Plastic surgery can be a large expense, and like many large expenses a variety of lending options exist to help you cover the cost.
In 2022, Americans spent about $11.8 billion on surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
If you’re considering a cosmetic procedure, you might be looking for options to help cover the cost, such as a medical credit card, personal loan or medical loan. Here’s our roundup of the best plastic surgery financing options and the features that make them stand out.
- Best for excellent credit: LightStream
- Best for flexible terms and loan amounts: Upgrade
- Best for member benefits: SoFi
- Best for fair credit: Avant
- Best for promotional financing: CareCredit
- What are plastic surgery loans?
- When is a plastic surgery loan a good idea?
- Alternatives to plastic surgery loans
- FAQs about plastic surgery financing
Best for excellent credit: LightStream
Why LightStream stands out: LightStream rewards borrowers who have above-average credit with personal loans that have no fees and low interest rates. For the lowest rates, LightStream requires excellent credit. In general, LightStream says it considers borrowers with excellent credit as those who have a stable income, money stashed in savings and at least five years of credit history with an excellent payment record.
Pros
- Loan amounts range from $5,000 to $100,000
- Rate matching program offers to beat a bet
- Long repayment terms
Cons
- No way to prequalify
- Best rates only available to those with excellent credit
Read our full review of LightStream personal loans to learn more.
Best for flexible terms and loan amounts: Upgrade
Why Upgrade stands out: Upgrade gives borrowers multiple loan terms to choose from, and if you only need to borrow a small amount, Upgrade offers loans for as little as $1,000. Plus, you can check your rates without affecting your credit scores — though note that prequalification doesn’t guarantee approval and your final terms may vary.
Pros
- Multiple loan term options from 24 to 84 months
- Next-day funding available
- No prepayment penalty fee
Cons
- Charges an origination fee
Read our full review of Upgrade personal loans to learn more.
Best for member benefits: SoFi
Why SoFi stands out: SoFi offers loans with member perks, such as financial planning advice from advisors and referral bonuses. Loan terms range from 24 to 84 months.
Pros
- Loan amounts up to $100,000
- Competitive interest rates with autopay rate discount
- No prepayment or late fees
Cons
- Optional origination fee for lower interest rate
- Large loan minimum amount, starting at $5,000
Read our full review of SoFi personal loans to learn more.
Best for fair credit: Avant
Why Avant stands out: If you have a fair credit score, Avant may be worth considering since Avant says its typical borrower has a score between 600 and 700. Not sure if you qualify? You can check to see if you’re eligible on the Avant website without a hard inquiry — but keep in mind that you may see different terms after submitting a formal application.
Pros
- Next business day funding possible
- Flexible loan amounts from $2,000 to $35,000
- Long and short loan terms from 24 to 60 months
Cons
- Charges an origination fee
Read our full review of Avant personal loans.
Best for promotional financing: CareCredit
Why CareCredit stands out: CareCredit is a healthcare credit card for medical expenses that may offer promotional financing where you pay no interest for six, 12, 18 or 24 months. At the end of the promotional period, the accumulated interest gets added to your account unless you pay off the entire balance before the special ends. If you pay on time each month and pay off the balance during the promotional financing period, this could be a way to finance cosmetic procedures without incurring interest charges.
Pros
- Prequalification available
- Up to 60-month fixed-payment options with reduced APR if you want more than 24 months to pay off your balance
- No annual fee
Cons
- Interest is deferred, not waived. Interest is still calculated and added to your balance if you don’t pay off the card entirely by the end of the promotion period.
Read our full review of CareCredit credit cards.
What are plastic surgery loans?
While there is no one set plastic surgery loan, there are options that can help you finance plastic surgery — like personal loans or credit cards. Plastic surgery loans can be a good way to help you pay for a procedure you would otherwise have to spend years saving for. But keep in mind that financing often comes with years of repayment.
The cost of plastic surgery can vary greatly depending on procedure, location and doctor. Some lenders offer smaller loan amounts than others and may not be a great fit depending on the cost of your particular procedure so make sure to shop around to find the loan that works best for you.
When is a plastic surgery loan a good idea?
Borrowing money for plastic surgery is a decision to make carefully. If you’re able to qualify for a competitive rate and the loan has affordable monthly payments, financing the procedure could help you enjoy the results of a costly procedure sooner rather than later.
But there are negatives, too: It’s one more payment to add to your budget each month, and there are financing-related costs to factor into the equation. You may have to pay interest and other fees on the amount you borrow. It also may be harder to qualify for a loan for surgery if you have bad credit.
Saving up for a procedure may be a better (and cheaper) option, even if means you’ll have to wait a few months to get work done. You could start by setting up an automatic transfer of cash from your bank account to a “saving for surgery” account each month.
Saving small amounts consistently can add up and could help you pay for all or at least a portion of your procedure. If you do decide to borrow, be sure to weigh multiple options since this will help you find the best loans available to you.
Alternatives to plastic surgery loans
A personal loan may not be your only choice to finance plastic surgery. Here are some other options to consider.
Insurance — Your ability to use your insurance to pay for a plastic surgery procedure largely depends on your plan and reasoning for the surgery. But it’s worth looking into as a first step. If this option works for you, it could save you a lot of money.
In-house financing — Some plastic surgery offices offer in-house financing for people who decide to have a procedure with them. The types of loans offered directly through plastic surgeons’ offices can vary, so read terms closely to be sure you’re comfortable with what you’re offered. Be wary of zero-interest or special financing offers that could come with a large interest bill if not paid in full by the agreed-upon date.
Secured personal loan — If an unsecured personal loan is out of reach, a secured personal loan may offer better rates and terms to finance plastic surgery. Keep in mind that if you don’t pay back your personal loan, your collateral may be seized.
No-interest credit cards — Getting a credit card with an introductory period where you don’t pay interest on purchases is another option to pay for plastic surgery. Before your choose this option, make sure that your surgeon’s office accepts credit card payments. Though you’ll have a longer period of time to pay off the purchase without accruing interest, you’ll still want to make monthly payments on time — failing to do so will hurt your credit, and you could lose the promo rate.
Our methodology: How we pick the best personal loans
Credit Karma’s editors evaluate the best personal loans by reviewing key features of dozens of popular lenders. Those features fall into three important categories:
- Affordability: We start by checking if a lender’s rates are competitive: are they higher than average or are they lower than many competitors? From there, we analyze if fees — particularly an origination fee — may make your loan more unaffordable. Last, we’ll check if the lender offers rate discounts for items such as automatic payments that may reduce your rate.
- Customer-friendly features: Taking out a personal loan is a big financial commitment, so we prioritize lenders that make things easier for you. For instance, do they offer a wide range of loan amounts for people with different borrowing needs? Do they offer at least several loan terms to give you more flexibility with your monthly payment? And, crucially, can they fund your loan quickly? A lender will also get bonus points for offering direct payments for debt consolidation or other customer-friendly features.
- Transparency: We believe personal loan terms should be easy to find and decipher. Prequalification, which lets you check what rate you may qualify for without a hard credit inquiry, is particularly important. We also check to see if a lender has been recently penalized by regulators.
Estimate personal loan costs
To better understand the total cost of any personal loans you’re considering, use an online calculator like Credit Karma’s simple loan calculator. A loan calculator can help you estimate your monthly payment and how much you’d pay in interest versus principal over the length of the loan.
FAQs about plastic surgery financing
While some people can afford to pay for plastic surgery outright, many people need to finance their procedures. Some common ways people finance their surgery is through in-house financing, personal loans or credit cards.
It depends on how you want to finance your surgery. Certain options, like getting a no-interest credit card or bank loan, may require having good-to-excellent credit. Others, like in-house financing, may have less strict requirements. Compare the expected cost of each option before deciding how you want to proceed.
The loan that will work best to finance plastic surgery will be different for everyone. The best loan has repayment terms you’re comfortable with and a reasonable interest rate.
*Approval Odds are not a guarantee of approval. Credit Karma determines Approval Odds by comparing your credit profile to other Credit Karma members who were approved for the personal loan, or whether you meet certain criteria determined by the lender. Of course, there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but knowing your Approval Odds may help you narrow down your choices. For example, you may not be approved because you don’t meet the lender’s “ability to pay standard” after they verify your income and employment; or, you already have the maximum number of accounts with that specific lender.