The Cost of Luxury Plastic Surgery (w/ Dr. Neinstein)
49m 56s
Plastic surgery, particularly mommy makeovers, has evolved into a high-cost, culturally significant trend, driven by societal shifts toward self-expression and body confidence. Gen Z and millennials are financing procedures through credit, despite economic strain, with procedures rising 41% in a year and 42.5% globally over four years. Dr. Nineteen, a top NYC plastic surgeon, details how full-body reconstructive surgeries—like muscle repair, skin removal, and body sculpting—cost upwards of $150,000 and include extensive post-op care, luxury experiences, and recovery support. These services are marketed as premium experiences, mirroring luxury brands such as Birkin bags, where the surgery itself is a symbol of status and success. Unlike traditional plastic surgery, the focus is on restoring physical harmony post-pregnancy, not altering appearance for novelty. Patients often cite improved self-esteem, intimacy, and confidence as outcomes. The financial model is complex: while surgeries are costly, they are not universally financed through credit, with surgeons emphasizing that the procedure should not create financial burden. Despite the high prices, the trend reflects a growing demand for bodily autonomy and wellness, especially among women aged 55 and older. The episode also highlights how plastic surgery now intersects with financial behavior, health trends (like peptides and stem cells), and social media visibility, illustrating a broader cultural evolution where appearance, health, and identity are deeply tied to personal and financial value. The discussion underscores that while plastic surgery is not a moral judgment, its financial scale and cultural prominence offer insight into modern consumer behavior and shifting values in wealth and self-image.
"Some evil thing happened here, I mean, happened here." Three people die in a quiet suburb in Mississauga, Canada. It's not a coincidence. One after the other, in the same house. Is this bad luck, or something more sinister? The worst investigative mess I've ever encountered. Long simmering what took you so fucking long to get here. From Sony Music Entertainment, this is what happened to the Harrison's. I'm Amy Dempsey-Raven. What happened to the Harrison's is available now on the binge. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts to start listening today. Subscribers to the binge can listen to all episodes, all at once, add free. The worst is the pioneering British fashion designer renowned for his signature classic with a twist aesthetic. Listen to how to fail wherever you get your podcasts. People used to hide plastic surgery, everything was hush-hush, then it was people were open to saying, "I had my tummy tuck, or I had a facelift, and now it's who did it. This is what I'm wearing. This is who did my jewelry, and this is who did my body. It's part of like, you know, explaining your look." This is Financial Tea. What's up, Sippers? Welcome back to Financial Tea. This is a podcast where I teach you how to build wealth with a site of market drama, money scandals, and of course, financial pop culture. And today, we are joined by the top Mommy Makeover expert in the world, Dr. Nineteen. You guys, this is, I mean, going to you is like getting a Birkin. It is something that people flaunt, it's something that people brag about. You did the woman who started Poppy and sold it for a billion dollars. She was posting all over it online. You did Laura Bostick. I mean, you are the go-to surgeon for some of the most elite names. And as we see such a dramatic rise in plastic surgery, I just really wanted to have someone on the Financial Tea who's on the inside. So I'm so happy that you're here. "Fladry will get you everywhere, and thank you very much. It's an honor to be here. I've been looking forward to this." But first, let's get into the MDJ market report. Hey, Sippers. Our first story is about dating, because guess what? It now costs $189. That is on a typo. That is on a Coachella wristband. That is a single mother-freaking date. And that is up like 12.6% from $168 last year, because apparently inflation looked at all of our love lives and was like, "Yeah, you know what, we're going to hit that too." Gen Z, by the way, is paying $205 per date. The millennials are paying $252, which is a 32% jump, which I'd like to remind everyone is a bigger raise than most of you got to work this year. So basically, your situation is outperforming your salary. But what's crazy? I was reading all about this, is half of Gen Z and 40% of millennials now say that dating is interfering with their financial goals, which is a very expensive way to find out you actually don't like brunch that much. More than half of unmarried 22 to 35-year-olds said they're not dating at all because of money, and 78% of Americans say a partner's debt is an instant deal breaker. That's insane. We've gone from what's your sign to what's your credit score real fast, and honestly, that's on growth. So basically, Gen Z invented a name for this. It's called solo-maxing, and it's when, instead of just being single, you rebranded as a personality trait. And now, nearly half of 18 to 34-year-olds are talking about how being single feels more peaceful than being in a relationship, and 42% of them think relationships get in the way of their ambition. And it's cool, I mean, it's very like, I don't need a man, I need a Roth IRA, and listen, I respect the confidence, and honestly, I've been there. Like, I actually think that I got really far in my career because I didn't date that much. It can be really distracting, especially with these fucktards in New York, but the plot was that no one's talking about here, and the part that nobody's saying at brunch is that, yes, staying single if you're doing it for financial reasons might win you the week, but it will quietly lose you the decade, because living with a partner is the single-best inflation hedge available to a young adult, and when you opt out of dating, you are opting out of that too. Like, I swear America is set up for us to be partnered, they love it. The whole tax code is basically written around 1+1=2, so let's talk about it, because I know we're going to talk about the tax code, but it's more interesting than it sounds and it really puts us into perspective. In 2026, married couples get a standard deduction of $32,200, but singles get $16,100. Exactly half. And spouses can transfer assets tax-free, and one spouse can literally claim the other social security. And let's be real, your situation can not do any about for you. Your situation can hardly commit to a group chat name, but I will say if you can find some that you actually want to be with, it's very good for your finances, like health care same deal. You combine coverage under one household plan, and premiums drop 20-30% per person. And obviously, we're not even talking about housing. A single person paying $2,400 for a one bedroom is eating that whole bill alone, but you split it with a partner, and your fixed costs get cut in half overnight, which is money back in your pocket. I mean, I'm so excited about that, I'm moving in with my boyfriend in September, and I'm like, I love him, he's my person, but I'm also like, hell yeah, I'm going to have all this money back in the bank, what am I going to do with it? You know it, I'm going to invest, it's going to be compounding in an index fund instead of just compounding in my freaking rental. Here is the math that I want to just end this with. When you skip the $40 dinner for your date or whatever, it might save you $40 this week, but it could cost you the one system that could have caught your biggest expenses in half, and doubled your savings rate for the next 10 years. So solo maxing, great plot twists, I'm all about it, I did it for so long, but I will admit it is a terrible financial plan. And our second story is really interesting, because you know, on one hand, I read all these articles about Gen Z millennial skipping the $189 date, but nowhere do I see that we are not spending. We're just redirecting that money to other places. And one place that we are loving to lay down the dollars is the plastic surgeon's office. Yes, plastic surgery is not just growing, it is becoming mainstream faster than literally any other consumer category right now. And Gen Z, they can't really afford the surgeries out right yet. And so they're financing their way in, which means like if you met a 24 year old whose face is like lifted to the gods, they've got the bell-ha-deed eyes, whatever, and you look at their credit card statement, it will track completely, because they're using binocular and credit cards for that shit. Procedures are up 42.5% globally over the last four years. And Gen Z has up their cosmetic procedure consumption specifically 41% in a single year. And it's crazy that this is me, Gen Z, the most credit-reliant generation in history for medical spending. They're not spending it on weddings, they're spending it on medical stuff. 46% of Gen Z said that they've used credit cards specifically for medical expenses in the past year, which is over four times the rate of baby boomers. And 48% used binocular just to get by, which is six times the boomer rate. And what's crazy is like you'll hear in today's episode, we talk to this big time Upper Recyplastic Surgeon and he doesn't even take credit cards or binocular, he's like I want wires. Because he doesn't want patients like this, you know, like if you're going to do your nose in four interest installments, like it's a Zara top, I think the surgeons are a little scared of you because they're like, damn, like that just sounds like someone who's maybe not mentally that sound. But what's messed up on the other side is that the binocular people love it, like a firm has doubled its amount of elective medical providers, they're going after Botox injectables are going after rhinoplasty, because a $2,000 procedure just fits into their installment model perfectly. And even though people are under so much financial pressure right now, the beauty spend still holds like over a quarter of millennials said that they would prioritize a med spa appointment over eating out of a haircut, even as one in five people have cut out cosmetic spending because of inflation. So I will just say, Gen Z millennials were cutting corners ever in the budget, were cutting the dating, except when it comes to our faces and our bodies, because that apparently gets four easy payments, no negotiations. And now let's listen to our episode with Dr. 9C and he is a top New York City plastic surgeon. He specializes in mommy makeovers, which listen to the episode you'll hear about, it's really crazy. And it was interesting to sit down with him. I think that you will enjoy this episode. It's definitely a whole thing and it's something, you know, financial T is all about how the money is moving. So we had to have him on to hear about how people are spending on their bodies and their faces. So without further ado, let's listen to Dr. 9C and don't forget to rate review, subscribe, it really helps the show. Stay rich.
Well, we always start with a few rapid-fire questions. So first of all, Dr. Neinstein, what are your best and worst purchases of the week so far and how much did they each cost? The best purchase I made this week was getting a custom NYX jersey for Dr. Alfredo Hoyos in Bogota, Colombia, because I'm sending our newest surgeon down to train with him to learn all the new cutting-edge things that the South Americans are doing. So shout out to Dr. Alfredo Hoyos. We are excited for you to wear the NYX jersey proud. You will enjoy it. That's the best purchase and that was $185. What is the worst purchase? I'll tell you what the worst purchase is. I'm trying to eat healthy. I'm not sure when this is going to air, but I bought lettuce and destroyed my stomach. So six bucks worth of it. No, it is past. And I'm not sure if it was it, but I was really -- Something happened. Something happened with lettuce. Yeah. But you didn't have the full thing though. The worst. No, but the worst purchase I've had all week was lettuce and it was like $7. Damn. They got you good. Taylor Farms. They got me dirty. They did you dirty. So I wanted to just start by asking what does a mommy makeover entail exactly? I think that we hear the term thrown around, but many people aren't actually in the plastic surgery ecosystem and don't know what it is. So if I'm at a dinner party or wherever I am and someone's like, what do you -- You're the mommy makeover? Or whatever. What do you do? I'm like, I help moms get sexy and hot again. Like, zoom out and most of the time they're like, I'm in. I don't know what that means. But like, I want to feel sexy, hot, and look amazing again because like, who wasn't? Yeah. Who doesn't? What that really means is we're reversing the changes from pregnancies that cannot be done any other way. So I don't care how many Pilates and peptides and GLP ones you inject into your body. If your muscles are separated, you got a pooch. If you've been stretched a few times, you have more skin than you need. And the people who take great care of themselves, which these moms do, you know, it's incredibly frustrated when the effort does not equal the outcome, which when the way they feel does not reflect on what they see in the mirror. Most -- And one of the reasons I love mommy makeovers is most of these people are not plastic surgery people. They're not trying to look different, you know, like, hey, I just don't like my face, make it look different. It is solving a problem that is impacting their life. They've done, you know, they've had their kids, they've done everything possible to avoid surgery, but like, they can't enjoy intimacy. They can't enjoy working out because they can't feel their core. They can't enjoy going on vacation because no matter how much they exercise, they can't stand the way they look in a bathing suit. So this operation, as long as people keep having babies, we'll never go away. So how much do they cost and what are the actual, like, what's the breakdown of the procedures? So I typically break the torso down from the breast. And the reason is, most of the time now, the procedures have evolved. We used to kind of just fix the muscles in the front, get rid of the skin, but now, you know, the patients are so much more sophisticated and they want their whole body to be in harmony. They're a little looser because of all the GLP ones floating around. So, you know, my operation, which most people don't do because it's just a lot of surgery. It takes a very specialized team, the resources, the aftercare, we do, you know, we repair the muscles underneath. So your bulge goes flat, so now the inside's flat. We get rid of the extra skin on the front of your stomach. We lift the thighs. We make the thighs, the waist tight. We lift the bum, reshape the bum, sculpt the back. So it's a full reno, you know, because a lot of the cases I see are people who've had traditional legacy texts, which were great operations, still a great operation in the, in the right person, but they're like, hey, the front of my body doesn't look like the rest of my body. I don't want it all to look, you know, elegant and natural. And what we appreciate now and patients actually understand this now, minimally invasive, non-invasive is gone. What they want is if you want to look as beautiful and as natural and as elegant as possible, you have to do the most amount of surgery. I have to take everything apart and put it all back together to look at, to make it look like you never had surgery. When you start doing patchwork, many this, a little here, a little there, it looks like someone did something. But when you take it all apart, that's and put it all back together. That's when six months later, the mom say, I wear whatever I want, I don't think about my body and nobody knows I had surgery. Wow. And that's what we're offering and that is what is unique about us. So what is the cost of that, you know, prices, what you pay and value is what you get. Yes. And then as long as the value is higher than the price, it doesn't matter. In New York City, it could be upwards of $152,000 for the whole kit and caboodle. You know, in a practice like us where we have lots of surgeons, you can get the same operation, the same system, the same brand, the same swag, the same feeling for $50,000. So it's like private premium economy versus first. If I tell you all Berkins are not priced the same, you get it. But you still got a Berkin. Yeah. If you're staying in, you know, the regular room at an Amman Resort or the penthouse, you're still staying at the Amman. Yeah. You're still getting the swag, you're still, you still have the address, you're still putting in, you know, the Amman in your Uber. So the brand speaks for itself. When you think about your patients, is there one patient that you remember who's spent like the most money with you on plastic surgeries in your practice? I'm not going to do anything that I don't think looks beautiful and elegant, but there are people who have had multiple operations over many, many years for various changes in their body that have spent hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars. And those people will tell you right now, the best thing they ever did. I think what's interesting, and you are on the front lines of this, because I mean, even just now you're comparing the nine-seem plastic surgery brand to an Hermes Berkin or the Amman. And I think that we've seen this interesting cultural shift where plastic surgery used to be something that you would hide and lie about. And now not only is it embraced, but with the nine-seem touch, it's considered this token of value. So have you noticed this as well? Was that intentional? It's definitely intentional, but also in line and swimming upstream with societal changes. People used to hide plastic surgery. Everything was hush-hush. Then it was people were open to saying, "I had my tummy tuck or I had a facelift. And now, it's who did it?" You know, it is Dr. Steve Levine for Chris Kardashian. We all know it. One of my good friends. I did her last week, and this is what I'm wearing. It's part of like, you know, explaining your look. The brand of the plastic surgery has evolved to have the overlap of the Venn diagram of clothing, travel, there's a reason for better force, the patient demographics. They go to St. Parts and Aspen, then they go to Central Pay in the summer, they shop at the same stores, they wear the same, you know, it's all on just kind of same continuum. So I mean, I think that it is definitely seen as a status symbol that sort of symbolizes a certain type of woman. And I was thinking about how with dupe culture, luxury goods are sort of on their way out because anyone can get a dupe of the boutique bag or the Birken or whatever, and that's not really seen as a status symbol anymore, but there's all these studies about ultra rich consumers looking towards experiences as being where they want to spend money because that's something that can't be duped. So, you know, do you think that of it as a symbol of status to be one of your patients? And in terms of what you do, walk us through like the branding around it. So this is a great point, and you know, I always tell people like you can get a great operation anywhere. I don't think I have, you know, some magic gift that no other surgeon can do. We have built our brand twofold, you know, 50% is we're hyper focused on surgery, we're going to be super intentional and deep, and then we're going to build an experience, you know, whether it's a mom or someone who lost a lot of weight or whoever wants to come to New York, we're going to, you know what, we're going to treat you like a princess for a week. You're going to be in the plaza, you're going to get all this swag, you're going to get all the merch, and walk us through the whole experience. So like what is the nice thing? And we want it's first of all, I want to, you know, create a feeling in people. And second of all, obviously I can't do all the surgery like myself, and you can create a better experience when you have a bigger infrastructure, if you can have a bigger infrastructure, you need more, you know, people doing the surgeries to pay for that infrastructure. So, you know, from the moment you call or reach out online or whichever way, most of its word about, but if you're reaching out, you will see, like, you will hear on the, on the call, someone smiling, you know, we say, like, we teach everyone who answers the phone, you have to smile when you answer the phone, people can tell, okay, so the branding starts at that call, you'll get to know you, oh, your mom, three from Jersey, this, that, and the other.
let me tell you how I'm gonna help get you there. Okay, let's talk about your travel schedule, summer camp. Like, when someone interacts with our office, they're like, these people know what they talk if they're talking about it, and they're a real guide. - Wait, let's roll play. So I'm a mom from Minnesota. I see you online, I wanna get my body done. - Yeah. - So I fly to New York, what is the whole process? - Okay, so, you know. - Where am I staying? - How, what am I seeing you? - So also, you know, we have access to drivers who can pick you up, who are also discreet, they're gonna take you to the plaza. - So I land JFK. - You get picked up, you take it to the plaza. - What you're gonna notice when you enter one of our partner hotels, not just the plaza, when you say you're a patient. - What are your partner hotels? - The RITS, the AKA, and the PR, okay? But like, majority of our patients stay at the plaza. When you get there and you say, I'm a patient at 90 plus, you're gonna see there's a shift in the air. Like, this is a special moment. They're gonna, you know, the plaza is gonna, and the other hotels, they're gonna treat you special, okay? Not that there are other guests aren't, but they're like, hey, I know this person's here for an operation. When you go up to your room, there's gonna be a signed, you know, card from the manager. There's gonna be the 90 plus surgery teddy bear with the sleep mask and this, that and the other. Things that are already gonna make you feel special. You're gonna get a call the night before your surgery, 'cause people fly in typically the day before. From your surgeon, from me, from your anesthesiologist, telling you, you know, we're so excited to have you come. We're gonna rock this tomorrow. We're gonna take the stress and anxiety out. Before you even get there, you're sent a text, 'cause that's what people want, in blue, not green, meaning it's coming from a human, not automated. Hey, here's where you're staying. These are the cool places that you should order your bone broth, your juice, your coffee from. If you have kids, they should go here. Like, if you have a chance to go for dinner, call this number, go to this place, go to that place, we can set all that up. On the day of surgery, you know, we're gonna give you the swag, we're gonna make you feel great, we're gonna do the operation. And then, like, that's when the real magic takes over, because the biggest fear and anxiety people have of surgery is, you know, what happens after surgery? That's where the magic is. So, in recovery room, you have your own nurse and your post-op nurse. You're there, there's no rush, you know, we're not turning people around quickly. While you're in surgery, your room is being set up. So the medications, the supplies, everything's being delivered. So, like, you're set up. People love that, especially husbands and partners who, like, don't want to be bothered. And they want to stay in Minnesota or LA or two blocks away in their office and not be, like, running around, trying to get stuff and set up a room. So everything's done for you. The patients brought to the hotel room when they're fully recovered through the back door or whatever hotel, and then they have 24/7 nursing. So we're doing the massages, the hyperbaric. We have access to blowouts, private chefs, the, you know, a lot of them on day four, day five, like, to go around Bergdorf's and a wheelchair with their private chopper. This is, hey, I had all these kids, or I lost all this weight, I work hard, or I take care of so many people, it's always about them. Here's an experience, it's all about you. We're gonna make this all about you, and you're gonna leave hot, okay? And the partners and husbands, they're happy. They're like, I'm gonna send her, see you in a week. Like, let her have a great experience. Send her home hot. Like, you know, send her home feeling great and happy. But I feel like it's like such an intense surgery, you know, even though it's all, you can have all of these-- - Bells and whistles. - Yeah, it's still like so serious. - But that's why we have the 24/7 nursing that has a system based on like a decade of experience. They're analyzing everything, doing the medications, the garments, taking you to the bathroom. And the surgeons are coming, like, one of the things I truly believe is, big surgery, big responsibility. We go in the morning and see our patients, you know, that's why I get up so early. Before I go to, you know, to the OR, I could be seeing five, six people in the hotel. But those are not just to show up and say, like, okay, you have no infection. There's no bleeding. That's when you create that bond with someone. That's the brand, it's the feeling. - Some evil thing happened here. I mean, how did you happen here? - Three people die in a quiet suburb in Mississauga, Canada. - It's not a coincidence. - One after the other in the same house. Is this bad luck or something more sinister? - The worst investigative mess I've ever encountered. - Long simmering, what took you so fucking long to get here? - From Sony Music Entertainment, this is what happened to the Harrison's. - Support for today's episode comes from Square. It's a system that fixes one of the biggest headaches in running a business. Starting my business was so exciting, but then running it was so much more complicated than I ever expected, like your dog-gling payments and inventory and staff and scheduling, but Square brings all of that into one place. And right now listeners can get up to $200 off Square Hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/t. That's squar.com/go/t. Square isn't just fast, it's smart, it's transparent, and it's built for the way people actually run their businesses. So if you're starting a business or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage, and grow without slowing down. Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square Hardware at square.com/go/t. Run your business smarter with Square. Get started today. - Break it down because like you're saying, the surgery costs between 150 to 200K, but then you're adding-- - That's all allocard. Yeah, they pay for all that. - You're adding the, like you have a deal with the hotels. - The hotel doesn't give our patients a deal, they just treat the better. We have a 24/7 concierge. - We want like, you know, Dr. Dyncy, and this is a financial tee. And I think there's a lot of people who they want the numbers. So walk us through it. - Yeah, could be anywhere from like 20 to 50,000. - Like how much are you spending on top of the surgery for all that? - Could be anywhere, you know, people sometimes they have a friend, you have an apartment or they live here, so it could be less. But sometimes people are spending up to, you know, $50,000 extra on their aftercare. - But like, you know, this is like I said, huge surgery. So you leave after, what, a week, five days? - Yeah, and at the local, they usually stay three, nights, four days, and if they're traveling, they usually stay a week. So then after that, though, it's so much healing that you have to do. And then you're sort of-- - We try to get them through, you know, this major phase, and then they get-- - And that's the worst phase. - Yeah, I mean, and when they get home, it's wearing the garments. It's doing the scar care and doing massages. And what's amazing, you know, we have strategic partners in Paris, in London, in Dubai, in Beverly Hills, that take care of our patients from the lymphatic massage point of view. - And then, so you're saying that you don't do surgeries all of a cart. You do full mommy makeovers. So it's really smart for your pricing, because you're not doing like a facelift here, a bluff there, a lipo here. - I'm your old-- - You're old. - Not, not good. - But also, you're only doing like full-- - Yeah, we-- - Like, it's like, you're not-- - Sometimes we do smaller cases, but very, it's pretty much like, this is the operation we're doing. These are the slots you fill in the slot. - Do you do labiaplasty? - Nope. - And-- (laughing) And can you use insurance on this? - Nope. - And are there any plastic surgeries that your practice just won't do? - You know, we don't do anything neck up. - Yeah. - And part of that is strategic, because all the facelift surgeons around the country send me their patients. So, that's great. And you really just can't-- Like, no one will believe you if you say, you're really good at like, all these different things. It's not possible. - How did you end up with this niche of mommy makeovers? 'Cause it's also quite a vulnerable point in a woman's life. Like, I think, you know, some people-- - You give us so much physically to have kids. Like, I know so many women who it's like, would like to have kids, but like, they're sort of like, I don't know, should I get a surrogate? Like, this seems like it's really gonna fuck my-- - Well, I think we do better. - I think we'll make your body look better than a surrogate. - Yeah. - Like, we don't just reverse it. We reverse it in turbo charge it. So, listen, I think people try to pick an operation they want. And, you know, surgeons are trying to figure out what to do. I actually think it's the opposite. It's like, who are the patients I like? You know, if you like dealing with like 15-year-old girls, you should do noises. - Yeah. - You know, God bless you. - Yeah. - If you like dealing with the aging face, you should be facelift and like, you're gonna have an older patient population. I find it very easy to deal with moms because this is the world I know and live in, you know? I have, you know, most of my patients have kids. My kids age. You speak the same language. We go to the same places. We do the same things. We have the same stresses. So, it's very easy to connect. - But you were doing this before you had kids, oh, too. - But this was the people in my cohort going in that direction. - Oh, like, it was like your age. - Yeah, but the interesting thing is, you know, my patients, you know, five, six years ago average, about 35, and now my average patient is 55. - Oh, really? Why do you think there was that shift? - I think as your practice matures, you know, the older patients who are sophisticated, who've been hanging around the hoop, thinking about it maybe even for decades, you know,
know, start appreciating that hyper-specialty that now isn't just, I just do this, but now I have this huge body of experience. I also think now people are healthier than they have ever been, an older age. Like, I didn't 87 year old because she was dating, you know, like what she got done. Tommy talk. Yeah. I see, you know, the amount of 55 to 65 year olds that look absolutely, you know, insane because they take such great care of themselves and have such vibrant personalities, but they look in the mirror and they're loose as a goose and they just want to be tight because like, yeah, it's not fun and they want to look cute. And so my patient population has gotten, you know, older. So what do you say to each woman who comes out of surgery? Well, you're going to have to have surgery to get behind the door. You won't tell us? No. These are like my, this is the secret sauce. Okay. When people, when women come in, how are they paying for these procedures? Like, is it usually their husbands, push, wire, push presents? Like, do you have people who are taking out loans or maxing out their credit cards to replace their money for it? No, I don't want people, you know. So you don't take credit cards? No. No. Which is sad because it's like, I would want the points. I would obviously use a card with two x points for this. Now with us. No. And we don't want people. Why is that? Because you don't want people financing? This should be an expense that you can absorb. And it shouldn't be the most important thing in, you know, I don't want you to have too much weighing in on this as if like, I don't want you to go into debt because you think it's going to change your relationship or change your job status or change anything like that. So I don't want this to be a financial burden on someone with us. Is that unique to your practice, like you most plastic surgeons, most of the other surgeons in the city feel the same way? They, you know, you don't want someone's whole life to be dependent on the outcome of the surgery. Because even if it's- That's a way to sort of solve for it. Like a one barrier for you is to just make sure that it is not a financial burden. And because, and this is not a negative, it's just psychology. Even if the operation is perfect, if it, you know, if it cost you so much, it's probably not going to fulfill what you are hoping it will fulfill. Yeah. And, and then you're putting a very difficult situation where someone is unhappy with a perfect operation because, hey, I went into debt on this, I went into debt for this and my marriage still sucks. I went into debt for this and I didn't get that promotion, you know, versus it's a nice to have. Well, it's funny that you mentioned the promotion thing because like women make 30% more if they look good. And so it really is this interesting tax, I mean, I don't think you've got plastic surgery, but that I think about a lot of like being in the workplace that maybe men don't have to deal with as much like you were saying before we started that like male plastic surgery trends aren't even a trend because they're not getting plastic surgery. Well, and, you know, social equity for men is still like in their, you know, net worth and a lot of social equity for women and is in, you know, their appearance, unfortunately, like that's, I didn't make that up. That's just the way it is. I feel like people don't always consider the upkeep factor of surgeries too. Like, if you get your boobs done, now you're supposed to get them read on the implants every 10 years or so. So when it comes to a mommy makeover, do you have to get any of it redone? You know, we want patients who are living a life where they're taking great care of themselves because that is really the upkeep, right? Like after the operation, not really going to have extra skin, not really going to have extra fat. The muscles are where they're supposed to be like eat well, exercise and like enjoy your life. You know, tummy tucks, you know, unless you need a revision for whatever reason and about a third of my patients are revisions from elsewhere, it's one, one and done. And how long is the recovery? So I tell people, you're going to hate me for three weeks, then you'll love me the rest of your life. The first week, I'm going to knock you down, like it is house arrest, like the first week, and I try to make it. You get a lot of pills, right? No, not so much. But I, I really try to scare people because I want them to take it seriously. The first week is, you know, the first few days, the, the first week you're kind of out of commission. It takes you about two weeks to be able to drive, two weeks to be able to walk normally and about a month until you feel like you're normal to go out and do like go to dinners, go to events, go to activities. So like a real month, I'm like, but that's just part of it. You're not going to notice most of the results for six weeks because you're body full. But a month and you're still where, how long do we have to wear the gear for? Most of them are wearing it for a few months, two or three months. But now, you know, the gear is like closed, like, you know, a decade ago, we had like one garment now, skims, spanks. There's a million companies like our nurse practitioners are like, they're like your personal shopper. They're like, oh, get this for when you work out. Get this for when you go to that bar mitzvah. Get this when you ski. Yeah. There's a million things. But, you know, I tell people it's a week of real downtime. This is a full time project for a month. You're not going to really love this for about six weeks. And at three months, most of the swelling will come down. And I'm like, I tell them all the negatives. It's expensive, there's risk, the downtime sucks, but you're going to look hot forever and it works 100% of the time. So what does your business model look like now? Like, can you talk us through your profit margins? Like, if you have, if you're charging someone 150k for a surgery, how much of that do you keep? Because it's expensive to be you. Like, you live at the plaza. You have all these people working for you. It's a company. No, it's a company, but I'm saying like, you know, how much do you make? Yeah, I mean, listen, the margins are different depending on the operations, the time involved in things, but you know, it could be 30, 30 some odd percent, low 30s, like it's expensive to run these operations. We have, you know, we don't have cheap equipment. I have almost 50 people on staff, but then in terms of like how many bodies though you're doing a year. So in our practice, we do about a thousand operations. Wow. So how many is that usually like per week? So remember, there's four surgeons. So you know, break down the numbers, but I typically do one, maybe two a day. Wow. Three days a week. Wow. And then the rest of the time, you're running the business. Yeah. And seeing patients, you know, one of my personal goals is I love running the business. You know, I read a million books. I'm always trying to find mentors to learn, you know, outside of medicine. You know, the most, you know, the most beneficial things I've learned for our practice have not come from anyone in medicine. Yeah. I've deeper and spend more time with, you know, as our team grows, spend more time with people and, you know, less time in the operating room. And also like my job is, you know, like DaVinci says, shame on like the master whose people doesn't have to shine him, I keep wanting to bring on new surgeons. They bring new inertia, new energy, new ideas, and I want to help them, you know, rise up. And when it comes to like new in plastic surgery, I mean, you really got your ear to the ground. So what are, you know, it's our surgery that people are getting that is that's widely covered. It's the experience. I mean, people, you know, whether going to me or the famous facelift surgeons, it, they want an experience, you know, and the second thing, which is I'm really excited about, you know, longevity and functional medicine is here to stay. And it is entering plastic surgery practice, not just hyperbaric oxygen, but the peptides, you know, many of our patients are on peptides before and after surgery to help them heal, but also to make them feel better. So you believe in peptides, even though they're not FDA cleared, yeah? Yes. So you recommend them to people? Yes. Which ones? BPC 157, anti-inflammatory, it can help you heal. GHKCU. I like the Wolverine stack and the Glow stack before and after surgery. I take them. I think it's incredibly helpful. And the future is, you know, stem cells, my longevity doctor, shout out, Dr. Quo. Jonathan Quo. Dr. Quo. We love you, Dr. Quo. Yeah. And the stem cells, especially the Muse de Zawa stem cells from Japan are going to be an absolute game changer. They're in seven states right now. And what do they do? These are, so how do you use them for healing? So there's different ways. There's intravenous, I mean, you're going to have cells going around your body that can turn into or turn on cells, especially in areas of damage or repair. You know, the primary concern is, you know, heal brains from strokes and hearts from heart attacks, but at the same time, these cells can be used, whether you're healing from a face lift, whether you're healing from a tummy tuck, or, you know, there's studies going on right now in California, injecting the stem cells right into the areas of surgery and a face lift. Can we take all these cells that are inflamed, damaged, maybe their mechanisms aren't working as well, replace them with a very healthy young cell? Wow. So something that I was thinking about is this idea of hot, because it is subjective, but what you're selling is the, basically, like the same body that you would think about as like the American dream of hot to, so to, you know, like it's, they're like the nine scene look, it's a long, lean, elegant, non-exaggerated, exactly, but timeless beauty, you know, kind of look. But and so there is like this, there's also this idea of like, oh, we've got to own it. And like, you know, I saw man, like many more last week, kind of had three, she's had three kids and she posted.
to the picture online, like being quote unquote, brief, showing her extra skin after her stomach. And so you're, but you're on this other side of that conversation. So I just sort of wanted to, you know, you have, I think you have a daughter, right? And so how do you sort of look at the beauty standard when you like look at her, you know, it's a personal feeling. Like many more looks in the mirror and loves the way she looks, good for her. If many more looks in the mirror and says, you know, I hate that my muscles are eight centimeters apart. And I'd like, you know, my back to her at last when I do a plank, nothing fall on the ground. Give me a call. I just think that we're just seeing homogenization happen across the board. So like, if you think about like the concept of Instagram face or the pursue of like one idealized look. And so do you think they, I disagree, I disagree. Wow, okay, tell us why? Because I never, ever, ever hear, and I've seen everyone you could think of from all over the globe, they never, the moms never walk in and show me an Instagram picture. I've never seen it once in my life. So they probably show you pictures of your work, right? They'd say, they sit there and they say, I hate this. I don't feel, they say, I hate this. I do everything I can. I don't feel sexy. It's impacting like my sex life. Because I don't feel sexy. I can't work out because my core doesn't work. My back hurts. I tried to go on, you know, I went to a bar mitzville last week. I put on a tight dress and everything was falling all over the place. Miserable and left. They never, ever come in. Because we are solving a real problem. I'm trying to solve their unique problem. I don't see patients who come in because I don't do, you know, like other operations, like to change the way you look. I don't see patients who say, this is how I look, this is how I want to look. I want to look like this person. Because I'm like, I don't care what that person looks like. I'm going to help you look like the best version of you in the operating room, and then guess what? After that, it's on you, like, keep going again. Keep it going, yeah. Imagine setting your makeup. Then forgetting it's even theirs. Meet new grippy setting mist from Mavily New York. Gel to mist technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours, with flexible all-day comfy grip. No tightness, no stickiness, no residue. Just plump, dewy, hydrated skin. That still feels like your skin. Try new grippy setting mist from Mavily New York. Maybe it's Mavily. If you have ever felt like your makeup was working against your skin, you need to try organic makeup that works like skincare. Specifically, you need to try OG. They are a certified organic beauty brand that truly performs like luxury makeup. It's one of those routines that feels both elevated and effortless. There's three sticks. There's copper for warm, rose quartz for flush, an opal for glow, and you can do your whole face in five minutes and look like you're having a good skin day. You're waiting for it to feel heavy by the afternoon, but it is never going to. It's just gonna look like your face is naturally snatched. OG has made my routine so much simpler and busy days, and I'm always impressed by how long it lasts through the day. And the sticks blend beautifully and just feel chic when I'm applying. If you are ready to raise your beauty standards, OG's got you covered. Go to OG.com/financialt and use code financialt for 20% off. How did you come up with this vision of the like 9th-steed woman with these elegant lean lines on all of this? I listened to the patients, and I was in the biography of Jane Burkin, because when they came up with the Burkin body, and it just listened to the words that they say, okay? They, and if you take thousands of the moms that we operate on, without having my input at all, what do you want to look like? I want to look sexy, I want to look elegant, and I want to look natural. And I want to look long. They don't want to feel, you know? They, a lot of them feel like, you know. Camapalupa, you know? Because they're torsos like this, because they don't want to do that. Because, you know, they're torsos like this, because the breasts are down, and the stomach's up, and they're just like, stretch it out. So, I'm seeing a lot of statistics too, that baby Botox is booming, women are getting facelifts at 35. And I feel like you're setting the median age of plastic surgery at your practice has gone up to 55. You know, for me, it's 55 for Dr. Anna, who is our breast specialist, you know? And she's doing less invasive, ballerina breasts, you know, where people don't want to change their bra, they want to close, they just-- - This one a little something. - They want a little something. They want to maybe fill out their breasts, or, you know, replace volume loss from pregnancy. Her median age is going to be a lot less. - So, what do you make of it like this, the age going down of the-- - It's just exposure. - It's just like natural. Like, anyone, when there's more exposure through social media, or more celebrities, more people being open and honest, like people are going to do more. This is like human nature. If this was all hash hash, they wouldn't do it, because they wouldn't know about it. - When you were in med school, did you know this was the type of doctor that you wanted to become? - No, not even close. When I was in medical school, I-- - Take us through the journey to becoming doctor. - I think I got there so young, and remember on the, like, 19 or so. And I remember, like, on the first day, they were like, you need to start thinking about residency. And in my head, I was so-- I was like, residency. But, you know, growing up, science, what, in Toronto, Canada, I was just good at science and math, okay? And I played competitive sports, rugby. And I was-- and, you know, my grandparents were Holocaust survivors. They're like, you know, you can do anything you want, as long as you're a doctor or a lawyer. So, you know, traditional-- - As long as-- - Traditionally, immigrant house. And, you know, it's like, okay. I like-- I have an affinity to science. I like working in a team. Medicine sounds-- you know, my grandmother said they have to do it anyway, so I should probably go into it. - Yeah. - And then just when I got into medicine, I took the opportunities that they gave for observations and volunteering, and I went and saw everyone, you know. Pediatrician, geriatrician, you know, and as soon as I walked in and offering, everyone was like, that's it. I'm here. And I would have been-- - What did you like about it? - The control. - The immediacy of action. - There's so much in our lives. Like, you don't get to make change, impact. Like, here, you get to make impact. Done. Move on. And I could have been just as happy as a brain surgeon or a heart surgeon. But plastics offered a couple of things. You know, the unique opportunity to get out of the hospital and get out of the infrastructure of the administration so you can actually control your own destiny. The other thing is like, all other surgical specialties, you know, best case scenario, you come back to normal. You know, something bad happened to you bringing back. We have the opportunity to like bring them forward. So, I enjoy that. - And when it comes to like your type, you build women, like you build women's bodies for a living. What do you look for when you date? Like, is it, do you look for the 90th body as well? - I have next question. - Really? - Yeah. - Okay. Have you, what plastic surgery have you had done? - Persona, you know, listen. Surface is nice. But what's inside is what matters. - And for your own look, like, what plastic surgery do you do? What do you say you take peptides? Like, walk us through your stack. - Peptides, you know, BBC 157 GHKCU Wolverine and the glow stack. I had my eyes done. - Who did that? - Dr. David Rosenberg. Little nose, Dr. Sam Risk. - He did mine too. - Oh, there you go. Shout out Sam. Little Botox, hair transplant. - Doesn't work on me. - Where'd you do your hair? - Dr. Ben Paul. - Okay, great. - You did a great job. And then, you know, - What does it feel like being the patient? - It's great. - So, as you say it, like a plaza. Oh, you love the plaza. - Well, Dr. 19, thank you so much for coming on the financial tee. This was so fun. - Thanks for having me. - And stay rich. What's up, zippers? I just wanted to check in post episode because I wanted to make sure that you didn't think this was like a moral judgment about plastic surgery. Suddenly, not me telling you whether it's good or bad or whether you should or shouldn't do it. That is so not the point. I actually don't even know anyone who's ever had a mommy makeover and I know so many moms. So, I don't think that it is something that's like so in the culture now, just because I think it's really expensive. But the reason I wanted to talk to him was just because plastic surgery has become this massive part of our culture. People are spending an enormous amount of money on it and some practices, like Dr. 19, scenes are making an enormous amount of money from it. I just think understanding where money flows, who is making it, what people are spending on, what the trends are for women too, like the fact that all of these serious growl bosses are posting about this, I think it's like sort of a weird example to set. But it helps us understand the world around us. So, yeah, whether we're talking about AI, luxury goods, weight loss drugs, plastic surgery, I just think following the money will always tell you a lot. So, thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, subscribe, even less at money@Mrs. Dow Jones.com. It genuinely makes a huge difference when you engage with the show. It helps us keep getting to have conversations like this. And I will see you next week on the Financial Teas. Stay rich, my baddies.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Plastic surgery, especially mommy makeovers, has become a mainstream and increasingly expensive trend, with Gen Z and millennials financing procedures through credit cards despite financial pressure.
High-cost mommy makeover surgeries in New York can reach $150,000, with significant additional spending on post-op care, luxury experiences, and recovery services, creating a major financial investment.
The cultural shift from hiding plastic surgery to openly embracing it as a status symbol reflects broader changes in self-expression, with patients proudly linking their appearance to brand identity and personal success.
Summary:
Plastic surgery, particularly mommy makeovers, has evolved into a high-cost, culturally significant trend, driven by societal shifts toward self-expression and body confidence. 5% globally over four years. Dr.
Nineteen, a top NYC plastic surgeon, details how full-body reconstructive surgeries—like muscle repair, skin removal, and body sculpting—cost upwards of $150,000 and include extensive post-op care, luxury experiences, and recovery support. These services are marketed as premium experiences, mirroring luxury brands such as Birkin bags, where the surgery itself is a symbol of status and success. Unlike traditional plastic surgery, the focus is on restoring physical harmony post-pregnancy, not altering appearance for novelty.
Patients often cite improved self-esteem, intimacy, and confidence as outcomes. The financial model is complex: while surgeries are costly, they are not universally financed through credit, with surgeons emphasizing that the procedure should not create financial burden. Despite the high prices, the trend reflects a growing demand for bodily autonomy and wellness, especially among women aged 55 and older.
The episode also highlights how plastic surgery now intersects with financial behavior, health trends (like peptides and stem cells), and social media visibility, illustrating a broader cultural evolution where appearance, health, and identity are deeply tied to personal and financial value. The discussion underscores that while plastic surgery is not a moral judgment, its financial scale and cultural prominence offer insight into modern consumer behavior and shifting values in wealth and self-image.
FAQs
A mommy makeover is a comprehensive set of plastic surgery procedures designed to reverse the physical changes from pregnancy. It typically includes tightening the abdomen, lifting the breasts, reshaping the buttocks, and lifting the thighs, creating a more toned and balanced body.
The cost can range from $50,000 to $152,000 depending on the scope of procedures, location, and the surgeon's practice. Some practices offer premium packages with a higher price point for added experience and luxury.
Patients choose it to address post-pregnancy body changes that affect their confidence, self-image, and daily life—such as loose skin, a distended belly, or a lack of core strength—so they can feel more confident and comfortable in their bodies.
No, mommy makeovers are generally considered cosmetic and not covered by health insurance. They are typically paid for out of pocket, though some procedures may be partially covered if they are deemed medically necessary.
Recovery takes about one month, with the first week being the most intense. Patients are advised to rest, wear compression garments, and avoid strenuous activity. Most results become visible after six weeks, with full healing taking around three months.
These practices emphasize a holistic experience—offering luxurious accommodations, personalized care, 24/7 nursing, and post-op support—to create emotional trust and ensure patients feel cared for throughout the entire journey.
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