Deep plane facelift pricing in Denver
Pricing is meaningful only after the operation is defined.
A mini facelift, a traditional SMAS facelift and an extended deep plane face-and-neck lift are not three prices for the same product. They are different operations. They differ in how far the tissues are released, what carries the lift, how the neck is treated, how much operating-room time is required and what is included in the final plan.
In my practice, a primary extended deep plane facelift currently starts around $30,000. Revision facelift surgery starts around $36,000. Those figures are starting estimates, not a universal package price. My facelift includes individualized full-face fat transfer and coordinated recovery care through Tone Medical Aesthetics; additional procedures such as a brow lift, blepharoplasty, lip lift or CO2 resurfacing are added only when they solve a specific problem.
If you are comparing quotes, compare the operations before you compare the numbers. The question is not simply, “What does a facelift cost?” It is, “What exactly is being done to my face for that price?”
What Does a Facelift Cost Nationally?
Published price data are useful for orientation, but they are imperfect because different sources count different things. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons currently reports an average facelift surgeon fee of $11,395; it explicitly notes that anesthesia, operating-room facilities and other related expenses are not included. That number should not be compared directly with an all-in surgical estimate.
CareCredit’s 2026 SMAS facelift guide reports a national average of $13,574, with a reported range of $10,738 to $22,262, and a Colorado average of $13,590. Its data were based on 2025 pricing research and can include different practice structures and operative scopes.
Mini facelift pricing is similarly variable. RealSelf’s patient-reported data list a Colorado mini-lift average of $9,970 and a Denver metro average of $11,887, but those local figures are based on 2023 reports. The age of the data matters, and the term “mini facelift” itself is not standardized.
| Published benchmark | Reported figure | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| ASPS facelift | $11,395 average surgeon fee | Does not include anesthesia, OR/facility or related expenses |
| CareCredit SMAS facelift | $13,574 national average | Different SMAS techniques and practice inclusions |
| CareCredit SMAS – Colorado | $13,590 average | Statewide estimate, not Denver-specific |
| RealSelf mini facelift – Colorado | $9,970 average | Patient-reported 2023 data |
| RealSelf mini facelift – Denver | $11,887 average | Patient-reported 2023 data |
| Okland primary extended deep plane facelift | Starts around $30,000 | Comprehensive face-and-neck approach; individualized fat transfer and included recovery care |
| Okland revision facelift | Starts around $36,000 | Prior surgery changes anatomy, scar tissue and operative complexity |
Why Two Facelift Quotes Can Be Completely Different
One surgeon may elevate skin around the ears, tighten or fold the SMAS and remove redundant skin. Another may enter beneath the SMAS, release the retaining ligaments tethering the cheek and jowl, continue the dissection through the neck, perform direct deep-neck work and restore lost facial volume. Both invoices may say “facelift.” That does not make the operations equivalent.
The incision can be deceptively similar as well. Mini facelifts, SMAS lifts and extended deep plane facelifts all use some version of an incision around the ear. Once the neck is meaningfully treated, even a supposedly smaller lift may require much of the same visible access. The incision is merely the access. The dissection is the operation.
What Is Included in My Facelift?
The jawline is the border between them, not an anatomical wall. Every facelift I perform includes a comprehensive deep neck lift because a rejuvenated lower face ending in an untreated neck is an incomplete result.
The structural foundation in my practice includes:
- Extended deep plane facelift. The mobile face is released beneath the SMAS so the cheek, jowl and jawline can be repositioned as a composite unit rather than asking skin tension to manufacture the lift.
- Comprehensive deep neck treatment. The neck is diagnosed structure by structure. Depending on the anatomy, treatment may involve superficial or deep fat, platysma, submandibular glands when they obstruct the contour, and other deep-neck structures.
- Individualized full-face fat transfer. Lifting treats descent. Fat transfer treats atrophy. “Full-face” means every region is evaluated; it does not mean every region is injected.
- Integrated recovery care. Facelift patients are cared for through the coordinated Okland Facial Plastic Surgery and Tone Medical Aesthetics recovery pathway.
Why a Mini Facelift Costs Less
A mini facelift should generally cost less because it is a smaller operation. That is not an indictment of price; it is the point of the procedure. The meaningful question is whether the smaller operation is adequate for the anatomy.
I do not perform mini facelifts. If I believe a patient does not have enough facial descent to justify a comprehensive operation, I would rather recommend no facelift than perform a limited one simply because it is easier to recover from or easier to sell.
A smaller operation is an advantage only when a smaller problem exists. If the cheek, jawline and neck require meaningful structural correction, doing less surgery cannot be expected to create the same result.
Why Added Procedures Change the Final Quote
A facelift corrects descent of the face and neck. It does not automatically correct brow descent, true eyelid skin excess, an elongated upper lip or damaged skin texture. Those are separate diagnoses. The final operation expands only when another procedure earns its place.
- Endoscopic brow lift when the upper face is descended and requires an upper destination.
- Upper or lower blepharoplasty when the eyelids themselves contain excess skin or fat that lifting cannot correct.
- Lip lift when upper-lip length has become disproportionate.
- CO2 resurfacing when skin quality, rhytids, photodamage or texture are independently aging the face.
Does a Higher Price Mean a Better Facelift?
No. Price is not proof of surgical quality. A high fee cannot create judgment, anatomy knowledge or beautiful results.
But a low quote also cannot make two different operations equivalent. Cost can reflect surgeon experience, operating-room time, anesthesia, facility standards, extent of dissection, deep-neck work, adjunct procedures and postoperative care. The operative plan matters more than the number.
The Bottom Line
I would not choose facial surgery by finding the lowest number, and I would not choose it by finding the highest one. Understand the operation. Understand what is included. Decide whether the surgeon’s body of work matches the result you want. Then compare the price.
My extended deep plane facelift is designed as a comprehensive face-and-neck operation with individualized volume restoration. It is not intended to compete with a mini lift on price because it is not intended to be the same operation.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does a deep plane facelift cost in Denver?
In my practice, a primary extended deep plane facelift currently starts around $30,000. The final quote depends on the individual composition and any additional procedures required.
Does your facelift price include a neck lift?
Yes. I do not perform a facelift while leaving the neck untreated. The face and neck are treated as one connected anatomical problem.
Is fat transfer included?
Individualized full-face fat transfer is part of every facelift I perform because facial aging includes both descent and selective volume loss.
How much does a SMAS facelift cost?
CareCredit’s 2026 guide reports a national average of $13,574 and a Colorado average of $13,590, but SMAS techniques and inclusions vary and those figures should not be treated as a quote from any individual practice.
How much does a mini facelift cost in Denver?
RealSelf’s patient-reported 2023 Denver data averaged $11,887. That figure is older and mini facelift techniques are not standardized, so it is best used only as broad market context.
Why does revision facelift surgery cost more?
Previous surgery changes the normal planes. Scar tissue, altered anatomy, prior skin removal and previous fixation can make the operation more complex and less predictable.