“Cinderella for 2 months, then back to the pumpkin”
Lifestyle lift: NOT worth it
Pain: Uncomfortable
Thanks for hearing my story: I've not been able to air my disappointments because I cannot hurt my husband after the hard-earned money we put into my selfish dream did not pan out (although I'm certain he has noticed but is too kind to mention). Just like all of you reading this, I used to look in the mirror and lift my sagging jowls and neck up and think how wonderful it would be to wave the magic wand, and... along comes LifeStyle...sign me up!
First visit: posh waiting area and consulting room, tentative PRE-op staff, I felt totally pampered. I was assured that my good skin made me a great candidate for a successful and long-lasting fix.
Day of surgery: once past the front room (and charge card signing) the story changed. Dirty floors, stacks of red plastic bags marked "human biotoxic waste"(yuck, FAT!!) in plain view piled high in corners, yawning unpersonable staff. The young surgeon was the exception, both personable and exuding confidence. Little did I know I'd never see him again. Next visits I was roughly treated by newly graduated med assistants yanking out stitches and "evacuating" fluids with a big syringe.
No more details to report, but the sad sum of it all: IT DIDN'T LAST. I looked great for two months, then the skin suddenly slackened and jowls and neck look pretty much like pre-op. I'm sure by the 7-month mark there will be no signs of my 2 months of glory. Moral of the story: save your money for a real facelift and do not allow yourself to be sold out to a quick-fix, impersonal, assembly-line procedure like this.
Thanks for listening.
Nov 29, 2007Comments and replies (30)
1 post
7 Dec 2007
I think you look better after...
4 posts
8 Dec 2007
Thank you, even though its sliding fast (no pun intended) it's still an improvement!
258 posts
8 Dec 2007
I am a very unsatisfied LSL patients& have been in contact w/ many more.I have been in severe pain for 17 mos& pleading to get my medical records, so I can get help. Please contact me if you feel this shouldn't have happened. They told me results would last about 7-10 yrs
4 posts
9 Dec 2007
Years? Mine is "months".
1 post
22 Dec 2007
i think you look better in your after picture you're neck looks tighter and your jaw looks more defined
unregistered guest
4 Jan 2008
For those of you who are reading these comments to determine if you should have the LSL procedure: I just finished reading nearly all of the reports from people -- happy and otherwise -- who had a LSL. It seems that the happiest among them are those who have only recently had it done. (Perhaps they'll feel differently later on, perhaps not.) I, too, considered the LSL and had actually made an appointment with the Beverly Hills CA office, although I later canceled it. I'm moving cross-country soon and wanted to erase a few years from my neck, since my face still looks years younger than my age. I'm glad I did more research and learned that this procedure is not as permanent as plastic surgery, and that the results aren't always as satisfactory. Something to consider: a good alternative to the LSL procedure is a "neck lift". It's not as comprehensive or as expensive as a face lift, but it is more invasive than the "best case scenario" of the LSL. However, from what I read in a lot of the comments here today, my experience with a neck lift was infinitely less painful, less traumatic and less expensive than some of those who elected the LSL. And it looks great, even now, 2 weeks and 3 days after my surgery. The last stitches were removed today and there will be NO visible scars in front of or under my ears, as I saw in some of the LSL pictures. The incisions are behind my ears, in the fold next to my head. I have a small incision (app. 2.5 inches) under my chin and I can already tell that it will virtually disappear with time. And the best part is, it will last -- much longer than any LSL procedure. (Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever!) I still have some residual swelling and numbness but it improves every day. And the pain I had was less than I expected, and is now virtually gone. I was able to control most of it post-op with 8-hour Tylenol tablets, taken as directed. For the first two weeks, I took a generic Darvocet tablet at bedtime with 1 Tylenol and it controlled my pain through the night. It's possible that I am more tolerant of pain than others, but there has also been a wide range of pain experience mentioned here, some of it much greater than mine. If you're thinking about having a LSL, you might look into having a neck lift instead. If you do your homework and shop around, I'm sure that you'll be able to find a good board-certified plastic surgeon, as I did, for even less than some of the charges that have been quoted here for a LSL. (My outpatient neck lift was less than $5,000 and I live in Los Angeles county. And I have seen my surgeon at every appointment, pre- and post-op, and it was she who removed my stitches.) Just my $.02 worth!! Good luck!
unregistered guest
7 Jan 2008
I am so glad to hear that someone else had the same experience as I had. I even went back recently for a redo on one side and it still fell back. I went back to show the doctor and he said I looked fine but I think I look just like I did prior to the 1st LSL. Don't waste your money. Save it and get a real facelift. THat's what I"m going to do. Another thing to consider, if you hate the novacaine needles at the dentist, you will absolutely HATE the needles they give you all over your face. One after the other after the other. It was enough to make me cry almost uncontrollably even after the 1 and only one valium they give you. Sure it looks good the first week or so but it gives out soon afterwards.
unregistered guest
7 Jan 2008
Glad to hear that! I'll start saving up today. Yes, I do wish we would have some of the recent LSL graduates report back after 6 months. Had I written a review a short time after my LSL, it would have been a totally different story. If LSL folks would demonstrate what you would look like AFTER swelling goes down, that would be a lot more truthful. Of course, potential customers (a more appropriate term than patients) would then save their $$ to put toward a real lift -- a deal breaker LSL could not afford to reveal.
7 posts
11 Jan 2008
I started seeing my neck skin wrinkle 6 mo after and was quite disappointed by the time my year (from surgery) came around. Under my eyes is still good, but for the pain during the procedure and the money (I support myself -not married now) I wish I had waited and put it towards a real plastic surgeon. I look better than when I first had it done, but am very disappointed at the way it didn't last. I expected this to last at least a few years and am now embarrassed at my neck - again. I didn't realize that the techs were fresh out of school, but usually talked to the lead tech. Would you be able to email me back?
unregistered guest
11 Jan 2008
Yes, I'm embarrassed by my neck again as well. What makes it worse is having the experience of a few short months of looking good for comparison. I believe the only thing that is still holding up is the under-chin lipo. That by itself would have been way cheaper and less of an ordeal than the LSL. Looking back on the whole thing now, I cannot believe I fell for TV advertising. Should have realized this matter needed serious consideration and second opinions by qualified cosmetic surgeons.