Money explainer
Add-ons and upsells
An add-on is a second price inside the first. Some are optional, some are presented as optional, and the quote rarely says which.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026. Education only: mechanics and arithmetic, not financial advice.
Sources checked Sep 14, 2026
Where add-ons show up
- Numbing, masks and serums
- Boosters on a facial
- PRP, “exosome” or growth-factor add-ons to microneedling
- Aftercare products sold at checkout
- A review or touch-up visit
Published averages leave them out too
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ cost pages say their average is “only part of the total price”, and its chemical peel page lists anesthesia fees, prescription medications and facility costs as extra. The Aesthetic Society says its averages may not include fees for anesthesia, medical tests, prescriptions or other miscellaneous costs.
Separating the treatment from the extras
- Get the price of the treatment alone.
- Ask which add-ons are part of how they perform it, and which are optional.
- Get each add-on’s price, and whether it repeats at every visit.
- Add them up before the appointment, not at the desk.
Worked example · hypothetical figures
Three microneedling sessions with a serum and aftercare
$350 a session for three sessions, a $75 serum add-on at each, and $60 of aftercare once.
- Three sessions
- $1,050
- Serum, three times
- $225
- Aftercare, once
- $60
- Total
- $1,335
- Effective price per session
- $445
The add-ons are $285 of $1,335 — about 21% of the total, and none of the headline.
The figures are invented to keep the arithmetic easy to follow. They aren’t typical prices, and nothing here says what a price should be.
Questions to ask
- 1What’s the price of the treatment alone?
- 2Which add-ons are part of how you perform it, and which are optional?
- 3Does each add-on repeat at every session?
- 4Are the aftercare products required, or is there an alternative?
- 5Can I have every price in writing before the appointment?
Add the add-ons line by line
One-time or every visit, with tax, and the effective price per session.
Open the quote calculatorSources
- Chemical peel costAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons · Checked Sep 14, 2026
- Skin rejuvenation and resurfacing costAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons · Checked Sep 14, 2026
- Average plastic surgery costsThe Aesthetic Society · Checked Sep 14, 2026