The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) puts the surgeon’s fee for liposuction at $4,300 to $7,500 (2024 data), which leaves out anesthesia, the operating room and other costs. What patients report paying in total is higher: RealSelf’s average is $9,250 from 567 reviews, ranging from $3,500 for one small area to $22,000 for full-body liposuction. Practices that publish an all-in fee for one area mostly list $4,500 to $7,000. South Carolina averages run below the national ones.
- Surgeon’s fee, ASPS
- $4,300 to $7,500surgeon only, 2024 data
- Patient-reported total
- $9,250 averageRealSelf, May 2024
- Upper and lower abdomen
- $7,491 averageCareCredit 2026, excludes anesthesia and facility
- South Carolina, patient-reported
- $5,322 averageRealSelf, February 2023 data
The national figures and what each one counts
| Source | Figure | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| ASPS, 2024 data | $4,300 to $7,500 | Surgeon’s fee only, members’ projected range |
| ASPS, 2023 data | $4,711 average ($4,449 in 2022) | Surgeon’s fee only |
| The Aesthetic Society, 2022 | $2,764 average | Labelled “surgeon fees” in the report, “surgeon and facility fees” on its web pages |
| American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS) | $1,500 to $20,000 or more | Inclusions not stated |
| CareCredit, 2026 study | $7,491 average, upper and lower abdomen ($5,045 to $12,994) | Excludes anesthesia, facility and pre- and post-op care |
| RealSelf | $9,250 average, $3,500 to $22,000 | What 567 reviewers say they paid, generally all-in |
ASPS’s cost page says its figure does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses. Its 2025 report carries no fee table, so 2024 is the newest. The Aesthetic Society describes its own figure two ways, so the two societies’ averages are not like for like.
Cost by body area
| Area | CareCredit, national average (2026) | CareCredit, South Carolina average (2026) | Pacific Lipo, California chain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper and lower abdomen | $7,491 | $6,963 | $3,290 to $3,500 |
| Lower abdomen only | $4,777 ($3,349 to $8,356) | $4,446 | |
| Upper abdomen only | $3,688 | $3,431 | |
| Breast | $4,568 | $4,260 | |
| Face, one treatment | $3,615 | $3,369 | |
| Chin | $3,861 ($2,579 to $6,522) | $1,990 to $2,500, chin and neck | |
| Flanks | $1,990 to $3,500 | ||
| Arms, both | $2,990 to $3,500 | ||
| Inner and outer thighs | $3,190 to $5,000 |
CareCredit’s liposuction page says its averages exclude anesthesia, the surgery facility and pre- and post-op care. Pacific Lipo’s prices exclude anesthesia, and each low figure is a limited-time offer. Mia Aesthetics, a multi-city chain, lists liposuction from $4,000, varying by surgeon.
What practices quote all-in
Practices that say their fee covers the surgeon, facility and anesthesia list, for one area:
- DeLuca Plastic Surgery, Albany: $3,500 to $5,550 in the office under local, $4,660 to $7,960 in an operating room.
- Virginia Institute of Plastic Surgery, Richmond: $4,500 to $7,000 for one area without general anesthesia, from $7,500 with it, and $8,000 to $12,000 for two areas.
- Lyle Plastic Surgery, Raleigh: $4,000 to $12,500, priced by the hour.
Surgeon-only fees look different. Tessler Plastic Surgery in Scottsdale lists $12,500 and says it excludes facility and anesthesia fees; Dr. Brad Gandolfi in New York lists from $3,500 on the same basis.
What a quote includes
A full quote has four parts. The one practice page that splits them is for a tummy tuck: Guerra Plastic Surgery Center in Scottsdale puts the surgeon at $10,500 to $20,000, the accredited facility at $2,500 to $4,000, anesthesia at $1,200 to $2,200 and materials at $1,000 to $2,000. Ask whether a liposuction quote covers each part, plus garments, follow-ups and lab work, and whether it is per area or per hour.
Lipo 360
Lipo 360 treats the whole midsection: abdomen, waist, flanks and back. CareCredit’s 2026 average is $7,259 ($4,851 to $12,628), and its page lists anesthesia and pre-op exams as cost factors without saying they are included. Neither ASPS nor RealSelf publishes a lipo 360 figure.
| Practice | City | Fee | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Brad Gandolfi | New York | From $7,250 | Surgeon’s fee only |
| DeLuca Plastic Surgery | Albany | $7,960 to $12,760 | Estimated total |
| Virginia Institute of Plastic Surgery | Richmond | $12,500 | All-inclusive |
| Colorado Plastic Surgery Center | Denver area | $12,000 to $21,000 | Surgeon, operating room, anesthesia |
| R.A.M Plastic Surgery | Chicago | $15,000, VASER | All-inclusive package |
Chin and neck liposuction
ASPS puts the surgeon’s fee for chin liposuction at $3,000 to $5,500 (2024 data; $3,194 average in 2023). CareCredit’s chin average is $3,861. RealSelf gives $4,083 on one page and $3,275 on another. Under local anesthesia, Lyle lists $3,000 to $3,800 and DeLuca $3,500 to $4,500; the Virginia Institute lists $5,000 to $7,500 all-inclusive.
Laser, VASER and AirSculpt
- Laser (Smartlipo). CareCredit’s averages, from its 2025 study, are $5,030 for the abdomen and $3,065 for the buttocks; the page does not say what is included.
- VASER. RealSelf’s patient-reported average is $10,553, up to $23,111 for full body or with skin tightening (2023).
- AirSculpt. RealSelf reports $13,399 ($5,000 to $24,053), and $14,522 for AirSculpt with Renuvion skin tightening from 182 reviews.
- As add-ons. VASER HD adds $1,700 at Allure Esthetic in Seattle, and Renuvion $1,500 to $2,000 at Lyle. Aetna lists Renuvion with liposuction as experimental, investigational or unproven.
South Carolina
Averages. CareCredit’s 2026 study puts South Carolina at $6,963 for the upper and lower abdomen, $4,446 lower only and $3,431 upper only, all excluding anesthesia and facility. RealSelf’s South Carolina average is $5,322 (February 2023 data), against $8,250 in the Charlotte metro and $7,989 in Atlanta. The ABCS price calculator gives $2,000 to $8,000 for Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Greenville and Columbia alike.
Office fees. Port City Plastic Surgery on Daniel Island, Charleston, publishes the only per-area list: abdomen or flanks $2,200 to $3,200 each, outer thigh $2,400 to $3,000, chest $2,000 to $3,000, arms or inner thigh $1,800 to $2,400, waist $1,500 to $2,000. It gives the cost including anesthesia and operating room fees at consultation, so these figures probably leave both out. Virtu Cosmetic Surgery (Columbia, Rock Hill) gives one range of $3,200 to $12,500 across chin, arms, inner thighs and lipo 360. The Ratio by BodyMath in Columbia lists laser liposuction at $3,500 to $12,000. Ulm Plastic Surgery in Mount Pleasant and Crantford Costa in Charleston both give a local range of $2,000 to $7,000. Ditesheim Cosmetic Surgery, a Charlotte practice, publishes all-in prices on a Rock Hill page: $6,000 to $20,455, and $17,125 for lipo 360.
Hospital cash prices. These are one part of the bill, never a total:
| Hospital | Line | Cash price | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia | 1 area to 5 or more areas | $2,146 to $4,406 | Facility charge only |
| Lexington Medical Center | Chin | $1,607 | Facility charge only |
| MUSC Medical Center, Charleston | Trunk | $3,259 ($6,518 gross) | Facility charge only |
| AnMed Health, Anderson | Per hour | $2,000 | Surgeon’s fee only; no cases in the prior 12 months |
Safety and recovery
ASPS lists deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications and damage to deeper structures among liposuction risks, and says large volumes, usually more than five liters of fat, need special consideration. Its 2003 advisory found no proven safe volume maximum; risk rises with volume and the number of areas. In a 2017 study of 31,010 procedures in the CosmetAssure insurance registry, liposuction alone had a 0.7% major complication rate, and combining procedures was the strongest predictor of complications. South Carolina’s Board of Medicine liposuction parameters (2002), which are guidance rather than a regulation, set office limits of 3,000 or 4,000 cc of fat by office level.
Recovery estimates differ. ASPS’s timeline lists return to work at weeks 2 to 3, bruising gone by weeks 4 to 5 and gentle exercise from week 6. The Aesthetic Society says work within a few days and a compression garment for four to six weeks, with swelling mostly gone in two to three weeks and some lasting up to four months.
Will insurance pay?
Rarely. Aetna treats liposuction as cosmetic for anything other than lipedema and lymphedema, Cigna treats it as cosmetic when done alone, and Anthem’s policy calls it cosmetic, obesity included, without a documented lymphedema or lipedema diagnosis. IRS Publication 502 names liposuction among costs that generally cannot be deducted. The lipedema criteria are on does insurance cover plastic surgery, and financing on how to pay less.
Frequently asked questions
How much is liposuction?
ASPS puts the surgeon’s fee alone at $4,300 to $7,500 (2024 data). Patients on RealSelf report an average total of $9,250, and practices that quote all-in for one area mostly list $4,500 to $7,000.
How much is lipo 360?
CareCredit’s 2026 average is $7,259, with a range of $4,851 to $12,628. All-inclusive practice fees run from $7,960 to $21,000.
How much does chin liposuction cost?
ASPS gives $3,000 to $5,500 for the surgeon’s fee. CareCredit’s average is $3,861, and office fees under local anesthesia start around $3,000.
How much is liposuction in South Carolina?
CareCredit’s South Carolina full-abdomen average is $6,963 before anesthesia and the facility; RealSelf’s patient-reported average is $5,322. Port City Plastic Surgery in Charleston lists $1,500 to $3,200 per area before anesthesia and the operating room.
Sources
- ASPS: 2024 statistics report, 2023 report, liposuction cost, safety, recovery, 2003 practice advisory
- The Aesthetic Society: 2022 statistics, liposuction aftercare; ABCS: liposuction guide, price calculator
- CareCredit: types of liposuction (2026), cosmetic costs, lipo 360 (2026), Smartlipo
- Kaoutzanis et al. 2017; Aetna CPB 0211, Aetna CPB 0031; Cigna 0470; Anthem ANC.00009; IRS Publication 502
- Marketplace and chains, cited as text: RealSelf (liposuction, chin liposuction, VASER and AirSculpt pages, 2023 to 2024); Mia Aesthetics; Pacific Lipo
- Practices, cited as text: DeLuca Plastic Surgery; Virginia Institute of Plastic Surgery; Lyle Plastic Surgery; Tessler Plastic Surgery; Dr. Brad Gandolfi; Guerra Plastic Surgery Center; Colorado Plastic Surgery Center; R.A.M Plastic Surgery; Allure Esthetic
- South Carolina, cited as text: Port City Plastic Surgery price list; Virtu Cosmetic Surgery; The Ratio by BodyMath; Ulm Plastic Surgery; Crantford Costa Plastic Surgery; Ditesheim Cosmetic Surgery (Charlotte, Rock Hill page); price-transparency files of Lexington Medical Center (April 2026), MUSC Medical Center (April 2026) and AnMed Health (March 2026); South Carolina Board of Medicine liposuction parameters (2002)
Figures retrieved October 2, 2026 from each publisher’s own page. Fees change and cover different parts of the bill; a written quote from a board-certified plastic surgeon who has examined you governs. Body Sculpting Masters is a publication, not a practice.
