Lifestyle Lift Controversy
An NBC affiliate in San Diego recently ran a story called Women Upset With Results (along with disturbing video) that addressed dissatisfaction some women have with a popular facelift procedure called the Lifestyle Lift.
The story quotes a Philadelphia plastic surgeon named Lou Bucky who said:
the Lifestyle Lift is a procedure that was basically discarded in the 1970s because he says its gives only temporary results. Bucky thinks Lifestyle Lift might work fine for about 5 percent of patients.
This comment contrasts with the promise offered on the Lifestyle lift official website:
"remove up to 20 years in about 1 hour!" and..."The Lifestyle Lift was developed so that men and women can look and feel younger without the trauma and downtime of extreme plastic surgery."
So where does the truth lie with the lifestyle lift?
At RealSelf we think it's up to consumers who've undergone the Lifestyle Lift and are willing to share their testimonials and satisfaction ratings. Already we're seeing dozens of Lifestyle lift reviews run from complete satisfaction to complete dissatisfaction.
more Lifestyle Lift reviews & photosIf you've had a cosmetic treatment like the Lifestyle Lift, feel free to add your voice.
Alternatively, there are very active Lifestyle lift discussion boards here on RealSelf.com.
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unregistered guest
16 Oct 2006
Had the Lifestyle Lift procedure along with the Upper & Lower Blephs in Novemebr 2005. I'm in my late 40's and had premature signs of aging due to sun damage and stress. Made the decision to get all procedures done AFTER I researched the time I needed for recovery, post-op instructions, etc. I asked a lot of question so I would have a realistic idea of what to expect. Knowledge is power. I am almost 1 year out from my surgeries and nothing has fallen as of yet. The Dr. and staff were wonderful. I'm not sure why LSL gets such bad press. I'm happy with the results and would do it again if and when I need it. Best of luck to all!
1 post
18 Oct 2006
I had my life style lift and done on Sep. 26 I had a very loose neck what we call the turkey neck and a bit of jowls. All I wanted was a tight neck without all that loose skin. I am 50 years old and have good skin for that age. The doctor put me in front of a mirror pulled my skin up and said this is what you will look like. I do not look anything like Dr. Alex of Boston said I would. I am still swollen and developed hard lump on me cheek and a bit of swelling that was not there 4 days ago. That surfaced after almost 16 days after the procedure. I thank God I see no big scars and my bruising is almost completely gone. I will be seeing him in two days about that lump and the new swelling. But the results are not worth the 4,300 dollars I paid. Another thing he did the liposuction on my chin after the lift. And I have a quarter size dent on my right cheek that was not there before surgery. You want to remove things not have them added.I will keep you posted since its been only 3 weeks.
4 posts
29 Nov 2006
Rosemary,
It would be pretty hard for someone without an 'interest' to comment, they would not have the expertise to do so. I'm not sure who you're talking about that posted the article or what you mean, but I've seen the NBC segments & I agree with those women.
I had an LSL, actually 2 & I've had horrid results. Asthetically, I look the same as before, but now I have scars, pain, itching, numbness, ear placement problems, etc.
The sales pitch I got was professional & tight. Every question quickly met with a clever rebound & ended up with me in front of a mirror with my face pulled tight to demonstrate what I'd be missing if I didn't sign up. I did NOT get anything close to what they said.
I was told it would take 20 years off & last for 10! I got about 4-6 weks of optimal face time, then by the 6th month I was already back to what I had. The re-do was disasterous & in retrospect I would not do it again. The entire procedure was down played & made to seem trivial, they don't even use the word surgery.
Be glad yours turned out well & hope that it stays that way, it's too early to tell from my experience. You shouldn't be so smug with your defense of LSL or so insulting with your put downs of Dr. Bucky, it's unecessary & unseemly.
Dr. Bucky is definitely NOT in competition with LSL. Yes, he does face lifts, but do you know who he is or where he practices? LSL doesn't even come close. Your McDonald's/Burger King comparison should be more like LSL = Hot dogs Dr. Bucky = Filet mignon.
Also, if LSL is so wonderful why are they suing NBC & the women that went on the segments? One woman has hearing lose, several are scarred as badly as I am plus they all look like they NEED a facelift, not like they just got one!
Hope your results last, I'm just not hopeful.
unregistered guest
22 Jan 2007
too early for full results BUT NOT happy with the discomfort so far. Was told I would be given an IV--not true-- just a pill (diazapam) and a lot of shots and I mean a lot. One side of the proceedure was actually painful. I recieved more shots but it still hurt. Only on the 5th day but my scar feels and looks like zipper on one side but the other side looks gret. And behind the ear of the other side the scar looks sloppy and choppy and raw. Not suppose to go back for 10 days, that seems a little long to me. I would recomend a plastic surgeon, if it's such a simple proceedure why don't the pros'do it for the same price?
unregistered guest
5 Apr 2007
My wife recieved Lipodssolve treatments in Las Vegas and developed two abscesses. The abscesses were not identified properly (the nurse thought they were 'fat lumps that had not dissolved') and a cold laser treatment was performed on her. This accelerated the growth of the abscesses. In 4 days they went from lima bean size lumps to leaving her with open wounds that were just under 2 inches deep. It has taken my wife 33 days now to get to a point where the wounds have no depth but they still have not scarred over. The clinic has not contacted us except to request a release form be signed waiving them of all responsibility. We have heard there are two more women in the Las Vegas Valley who have the same issue, but treated by another facility here in town, so this obviously isnt as rare as people make it out to be. We keep finding more and more people who have had complications, but are kept quiet but release forms so they can get refunds from the companies that they dealt with.
1 post
31 Jan 2008
I am one of those horror stories. I just read my same story above and had to cry.I wish I could go back and never have this LSL done.It has been two years of constant pain.These Doctor should take responsibilty for these bad LSL. But they do not!
5 posts
12 Feb 2008
I started looking into Lifestyle Lift because 3 friends of mine were interested in it. I was disturbed by what I found. And, based on what I discovered regarding the differences in medical backgrounds of 12 LSL doctors compared to the medical backgrounds of plastic surgeons certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, 2 of my 3 friends decided against the LSL. Here's the info I learned. The Montel Williams show on 2/8/08 dealt with plastic surgery, and one of the plastic surgeons stated that there are 4 criteria that a prospective plastic surgery patient should look for; 1)Member of The American Board of Plastic Surgery, 2)Credentials, 3)Number of procedures done, and 4)Previous patients to speak to. I got the next piece of info regarding doctors performing plastic surgery, from "plasticsurgery.org." They state that they should be an ABPS Member Surgeon. Members are Certified by The American Bd. of Plas. Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada, complete a combination of at least 5 years of gen'l surgery with a minimum of 2 years in Plastic Surgery training, operate only in accredited medical facilites, adhere to a strict code of ethics, and fulfill continuing medical education. I then checked the background and training of a few plastic surgeons who were members of The ABPS. One doctor in Southlake, TX had 3 yrs in general surgery, 3 yrs. in plastic surgery and a 1 yr. Fellowship in Aesthetic Surgery. His memberships were in: Am. Soc. of Plas. Surgeons, AMA and he had numerous yrs. in practice. Other ABPS doctors had similar backgrounds; in fact, being an ABPS member implies having the highest qualifications to meet their strict requirements. Comparing the training and backgrounds of the LSL doctors, gave me pause. The 12 I checked had somewhat similar backgrounds to each other and were significantly different to the ABPS doctors. After their medical degree, one LSL doctor had 1 yr. Internship in general surgery, 4 yrs. Residency in Otolaryngology of head & neck and facial plastic. He was board certified in Am. Bd. of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery. Professional Society: Am. Acad. of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery-Fellow. Another LSL doctor had, instead of an M.D., was a Dr. of Osteopathy. He had 1 yr. Internship rotating; 4 yr. Residency at Osteopathic Hosp., Otolaryngology/Facial Plas. Surgery, and 1 yr. Fellowship at a Cosmetic Surgical Ctr. for Facial Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery. Board Certified in Otolaryngology/Facial Plastic Surgery; Professional Society: Am. Aca. of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck surgery; Am. Osteopath Assoc., Am. Osteopathic College of Opthalmology & Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Christian Medical & Dental Assoc. The other 10 LSL doctors had similar backgrounds. Also, these 12 were NEW doctors, who had finished their medical training in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. I will continue to check the other LSL doctors' backgrounds and report on a larger sample. So... please research your LSL doctor's training and backgrounds very carefully. There is so much valuable information on the Internet regarding Plastic Surgery, certification, board memberships and what exactly it all means. Look up the specialties of "Otolaryngology", since the few LSL doctors I checked spent many years training for this. I think you will be surprised. Also, check out "Osteopathic Doctors", since this specialty came up, as well. After I read so many of the LSL horror stories on numerous message boards, I'm not sure if this could possibly be a factor, as well as the relatively short period of time practicing medicine. My sample of LSL doctors is very small, but I believe, it begins to tell part of the LSL story. You can do the checking for yourself, in order to see a much larger sample, and then compare it to the ABPS member backgrounds and training. I don't think surgery should be about price, and getting a bargain or sale. It needs to be about the prospective patient researching her Plastic Surgeon thoroughly and asking many questions, and getting referrals. Good luck and I hope this helped.
unregistered guest
28 Feb 2008
Well I have to say that I truly need to rethink my decision on LSL my heart truly goes out to all those that have suffered . That should have never happened in this day and age ! It is truly a wake up call to realize that your not so young any more and wanting to feel good about yourself could bring such heartbreak for some due to the results of a company called LSL. I will say a pray I know that is not much but hope it helps. Thanks for sharing - for that you have my respect. I will have a lot of research to do to find the right doctor for me. Thanks! Jean
unregistered guest
3 Mar 2008
I can not believe the woman that said she "walked out" and her husband said "wow". I only had the upper and lower eyelids done-----------thank goodness. When I walked out of there my eyes were already bruising and nearly swelled shut and it was like this for about 8-10 days. If anyone saw me and said "wow" it was because they were horrified by the way I looked. One eye still has more fat underneath it, so it doesn't match the other eye. I went back to the Dallas office and the "good doc" there agreed with me and said, "we can fix it----but you will have to pay for it". Go figure. Also I have thick scars on each upper lid toward the corners of my eyes. I was talking to a lady the other day and wham looked at her and guess what? She had the same scars on her upper lids that I do. I didn't have to ask-I knew they had gotten hold of her at LifeStyle Lift. It is like their brand!!!!! Just so thankful every day that that was the only procedure that I chose to have.
unregistered guest
7 Mar 2008
Can anyone help me as I am thinking of having a procedure done at the New York City Lifestyle Lift office. I would appreciate any information concerning the procedure and any information concerning the doctors and their skills. Since I am a male I am concerned about the scaring around the ear area. Thank you very much for your guidance