How To Get a Plastic Surgery Loan: Your Guide to Lenders and Financing Options
- Most health insurance plans won’t cover plastic surgery unless it’s medically necessary, but you can use a loan or other financing for an elective procedure.
- The best personal loans for plastic surgery feature low starting APRs, flexible repayment terms and a range of permissible loan uses.
- Other ways to pay for cosmetic surgery include clinic financing, medical credit cards and buy now, pay later (BNPL) services. Some options come with 0% APR or deferred interest promotions.
Plastic surgery isn’t cheap, with common procedures ranging from $3,000 to $19,000 or more. Fortunately, personal loans and other plastic surgery financing options allow you to pay for your procedure over time.
Research suggests that patients experience improved self-esteem and physical well-being after a cosmetic procedure, at least in the short term. If you want the benefits ASAP but don’t have the cash, we’ll break down your options, rates and risks.
8 personal loans you can use for plastic surgery
The best personal loan for you will depend on the cost of your procedure, how long you need to repay the loan and your credit history.
Your best bet for plastic surgery financing is usually lenders that allow medical expenses and don’t explicitly exclude plastic surgery — like the ones listed below. From there, the best loans come with low starting annual percentage rates (APRs) and flexible repayment terms that make them budget-friendly.
Bear in mind, not everyone will qualify for the lowest APR, and loan approval is never guaranteed. Personal loans are subject to credit approval and a review of your intended use case. But the table below is a good place to start your research on plastic surgery financing.
You may also find the following guides helpful when comparing personal loans for plastic surgery:
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Other ways to pay for plastic surgery
Will my health insurance cover plastic surgery?
Health insurance generally doesn’t cover plastic surgery unless it’s considered medically necessary. For example, Medicare doesn’t cover most cosmetic surgery, but breast cancer patients who need breast augmentation after a mastectomy qualify for coverage. With prior authorization, Medicare may also cover procedures like rhinoplasty or Botox injections when the treatment is medically necessary.
Private health insurance companies typically use the same rationale as Medicare when determining coverage — for example, UnitedHealthcare covers reconstructive surgery that’s medically necessary, meaning the procedure is proven to treat a functional impairment that is due to a documented abnormality.
Coverage can vary by insurer and state of residence. If you want to find out whether a procedure is covered, check your summary of benefits or call your health care plan’s member services phone number listed on your insurance card.
Can I finance plastic surgery through my doctor’s office?
Many plastic surgeons offer financing through third-party lenders and partners. Plastic surgery clinics may offer multiple options — for example, some clinics partner with CareCredit and Alphaeon Credit, which are medical credit card issuers that may offer introductory rate promotions, and Prosper, a personal loan lender.
Some clinics also partner with PatientFi, which offers payment plans you can only access through your health care provider. These plans often offer the benefit of promotional interest if you’re able to pay off the full balance within the introductory period, but you’ll get stuck with a high APR if you don’t pay off the balance in time.
Generally, the options available from your plastic surgeon’s office are best if you only need a short repayment term, while personal loans give you more flexibility. Make sure to compare interest rates, fees and prepayment penalties across financing options.
Is an intro 0% APR credit card a good way to pay for plastic surgery?
Some credit cards have intro 0% APR periods that allow you to avoid interest on plastic surgery for up to two years. But if you still have a balance after the promotional period, you’ll face a high APR. As of this writing, LendingTree research shows that the average APR on a new credit card is 24.35%, while the average personal loan APR for borrowers with excellent credit (720+) is 17.18%.
You can also owe interest during a card’s promotional period if you’re more than 60 days late making a payment.
What are medical credit cards and how do they work?
You could also apply for a credit card specifically designed for health care financing, like the CareCredit credit card. The best medical credit cards typically feature deferred interest promotions. If you pay the balance in full within the promotional period, you won’t be charged interest. But if any balance remains after the promotional period ends, you’ll be charged interest dating back to the date of purchase.
In contrast, 0% APR intro offers are typically zero-interest promotions. With a zero-interest promotion, you’re only charged interest on the balance that remains after the promotional period ends.
Can I use buy now, pay later for plastic surgery?
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) providers commonly partner with online retailers. The BNPL company pays the retailer for your purchase and gives you a couple of repayment options, including a short-term, introductory interest promotion option. But paying late typically results in fees, and a LendingTree survey shows that 41% of BNPL users made a late payment in the last year. Some BNPL providers, like Cherry and Affirm, work with medical providers to offer point-of-sale payment plans for elective procedures.
Should I pay for plastic surgery in cash?
If you can wait to schedule your plastic surgery procedure until you have enough cash, you’ll save money on interest and fees, and it won’t affect your credit score. You can even earn money on your savings along the way by keeping your cash in an interest-bearing account.
Considering the high cost of most procedures, it might take a while to save enough money. For example, the average plastic surgeon or physician fee for a face-lift ranged from $12,000 to $19,000 in 2024, according to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Some patients may feel that their procedure is urgent and prefer to take out a loan.
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