well, as many of my California plastic surgery patients have discovered, you don’t have to. There are companies that can help you with financing for plastic surgery and, if you make your decision carefully, it can be a great way to take the next step toward looking and feeling your best.

Know Your Options

There are actually quite a few companies that offer financing for plastic surgery procedures. A few that my patients commonly work with include:

• SurgeryLoans.com
• MyMedicalLoan.com
• CareCredit®

You may also want to look into ChaseHealthAdvance℠, Health One Financial, and other lenders. For a more complete list and for more information about plastic surgery financing, visit www.financing-plastic-surgery.com.

Common Practices

The best way to think about plastic surgery financing is to compare it to a credit card. Like a credit card, plastic surgery financing is an unsecured loan, meaning that the lender is not holding any of your assets as collateral (and thus the assets cannot be repossessed). The amount of the loan, term of the loan, and the interest rate will depend upon your credit score and your application. The application will ask you questions about your job, your income, whether you own property, and what your pre-existing credit card debt is.

Most loans will not pay for the entirety of your procedure. On the other hand, if you have very strong credit, you may be approved for an amount that is larger than the actual cost of your procedure. If this is the case, plastic surgery financing may also help you pay for follow-up appointments and other treatments.

So, do your homework: research the policies of various companies, assess your current financial situation, and, if it makes fiscal sense, make an investment in yourself with financing for plastic surgery. As with any decision about your health and your finances, choose wisely because, let’s face it, you can’t enjoy the results of your facelift if you’re forming new worry lines!