Hey Sweetypi, the average cost for the procedure is about $3500. Maybe you could get it financed. I'm 23 yrs old and I don't believe that the older you get the more it hurts. Ear cartilage is not as painful. You don't feel anything during the procedure and afterwards the only time you have to be careful is at night and how you sleep. Your ears will be numb for quite some time but you hardly notice and the feeling does come back. The only thing that might be annoying is that it doesn't hurt but it really feels itchy. This is because it is healing. You will have a bandage around your ears for maybe a couple of days or a week and then you only have to wear it at night when you sleep. In your specific case, they usually will operate on both ears even though one of them is bothering you. They will be set in a more natural position but they can't change the fact that one ear is higher or lower than the other. Are you susceptible to bad scarring? This is also something to find out about. Again, I can't stress enough the importance of finding the best doctor in your area-outside even. Get a consultation to get more informed-just because you have a consultation doesn't mean you have to go through w/ it. Remember, do what's best for you. If it makes you feel better than that's all that matters!