Write a review

Life Style Lift: Don't Do It! See my Photos

I was left with terrible scars and given...

  • 13 Oct 2008

I was left with terrible scars and given absolutely no post op care instructions at all. In the 3 years since I have had this surgery I have felt humiliated and ugly.

Finally I have taken some steps to repair the damage, which was significant. I am spending about $3000 to $4000 in laser which I highly reccomend.

I am starting to feel a little less self conscience about the horrific results I got... and I have the pictures to prove it.

look at my pictures and tell me: who in their right mind would do this and expect a person to heal from this type of incision and suturing???

I was butchered.


Obviously even post op laser treatment was only...

  • 24 Dec 2008

obviously even post op laser treatment was only able to minimally help the very poor job that was done on my face.

Life Style Lift did not offer or care to help repair the damage. They basically said tough luck sweetie----

NEXT IN LINE PLEASE!

UGH, I WILL FEEL UGLY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

I am going to post a picture of a new procedure I...

  • 12 Aug 2012
I am going to post a picture of a new procedure I
am having done to help reduce the scars I was left with

following the Life Style Lift I had done in 2005 In Plymouth Meeting PA>
That office moved and relocated in Voorhee's NJ

It is interesting because the procedure leaves me very very red and
you can see how horrible the original scarring was. It basically draws a line around
where the sutures were placed....it will heal in about 1 week .

I had my surgery in 2005 --The scars were treated...

  • 29 Apr 2013
I had my surgery in 2005 --The scars were treated by a tattoo artist-see the last picture that is where she ran the tattoo needle over + over the original scar to smooth it out. The results of her work were great.

before she did the procedure my scars were one inch thick raised and very very noticeable.

The worst part --8 years later--is my neck. it is a very dark mottled brown color that has been treated by laser many times. It is blood that pooled in my tissues due to the aggressive manner that this lift was preformed. no drains were placed and I received NO POST OP treatment at all.

they sent me home with a ice pack.
I drove home alone --the staff shoved me out the back door and I wondered around the parking lot looking for my car disoriented to say the least.

I will take a picture of my neck and place it in here--this picture was taken 2 weeks ago. This is a permanent brown stain on my neck that looks ugly and won't ever go away.
Dr. Ray Stoller

1 out of 5 stars Overall rating
2 out of 5 stars Doctor's bedside manner
1 out of 5 stars Answered my questions
1 out of 5 stars After care follow-up
1 out of 5 stars Time spent with me
1 out of 5 stars Phone or email responsiveness
1 out of 5 stars Staff professionalism & courtesy
1 out of 5 stars Payment process
1 out of 5 stars Wait times
Was this review helpful? 719 others found this helpful

Comments (357)

Sort by

  • Sats
    (RealFriend)
  • July 15, 2014
Shit happens? Really. That's what you say to people who are hurting? I too had scars in front of my ears after a LSL. I had them for years along with a scar at the end of each eye from the doctor taking fat out because I told her i had allergies & my eyes puffed up, then she said i needed a LSL for my cheeks. I was naive & said ok. After the surgery the scars were obvious. I went for other doctors for help the look of them but they said i didn't have enough skin to pull back to fix the scars so i went for laser. They even told me I shouldn't have had a LSL, that I didn't have enough loose skin cause if i did she could have pulled me back a half inch more & hid them. Living like that is hell & no one understands unless their going through the same thing. When something could have been avoided it makes me angry. I had to wait 15yrs to get a FL. I always had to wear my hair down. Scared when the wind would blow my hair back, can't wear earring that attract your eye to your ears. It changes your life & hurts your self esteem. I finally went for a FL this yr from a doctor on the main line. I live in Philly so i'm close to you. I understand your anger. Some people don't understand how it can effect you emotionally & why your angry even years later, they usually haven't had anything bad happen to them & have no clue what it's like, they tell you about others who had a bad outcome because of someones negligence & how their handling it but i'll bet if the shoe was on the other foot it would be a different story. Of course your angry that you paid money to look a bit better & came out worse than going in & having to spend more to get back to square one. I've been there. I felt so ugly no matter what i wore or how great my hair looked because I always felt like I had to hide my scars. I went to someone to talk to once & all they said to me is, What are you going to do if it's going to be there for life? I thought, Gee thanks Doc, i thought i was paying you to tell me, your another waste of money. I felt worse after seeing them. I truly feel for you. I still have scars but now their on my cheeks, I got them from a laser being too high. Let me know who your using for the laser since your in my neck of the woods & it seems your happy with the results. I know it's hard & some days it was so hard i didn't want to get out of bed. I'm glad the laser is helping you & you look pretty young so if your not completly happy later on you can get another lift by a doctor who knows what the hell their doing.
  • Reply
some of your words really hit home with me!! I just started wearing earring again!!! thank you for your support --some of the things you said are exactly my issue as well. they took too much skin off my face so the revisionist surgeon I visited said there was not much he could do at that time but offered to "try" for $8900. I had to decline that option. lasers did not work AT ALL for me the only thing that helped was a great women named Sandy that does scar revisions with a tattoo needle --I am not sure how she does it or why it works but she "shaved" my thick ropey scars down --they are now skinnier and she was a blessing to me!! send me a private email and I will give you her name and my highest recommendation. She works with burn victims as well. Sats stay strong you are beautiful inside--and outside
  • Reply
-:- Message from RealSelf staff -:-

This comment does not follow our Community Guidelines and/or Terms of Service. We reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
  • Reply
Sorry for your freind's bad experience. Fortunately, with most facelifts, corrective surgery is usually possible and quite successful. LSL continues to be successful as a business, despite complaints and legal ups and downs . Still it all comes down to the same message. Choose your plastic surgeon carefully. Any surgery, including LSL is only as good as good as the surgeon performing it. When you have the LSL, you are assigned a surgeon rather than being given the opportunity to select one. Your friend should consult with a few surgeons who specialize in facelift revisions and she can likely be fixed.
  • Reply
Obviously not all doctors or facilities are equal. I had my LSL done about three years ago and have been thrilled with the results. The staff and my surgeon, Dr. Emmett, were excellent and thorough with pre-and-post operative care. I was told that i was NOT to drive myself home under any circumstances. The first three days you feel horrible and look worse, but gradually things DO improve. I looked like I'd been in a bar fight for several weeks until the swelling and bruising went away. It takes 6 months or more for all the swelling to resolve. I think some of the people here expected too much too soon. Just my opinion. No matter who does the surgery, there will be swelling and bruising.
  • Reply
I did not "expect" scar's that look like I was in a horrific car accident... ummm I did drive home---alone and they knew it!!! I was in severe pain for 10++ days but of course i had my "lunch time lift" done and was told I could go back to work the NEXT DAY... really? I had over 60 stitches in my face--I should not have returned to work for ten days but that is before "LSL" changed their marketing BS I was one of their early victims.... a bar fight? that leaves you with GIGANTIC scars???? please..... someone told me it looked like i had my ears sewn back on by a blind man.... and its still the same after 9 years. sames scars......UGLY!!!
  • Reply
-:- Message from RealSelf staff -:-

This comment does not follow our Community Guidelines and/or Terms of Service. We reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
  • Reply
to the message that was deleted by the community "guidelines" team LIVING DREAMS---- OMG!!!!!! finally someone else with this same experience after so many years!!!! I will try and contact you ok??? thank for your brave and true words that they decided to "delete" I have them on my computer and will screen shot them If I have too... God Bless you!!!
  • Reply
You are angry, that is very clear. Don't kill the messenger! I had nothing to do with your surgical outcome. Have you considered consulting with another plastic surgeon to mitigate the scarring?
  • Reply
After nine years, perhaps what you need is not physical but mental help. Just my opinion. The LSL staffers I consulted with at the Denver office were very clear about a woman's expectations and the final results. If a person is unhappy to begin with, a facelift will not change her life.
  • Reply
been there done that....i had some improvement but not 100%. scars are still visible the brown marks on my neck that look like burn scars? nothing can be done about those.....the blood pooled in my neck as a result of not placing drains..... and that is non reversible permanent damage. Its ugly. like I said in a previous post you would be angry too. no one should scar you for life and just walk away. and I was not the only one.
  • Reply
mental help? no I want my old face back--the one without the scars and giant brown stains on my neck ---the office I went to closed down and left town in the middle of the night..... the office I went to had someone stand behind me and pull my face up so that it looked 100% better ( they had me look in a mirror) these were the results that I was promised. I think its interesting that you think that just because I am rightfully angry I need mental help.
  • Reply
-:- Message from RealSelf staff -:-

This comment does not follow our Community Guidelines and/or Terms of Service. We reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
  • Reply
It does not consume or define me--when I see someone giving accolades to this company my stomach turns. they made a lot of horrifying mistakes and did not correct a single thing. I am happy your friend is happy---good for her. I live a happy and full life as well.... but I go on the war path when I see this company described as the answer to all of women's problems with wrinkles and sagging it is not true. it is actually a very outdated approach to managing wrinkles, sagging skin etc... I went to my post op and said how come I still have those deep lines along side my mouth? I was told that after I lifted now I had to fill the "envelope" that was not true --- outright lie ----- fillers were the way to go for my problems not a "face lift" that has left me numb, scarred and very obvious to any one who looks. I had tattooing done to reduce the thickness of the gigantic scars I was left with......nothing can be done with the brown crispy looking neck. the doctor did a full lift but "neglected" to put in any drains.....opps. I did speak to a revisionist surgeon who said he did not have "alot to work with"---LSL cut off to much of my facial skin--hence the 60+ sutures revisionist said he had seen lots of LSL that needed to be corrected... in my case he said ok I will charge you $8900 but I can't promise any great results. so I have to pay for a mistake they made and never acknowledged?
  • Reply
So sorry, but MY procedure, MY doctor, and MY LSL support staff were all excellent. Too bad if that makes you angry. I have no remedy for your situation. Your work was done several years ago by a Dr. who was OBVIOUSLY not as skilled as the one who did my work. I looked at the photos on your profile and agree that the scarring is obvious. I don't know if the procedures or policies of LSL have changed, or if I was simply very lucky to pick the doctor I got. I still have the fine lines around my lips -- I expected that and will perhaps do something about them eventually. NBD, IMO. My main goal was to reduce my "turkey neck" -- and that was done so well the Dr. even smoothed out my "Necklace of Venus" -- those lines that develop down the sternum. She did say she's never pulled SO MUCH SKIN UP in all her days of practice. Bet I reminded her of a Shar Pei dog! As with any medical or surgical procedure, the doctor should be chosen carefully. Referrals from previous clients might have helped you BEFORE your unfortunate experience.
  • Reply
ok first point: the doctor that did my procedure was double board certified in cosmetic surgery and a lawyer i contacted said I could not touch him as he had a great reputation as a doctor that did surgery on Veterans returning from the Gulf wars.. I did respect him and admire him for this what happened when he worked on me? It does not make me "angry" that your doctors were "great" supposedly mine was too. it makes me "angry" that you say this procedure is so great.... ITS NOT.... it is an old fashioned way to treat aging skin now they do botox laser and fillers this company still cuts and pulls your skin... does it make sense to you to have your skin cut off your face? I was in horrible pain after this procedure...they said I could go back to work the next day.. I had to go back to work on Monday--I had the "lift" done on a thursday and by monday ( when I HAD to go back to work) I was in horrible pain and could not take any pain medicine....( part of my job I cannot be on any pain medicine of course) these LSLpeople said I would be ok --- it just got worse......by day ten I was crying the stitches were so tight and so itchy and painful.... my boss was very angry I came to work in my condition.... no no no way should they have told me it was a lunch time lift... that makes it mal-practice I gave my self 3 days and almost could not make it to work i cried all day in such terrible pain ( no rx required as per LSL) I would be ok in 12 hours...... I'm sorry I had a horrible outcome... I dont' need mental counseling.. the pain was terrible ----- the outcome was horrible. glad you had a great outcome btw: do you work for them?
  • Reply
No, I do not work for LSL. The suggestion makes me laugh! For your information, a friend of mine tried to talk me out of going to LSL for my surgery. She recommended her own plastic surgeon, who has done super work on her. She's gone to him twice. Once for the initial SURGICAL facelift, and again for a bit of touchup surgery. Yes, SURGERY. With cutting and stitches and the whole nine yards. That's still how it's done, depending on the individual's needs. With my turkey neck wattles, there's no WAY botox, laser or fillers would have given me my awesome results. Botox, laser and fillers work on smaller lines and wrinkles. They do nothing for sagging skin, jowls and droopy eyelids. I stuck with LSL because I already set the appointment. Friend was duly impressed when she saw me afterwards. Really, anyone who's reading these exchanges should do their research beforehand, and ask a lot of questions. Ask to see or talk to clients. Realize that if you are an unhappy person to begin with, a facelift will not magically MAKE you a happy person. If you are doing the facelift because someone else wants you to or pressures you to do it, think about it VERY carefully. Any person considering a facelift should do so because it's what she or he wants -- not to fulfill someone else's expectations. Go ahead and look at the photos in my profile. I'm no great beauty to begin with, and the surgery did not make me look that much better. But i look refreshed and the procedure took years off my face. I've got a tighter jawline and neck. I'm happy with the results. I went in with realistic expectations and I was not disappointed. By the way, do YOU work for a competing plastic surgeon?
  • Reply
I have been reading these posts and there is no need to get prickly. Aniranch, luckily you were satisfied with your results however miniscule but like UglyScars and I was not and there's many more. The boards on your soapbox must be getting pretty weak by now so let me give you a rest. We of the hideously maimed don't need you sanctimoniously touting your LSL as if you were the norm-you are not, ergo this forum which by the way is the exact place to be angry, sorry, regretful or anything else we want. We hurt; physically, mentally and emotionally and if we want to be angry that's all right too. Don't you dare attack this woman who has been through hell as well as I and everyday we see the scars of a very bad decision. So you will have to forgive us our conscientious need to try to prevent a sister from going through the same horror. Take your 'Mine was great, I don't know why yours wasn't' and preach it to the site aptly named 'IDGAD'.
  • Reply
I've tried very hard not to be "prickly". I thought this was a forum for anyone interested in plastic surgery -- not just a forum for malcontents. My bad. I notice the reviews of LSL at the top of this page. 60% of the reviews were positive. Not an overwhelming endorsement by any means, but not a condemnation, either. I'll just back slowly out of here and let you two continue. There's no point continuing the conversation. You are angry and unhappy and nothing I can say will change that. Too bad, because life's too short to live it hating on others. I wish you both well.
  • Reply
I am not sure where "Realize that if you are an unhappy person to begin with" this comment comes from but its in no way true nor should be part of a discussion where I was scarred on my face for life!! I am not an unhappy person ( ???) I'm still not an unhappy person I am unhappy with the way this company markets itself and then does not stand behind their Failures..... they tell you it was "YOUR FAULT" that you had a bad outcome. ummmm no, I don't work for a plastic surgeon i work in a dental office and it was dangerous for me to go to work with weeping oozing open sloppily sutured wounds on my face..... but then LSL told me this was a lunch time lift.
  • Reply
malcontents? sweetsneak is 100% correct when she states I look in the mirror every day and cannot help but regret this terrible decision.
  • Reply
thank you very much for your support and kind words.... I was beginning to feel like I needed mental help!!! what I needed was for LSL to help me correct the problem and fix the damage. They turned their big corporate backs on me and ran.
  • Reply
oh not just me but lots of others that they damaged. I did read where they train podiatrists in a 2 day course to be their "surgeons" I don't know if that is true but the pictures I saw of that surgery were much much worse than mine.
  • Reply
I'm sorry you had to through all this. What would you like to happen that would lead to a satisfactory outcome for you?
  • Reply
Reconstructive surgery of course.
  • Reply

More Lifestyle Lift Reviews

View all Lifestyle Lift reviews