The Costs for Cosmetic Procedures & Plastic Surgery #ForeverYoung

Image by kai kalhh from Pixabay

Unlike the picture above, money doesn't grow on trees. And many of the procedures I've discussed on this blog for regaining your youthful looks are expensive procedures. I've been watching videos of people who have gone to their cosmetic surgeons for repeated Botox injections, fillers, laser skin treatments and even plastic surgery (or surgeries, in some cases), and one question continually pops into my mind as I watch these videos. How do they pay for all of this?

There are a lot of procedures I would love to get or try in order to look and feel younger. But I don't make a lot of money. What this means is that it will probably be a very long wait until I get to do any of these procedures, if ever.

If you are wondering what these procedures cost, here's a brief run-down of what they cost at some clinics. (I emphasise that these are the prices at some clinics because prices will vary, sometimes widely, at different medical practices and clinics and in different parts of the country or within different countries.) I live in the UK, so I will be using prices from here.

Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) - A blepharoplasty may cost anywhere between £2,000 and £6,000. 

Dermal fillers - Facial fillers cost about £150 to £300 per session, depending on the amount of product used. 

Botox injections - Botox costs about £10-£20 per unit. While some offices and clinics charge a flat rate depending on the area being injected, you'll usually find that you are charged based on how many units of Botox are used.  Botulinum toxin injections usually cost £150-£350 per session, depending on the amount of product used.

Laser skin resurfacing treatment - In the UK, depending on how many sessions are needed and what size of area is being treated, price tends to start at £500 a session with three to five sessions.

Laser skin tightening treatment - Laser skin tightening cost swill differ based on the size of the area to be treated and the number of treatments necessary. In general, laser skin tightening costs range from £300 and go higher depending on the amount of area needed to be treated and the number of sessions needed for the desired result.

Apronectomy/abdominoplasty/tummy tuck - It costs about £4,500 to £6,000 to have an abdominoplasty, plus the cost of any consultations or follow-up care that may not be included in the price.

Breast lift/mastopexy - Depending on the type of lift, how much needs lifting and whether or not implants are used, breast lift surgery cost ranges from £3,495 to £6,495.

Fat melting injections - Fat melting injections cost from £300 per treatment and two to three sessions are recommended for maximum results.

Hair removal laser treatment - In the UK, laser hair removal costs between £40 and £400, depending on the area of skin and number of sessions included.

Electrolysis - Costs for electrolysis sessions start at from £40 per session and can take from 15 to 35 sessions to achieve the desired result.

Chemical peel - Chemical peels cost about £60-£100 for mild peels. It may cost over £500 for deeper peels. 

I know that I listed even more treatments and procedures in my previous post about the ones that interested me, and some of the ones listed both there and here would not suit my skin type anyway, but this is just a brief run-down of the prices of some possible procedures and treatments.

The high cost of all of these should help explain to you my curiousity about how so many YouTube vloggers are able to get various and frequent treatments.

The Forever Young Experiment #ForeverYoung

I've been thinking a lot about ageing and how it influences the way others view us. I know that ageing is just another unavoidable part of life, and, intellectually, I believe that people should grow old gracefully, accepting what life is making of them as they age. But knowing that this is the right attitude to have and coming to terms with my ageing self are two different things. And I've come to a conclusion about my own ageing; I don't want to accept it gracefully; I want to fight it every step of the way.

Now, some of those ways of fighting the ageing process are to eat healthy, keep my weight at a healthy BMI, or, in my current case, getting my weight back into a healthy BMI, and getting plenty of exercise.

I also plan to take some vitamins that I might be lacking in and using creams and lotions, plus drinking plenty of water, to keep my skin hydrated. (Drinking water is difficult for me. I really don't like drinking water, but I will make an effort to do so.)

I already don't drink alcohol or smoke, which are two things that prematurely age people, so I have that going for me already.

I have some health issues that make getting plenty of sleep difficult for me, but I am seeing some doctors and hoping to get those health issues under control soon.

What's left to do are the things I am curious to try but have no money to do yet: things such as skin treatments and plastic surgery.

The beauty/skin treatments that interest me are:
chemical peels
Derma Pen
IPL
Sculptra
VBeam
Deese Mask (Phototherapy Mask)
SpectraLift
Ulthera
Fraxel Laser
Fat Dissolving Injections (for chin area)
Profhilo
Plasma IQ (for eyes)

The plastic surgery methods that interest me are:
blepharoplasty (for eyes)
Under-eye Fat Repositioning (for eyes)
Canthoplasty (for eyes)

AccuLift

V3 Lift

Non-incision SMAS Lift

Endotine Forehead Lift

Notice: I did not say I want all of these treatments, only that these treatments interest me. I want to learn more about them. Some of them would make others of them unnecessary, and it would be good if non-plastic-surgery methods worked without the need for any plastic surgery in maintaining a youthful appearance. 

Another important thing about maintaining my youth, as I mentioned early on in this post, is health. I do have some chronic health issues, such as gastric esophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic anaemia (caused by low iron) and cysts on my ovaries (recently found). I will be doing my best to get every health issue treated as they have symptoms that do not help with my attempts at looking and feeling younger. 

I am waiting on a letter from the hospital with a date for the surgery to remove the cysts on my right ovary (they will remove the fallopian tube and ovary on that side as well, I am told). I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist in London in mid-March to see what can be done about my gastric reflux. And I am taking iron tablets, which have not improved my low-iron-induced anaemia, but I am hoping the removal of the ovarian cyst might help as I have read that it can help with menstruation irregularities which can also be a cause of low iron.

Make-up can also be a good way to look youthful. I have to admit, I am not very skilled at make-up application, I will try and learn some techniques though.

Another thing I associate with youthfulness is the ability and willingness to learn new things. I am currently trying to teach myself how to play the guitar and retraining my voice for singing (using YouTube until I can afford some actual lessons). I used to sing when I was younger, but gave it up when I developed allergies. My allergies never went away, but I think I can work around them to regain my voice. I'm also trying to teach myself Korean, and I am trying to refresh my Spanish skills. I've lived away from California for too long and the Spanish I learned when I lived there has grown very rusty.

I'd like to chronicle my efforts at remaining youthful and regaining my youthfulness here and let you know what works and what doesn't.