What is the Difference Between a Lifestyle Lift and a Mini Lift?

Unfortunately there are a number of terms to describe surgical procedures to rejuvenate the face. Some of these terms refer to actual surgical procedures and some of these terms are used solely for marking purposes. This is especially true of the procedures such as The Lifestyle Lift. This is a heavily marketed procedure which is performed in different areas of the country most often by physicians who are specifically not board certified plastic surgeons.
Some minimally invasive or limited incision procedures are appropriate for certain patients but certainly not for all patients. In many cases, these procedures give limited results and therefore limited patient satisfaction. Younger patients or patients with less skin laxity may be able to get good results with a well performed procedure utilizing a short scar. This is a procedure I have employed in practice for the last several years with good results. A poorly performed procedure through a short incision results in minimal improvement and a short scar which most patients would not be pleased with.
As with most if not all plastic surgical procedures you should get a personal recommendation to find a physician. I would not choose a physician based on advertising alone. Ideally, the physician will be a board certified plastic surgeon. It should not take much effort on the part of the patient to obtain the credentials of the physician.
If the credentials of the surgeon are not given freely and simply that should be a red flag. If you tend to meet with nurses or ancillary staff instead of the surgeon who will be performing your procedure, that should be a red flag. Likewise, you should understand the credentials of the individual who will be providing anesthesia.
Additionally, you should know the credentials of the facility in which he will be having your surgical procedure. There are a number of national organizations that certify operating rooms and surgical centers and the procedure in which to have the procedure should be a certified center. Again, this information should be readily accessible or ideally offered to you without your having to ask.
You should definitely ask to see before and after photographs of patients who have had a similar procedure to the procedure you are interested in and that were performed by the surgeon who will be performing your surgery.

As a former surgeon at the Ontario CA center, I can only speak from my experience.  My procedure was carefully modified according to the patient's particular anatomy.  It would often require extensive neck procedures as well as individualized lifting of the face.  A mini lift implies that little was done.  The "lifestyle lift" performed by me was definitely more than a "little" being done and was individualized according to the patient's needs.

Hi and thanks for your question. I can comment on the Lifestyle Lift Orange County, CA location and my practice and technique while there. Lifestyle Lift was one of the first plastic surgery practices to market lower facelifts under local anesthesia and oral sedation. The concept became so popular that many private practices now have similar marketed names for their facelifts under local anesthesia. The success of each clinic was highly dependent on the surgeon. The best surgeons at Lifestyle Lift were highly experienced, performing thousands of facial rejuvenation procedures during their careers there, such as myself. Each best surgeon performed their individual lower facelifts tailored to each individual patients' needs just as any surgeon would in their private practices. There was no proprietary technique, and it was not a mini lift in my hands.  That said, if a patient needed a mini lift with shorter incisions it could easily be performed under local anesthesia.  More commonly, I performed a complete neck lift with liposuction and platysmaplasty and a full lower SMASectomy facelift. Other surgeons in various locations perform what is best suited for their patients so the operation will differ with another surgeon.  With the ultimate closing of Lifestyle Lift, there remain the best former Lifestyle Lift surgeons out there who are experts in facial rejuvenating procedures under local anesthesia. Fortunately, many of these surgeons are now in private practice. If you are seeking to rejuvenate your face and neck, please carefully research online in your area to find a surgeon who has successfully performed thousands of local anesthesia face and neck lifts.