Question 1

What is a Lifestyle Lift?

Accepted Answer

Lifestyle Lift was a term for a variety of facial-rejuvenation procedures offered at a chain of surgery centers of the same name (shuttered in 2015).

Founded in 2001 by ear, nose, and throat physician Dr. David Kent, the Lifestyle Lift company promised quick, low-cost mini facelifts and other procedures, with local anesthesia and short recovery times.

The business operated in ways that raised many red flags:

It gave physicians who weren’t board-certified plastic surgeons the opportunity to perform plastic surgery.
Doctors could be contractors and not full-time, accredited employees.
Because the procedures were performed under local anesthesia, Lifestyle Lift practices weren’t required to have a true surgical setup. They also weren’t affiliated with any hospitals.
Doctors were reportedly incentivized to perform surgeries as quickly as possible, to keep margins high.
Patients were offered deals if they confirmed their surgery dates within a few days of their consultations. Many reported feeling pressured to make a life-changing decision without enough time to fully weigh the pros and cons.
Advertisements and infomercials showed before and after photos with excellent results, but RealSelf member reviews and photos showed such issues as permanent disfigurement, scarring, and unsatisfactory results.

After doctors expressed concerns about Lifestyle Lift’s safety and patients reported serious complications, the company’s marketing was deemed unethical. The public became more broadly aware of the risks when the company folded.

ReaSelf Tip: Though the company went out of business, the term "lifestyle lift" has persisted. To avoid similarly disappointing results, beware of gimmicks, advises Dr. Marcelo Ghersi, a plastic surgeon in Miami. "A mini facelift can be a great operation if done by the right surgeon on the right patient. Make sure you research your surgeon and become educated on the details of your operation."

Question 2

What happened during a Lifestyle Lift procedure?

Accepted Answer

A Lifestyle Lift was, essentially, a one-size-fits-all mini facelift. It began with a physician making incisions both in the front and back of the ear, via the temple hairline, while the patient was under local anesthesia. Because the incisions were shorter than those typically used during traditional facelift surgery, the procedure is referred to as a short-scar facelift.

The Lifestyle Lift technique focused on pulling adjacent tissues and folding excess muscle, then using sutures to hold them in place. Excess skin was trimmed and incisions closed. Due to minimal lifting of the skin and the underlying connective tissue, tension on the incisions would stretch out the skin and widen scars.

The procedure also didn’t offer lasting results, according to disappointed patient reviews.

Other cosmetic procedures that were offered à la carte or in tandem included eyelid surgery, brow lifts, fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing, fat grafting, and chin augmentation. Liposuction may have been used to reduce fat from under the chin.

Question 3

What happened to Lifestyle Lift?

Accepted Answer

The chain closed in 2015, due to overextended marketing costs, a lawsuit, and reviews from patients who were dissatisfied with their experience and results.

The Lifestyle Lift first came under scrutiny in 2008 when the company filed a lawsuit against RealSelf, claiming trademark infringement after RealSelf members posted negative reviews about their cosmetic surgery experience.

RealSelf countersued, pointing out that the company was posting fake positive reviews (which were identified and pulled down).

In 2009, the New York Attorney General's office began an investigation into the false reviews published by Lifestyle Lift to counteract all the negative patient testimonials. Florida’s attorney general also required Lifestyle Lift to refund money and adjust its advertising.

According to The New York Times, “The company had ordered employees to pretend they were satisfied customers and write glowing reviews of its face-lift procedure on Web sites, according to the attorney general’s statement. Lifestyle Lift also created its own sites of face-lift reviews, to appear as independent sources.”

Lifestyle Lift was ordered to pay $300,000 to New York State. It also agreed to cease the practice of posting fake reviews.

The company struggled with this additional fallout:

In 2008, a surgeon in Orlando, Florida, filed a complaint with the Florida Board of Medicine, seeking payment for emergency room services he provided to a Lifestyle Lift patient; the company denied that it was negligent.
In 2010, Lifestyle Lift was the subject of a lawsuit filed by the family of a Massachusetts patient who had died as a result of complications from the procedure in July 2009. The suit alleged that doctors didn’t monitor the patient’s vitals. The company responded that the patient’s medical history hadn’t been fully disclosed.
In 2011, a lawsuit in Broward County, Florida, claimed that a patient developed keloid scars within days following a Lifestyle Lift. The patient alleged that the doctor hadn’t disclosed the risks of scarring. Lifestyle Lift supported its surgeon in the suit.

Question 4

Were Lifestyle Lift procedures safe?

Accepted Answer

Given the volume of patient complications, which drove the company out of business, Lifestyle Lift procedures were not considered safe or effective.

Question 5

How much did a Lifestyle Lift cost?

Accepted Answer

Question 6

What are the alternatives to a Lifestyle Lift?

Accepted Answer

There are a host of facial plastic surgery procedures that are less invasive than a full facelift and target specific areas of concern.

The mini facelift

A mini lift addresses wrinkles and tightens the jawline to eliminate jowls. While the procedure won't deliver the dramatic results of a traditional full facelift, benefits include a shorter scar, quicker recovery time, and lower cost.

The QuickLift

A QuickLift is intended to tighten skin around the lower half of the face and neck by creating an incision near the ear and pulling up on the face. The difference between a QuickLift and a mini lift? “In general, the mini lift doesn't address the neck,” explains Alpharetta, Georgia-based otolaryngologist Dr. Philip K. Robb. “This decreases the recovery [time], as the neck area isn't operated on.”

The thread lift

A thread lift is a nonsurgical procedure that passes threads underneath the surface of your skin, lifting the tissue. It can give your face a more lifted, toned appearance as well as trigger a boost in your natural collagen production. It’s a quick procedure, with minimal downtime. It’s also called a feather lift, a Contour Thread Lift, or an APTOS lift.

The neck lift

If you're only concerned about the signs of aging below the chin, a neck lift removes excess neck fat, tightens the neck muscle, and lifts sagging skin. It creates a more defined jawline and a slimmer, smoother-looking neck. Jowls will be modestly improved.

LIFESTYLE LIFT

Karyn Repinski

Karyn Repinski

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Karyn Repinski

Karyn Repinski

LIFESTYLE LIFT QUESTIONS

Use of staples for lifestyle lift?

How is a Lifestyle Lift Different from a Traditional Face Lift?

I need a nip and tuck to take care of sagging skin around mouth area and maybe a forehead lift.

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