20 y.o. seeking forehead contouring and trach shave on budget

[haley was here]

Hey there.

Obviously I am on the younger end for this. 6 months into hrt and not passing at all yet, but getting closer.

I've tentatively decided to go with Dr. Shapiro for rhinoplasty since getting a surgeon who has worked with a lot of noses was ultimately more important to me than someone who has worked with a lot of trans women. That's the only procedure where I think that holds, though.

I'd like to deal with my high forehead, orbital rims and trachea this summer since these things aren't going to go away with hormones. I just want someone reliable and no higher than mid-end for cost (I'm working part time at university to pay for this). I live in Arizona, so staying within the US is preferred. I can go to the east coast if I have to but there seem to be a lot of options in the southwestern US, so hopefully one of them is good for my needs... I am kind of overwhelmed with the amount of information out there and any suggestions would be helpful.

[Maybebaby56]

Hi Haley,

Welcome to Susan's Place! I understand money is a concern, but you are not buying a used car, you're talking about your face.  Since you live in Arizona, you should at least get a consultation with Dr. Meltzer, since he is in Scottsdale.  Consultations are $100.  On the other hand, you can check out Dr. Cardenas in Guadalajara, Mexico.  He does forehead work for about $6000. I doubt you could find a trans-experienced plastic surgeon much cheaper than that.  There are several surgeons in southern California, of course (Gary Alter, Harrison Lee, etc.) but they are definitely at the upper end of the cost spectrum.

With kindness,

Terri

[kittenpower]

Dr. Meltzer in Scottsdale did my type 3 forehead and rhinoplasty; my results are extremely good, and I do agree that a consultation with him would be beneficial. Type 3 forehead is a complicated and difficult surgery; so it is in your best interest to save a little longer if you need to, so that you have the funds  to afford a surgeon who has done hundreds if not thousands of these surgeries, and has a proven track record of successful outstanding results.

[haley was here]

Oof there are waaay to many horror stories about Cardenas for me to want to consider him.

Dr. Meltzer seems to be one of those doctors specializing in SRS who does FFS more or less on the side? This is the impression I'm getting at least. Plus his internet presence has apparently been nonexistent since 2015. Both of these things give me bad vibes but I'll give his office a call later, at least. Does he even put before/afters out there? :/

Any other names not mentioned so far that I should be looking at?

[2cherry]

Bart van der Ven maybe. He prosed a type III and the quote I got was 11.500 euro's.

This included:

- forehead type III
- brow lift
- lip lift
- hairline lowering + expander
- canthopexy
- lipofilling limited.

Including hospital costs and anesthesia. A rhinoplasty was about 4500.

I got that quote in 2012, he may charge more now. I am not sure. His fees are 50 euro's for a consult.

Facial team is another alternative I guess.

A good FFS below 10.000 would be difficult, if not impossible. If you go for a Forehead reconstruction only, I would suggest to check out the hairline, brows, and orbital rims. It's best to have them done in one go, because you don't really want to have your face peeled off again, trust me... 

[kittenpower]

Oof there are waaay to many horror stories about Cardenas for me to want to consider him.

Dr. Meltzer seems to be one of those doctors specializing in SRS who does FFS more or less on the side? This is the impression I'm getting at least. Plus his internet presence has apparently been nonexistent since 2015. Both of these things give me bad vibes but I'll give his office a call later, at least. Does he even put before/afters out there? :/

Any other names not mentioned so far that I should be looking at?

He showed me a lot of before and after pictures during my consultation.

[anjaq]

I think if you want to save money, the best way is not to look for a cheaper surgeon in your country but to look for other countries that have a weaker currency. That way you do not have to use a surgeon that charges less than his colleagues but one that charges as much as anyone in his own country, maybe he even is expensive by comparison, but for you as a foreigner it is cheaper.
So I think the prices are going roughly like this in declining order: USA, Korea, Europe, South/Middle America, Thailand, India. However for Korea and India, there is only limited experience and patient reports available.

[Jacqueline]

Interrupting just long enough to welcome you to the site.

You have some heavy hitters commenting on your question. I hope you find what you are looking for.

I also want to share some links with you. They are mostly welcome information and the rules that govern the site. If you have not had a chance to look through them, please take a moment to:

Things that you should read

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Once again, welcome to Susan's. Look around, ask questions and join in.

With warmth,

Joanna

[Dani]

If all you need is forehead, brow ridge and orbital rim, consider Dr Mardirosian in Jupiter Florida. He studied under Dr Spiegel in Boston. His rates are reasonable.

He also did my face, but since I am 67, I needed a lot more work. He has a website with examples.

[haley was here]

Thanks for the welcome Joanna. The Roxy avatar is pretty classy. c:

Dr. Meltzer is booked for *consultations* until May which is around the time I'd like to get this done to begin with (between May and July). So I guess I'm going to be fielding country-wide options now. Frustrating, because Dr. Shapiro got me in two weeks after I first called, but I guess we're talking about a pretty different market here with a worse supply/demand. Oh well.

[yashika_1989]

Hi,

I am going to Dr. Narendra Kaushik for Forehead Reconstruction and Rhinoplasty next month. I underwent GCS from him in November 2016 and was pretty satisfied. Had the touchup and voice feminisation & Tracheal Shave done yesterday. Had considered Dr. Chettawut for GCS and Yeson for Voice Feminisation, but since had received a lot of recommendations and the doctor is situated in the same city, preferred him over others.

His rates are very affordable (approx. $ 3500 - 3800) for forehead and rhinoplasty.

Will let you know how it goes