Lifestyle Lift: Stories

Write a Review

I Was Realistic in my Expectations and Am Very Pleased

57 and happy
updated 3 years ago

Worth It
Cost: $7,800
Dr Farias (Clayton, MO)

The pros: I got an estimate from a plastic...

1 Jan 2010

The pros: I got an estimate from a plastic surgeon for a regular face lift. It was over $20,000.

Cons: it was scary at the time.

I had the procedure done about 6 months ago. The swelling and hardness are gone, but it took about 3-4 months. My neck is not as good as I hoped it would be. But I have been studying my family and see that we all have a sloped neckline, even my thin 19 year old daughter. So my neck is as good as it gets for my genetics. I also had my lower eyelids done. That was the most dramtic difference. I think, overall, it was excellent. It may have been better if I had done the traditional surgery.

But I never would have for $20,000. I am very happy. My surgeon was in Clayton, MO. I recommend him. But I cannot speak to the other surgeons there. The pain I had the first night was horrible. But my husband, being worried about overdosing on pain pills, was not giving me the full dose. Once I took the full dose, it was no problem. You just have to take the next pill before the first one wears off.

Great review?

My Doctor: Join to view doctor's name

My rating:

Comments (101)

Sort by

bjgawle 15 Jul 2011

I am 2 years plus into mine and my ears are still stitched to my head I have no ear lobes. I also still have the under chin skin hanging that I had before I had the "PROCEDURE" my eyes still have the white scars and the scars around my ears that run at least 3 inches are also still visible...... After reading your review I am wondering how many years I have to wait for this to all go away?

UGLYSCARS 14 Jul 2011

horrible horrible experience and terrible results.

my neck has permanent huge brown stains on both sides

because they didn't put drains in and gave me NO POST OP instructions.....a small tube of bacitracin and a ice pack

and I got pushed out the back door and drove home.

pain --excruciating after the 60 shots wore off--and I had natural child birth so I know what pain is.

the brown stains are called hemotoma's --it looks like I was burned in a fire.

DEB 10 14 Jul 2011

When did you have your surgery?
Most scars can be hidden with hair style but the scars will change as time goes by .
Some people scar worse than others but it is major surgery no face lift is without scars it is a pay off to have a better face.
People seem to think LSL is some miricle that wont leave scars and wont have pain I think if anyone has ever had surgery you know it is a rough couple of days and then rewards.
I am not saying that everyone is going to be happy but it is always a risk when you have plastic surgery because you dont know how your body is going to react to the trauma I have always tried to be realistic about it but I have to say this is the best surgery I have ever had it surpassed my expectations so far.
It is not without pain but it is managable with the meds and ice I had ice on my face for 7 days evey chance I had and it felt yummy.
I felt very stiff for about 3 ddays in my face hard to eat but I was not hungry I ate cottage cheese ice cream yogurt evey hour on the hour for about 2 days then started to eat real food slowly but great pay off.
I also lost a couple of lbs that cant be bad.
I am only 17 days after surgery people who know are amazed people who dont know I had it done keep saying you lost a lot of weight or you look great I just say thank you as if I have always looked this great.
I want to tell everyone about my experiance I know it is not for everyone you have to be willing to stay awake for me it was a bonus I have asthma and have had a lotof terrrible experiances with general anasthesia so that was what sold me it was no worse than going to the dentist for me.
I am not trying to make light of your experiance but it does take a lot of time some times to get the result your looking for I wish you all the best and I hope you are as happy as me soon.

bjgawle 15 Jul 2011

Email your experience to the attorney General he would like to hear from you.gregory.jackson@myfloridalegal.com,

UGLYSCARS 14 Jul 2011

click on my pictures and see what you think of MY

lifestyle lift.

I am scarred for life.
and my neck looks even worse.

Bits 13 Jul 2011

I saw a plastic surgeon post-op & he refused to touch me due to problems created by the 1st surgery.In fact I saw 3 P.S's. So, not all are inethical.

Robert T (RealFriend) 13 Jul 2011

There are plenty of ETHICAL plastic surgeons who will NOT push for things you don't need DEB10

DEB 10 14 Jul 2011

I think by the time we go for a facelift we probably ccould use a little of everything all drs want you to look your best because you are a walking advertisement for them I see nothing wrong in it but you cant expect it all for one low price thats life.
I did not mean that they were unethical I just meant that it is their job to make money just like everyone else .

DEB 10 13 Jul 2011

ALL COSMETIC PROCEDURES ARE THE SAME ALL PLASTIC SURGENS PUSH FOR YOU TO DO THINGS THAT ARE NOT N NECESSARY YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU NEED AND WANT AND STICK TO YOUR GUNS THEY ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING MONEY.
I DID NOT FEEL PRESSURED I WAS MADE AWARE OF WHAT THEY HAD TO OFFER AND I CHOSE WHAT I WANTED AND THE DR EVEN THREW SOME THINGS IN FOR FREE LAZER AROUND EYES AND FREE LIPO.

UGLYSCARS 14 Jul 2011

YOU got very lucky.

lovely lady 28 Feb 2011

Does it bother anyone that they advertise a (comparatively speaking) low price for the 'Lifestyle Lift', but then almost every single person is sold lots of 'Extras', like eye procedures, lipo, laser, etc. DOUBLING THE ORIGINAL PRICE.

This is basically a bait and switch, you go in for an advertised 'lower priced' item that is advertised, but end up spending so much more in the end to get 'results'.

Look up News reports posted on YOUTUBE. Watch Dr. Kent walk out on a news interview.

Robert T (RealFriend) 30 Dec 2010

just read your review and need to correct something.

GENETICS do NOT have to dictate your neckline. If you were born with a neckline that looks fat (like I was) 3/4 of patients born with a genetic bad neckline need the neck muscle cut and tied back.

Lipo and skin tightening will NOT have the effect.

Read my review to understand more. I'm a year post op on my neck.

Bits 19 Sep 2010

Thanks.. I joined a website for osteo& cancer.(My mom has breast cancer).. Women write in, much like this great site& tell their stories.. Some people have been severely harmed by these drugs.. Do research on a supplement called STRONIUM C.. Many Dr's are discovering it helps by building bone from the inside out and not just patching new bone over old bone. Again, thanks for the info& thanks to Realself for allowing this to go through.

Bits 16 Jun 2010

LOL..I saw it on the local news. thier Health Watch segment. Not just once, a few times..

Bits 17 Jun 2010

But...maybe they got it wrong. I have been on a medical website for osteo& breast cancer& on the osteo side they were telling me of a new drug that fills in the joles in the bones, not patches them. I wrote the name down& will discuss it with my Dr. Supposedly many ppl on this site got 15% better growth in ONE year! That's awesome.

truecolors 18 Sep 2010

Hi Bits. ...and again I apologize to realself.com for being off-topic but this message is important to ALL women over 50, many of whom are prescribed a dangerous class of drugs called "Bisphosphonates" for the so-called 'disease' of Osteoporosis. BITS: Since my last comment to you, bits, Time Magazine (August 27, 2010) has published an article entitled "After Avandia: Does the FDA Have a Drug Problem?" Avandia is not a bisphosphonate nor is it used to treat Osteoporosis, but what is IMPORTANT about this article is that it brings to light that the FDA has been worse than lax regarding its regulation of drugs and drug testing. Criminal charges might be brought. If the FDA repeatedly overlooked the dangers of Avandia, then they have been lax in their oversight of drug approval in general, and evidence is mounting that the FDA should never have approved the use of bisphosphonates either. I urge EVERYONE to read Time Magazine's article (Aug 27, 2010) at the following link: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2010028,00.html Also google "dangers of bisphosphonates" and see what you find.

truecolors 16 Jun 2010

Bits, one more thing--yesterday I heard on a radio ad, driving home from work, that 'one in four women will be diagnosed with osteoporosis [in their lifetimes].' However, Bits, that statement is a far cry from a statement that 'osteoporosis being the 4th leading cause of death in women.' Bits, is it possible that you misinterpreted the ads that you've seen or heard? It'd be an easy mistake to make, Bits. Maybe you didn't make that mistake--maybe the ads you read or heard really did say that osteoporosis was the 4th leading cause of death. Whatever, even the statement that 'one in four women will be diagnosed with osteoporosis [in their lifetimes]' is grossly misleading. Heck, 4 in 4 women are 'diagnosed' as having an increase in wrinkles on their faces as they age! Does that surprise any of us? No. But people are less familiar with their bone conditions than they are with their facial wrinkles, and that makes us vulnerable to drug company advertising.

truecolors 15 Jun 2010

Bits, can you tell me WHO is posting these ads which (falsely) state that Osteoporosis is the 4th leading cause of death in women? It is appalling that they would post such erroneous--and dangerous--information. To date Vioxx has been the most costly to drug companies in terms of lawsuits, although Vioxx still reaped $billions in profit from its sales. However, many experts are now saying that bisphosphonate (osteoporosis drug treatment) damage will far exceed Vioxx. Drug companies are insured to the hilt so an influx of lawsuits over bisphosphonates is of little concern to them. I feel sorry for all the innocent victims. You say, Bits, that osteoporosis pills were eroding your esophagus? That's NOT GOOD.

Bits 14 Jun 2010

I see ads are the time stating it's the 4th leading death of women. But..I will look up the meds. Thank-you

truecolors 15 Jun 2010

Bits, I meant to say the "Top 20 causes of death" not the "top 20 diseases." But try both and see what you get either way. "Osteoporosis" does not appear at all. Osteoporosis does not kill people, Bits. Take the fact that Asian women are more likely to be diagnosed as having osteoporosis, yet are 1/2 as likely to fracture a hip in their aging years. Then, too, many of the elderly who fracture their hips (like my 96 yo father, who was 90 when he fractured his hip) do not test + for 'osteoporosis' at all! 'Saveourbones.com' is a good resource to look at but there many others online.

truecolors 14 Jun 2010

...and Bits--I mean this-- tell your physicians to google "dangers of bisphosphates" and review the dozens of pages that pop up; then tell them to google "top 20 diseases" and ask them why osteoporosis does not show up. ASK them again WHY they feel you should take bisphosphonates, given its dangerous side effects AND the fact that it is NOT one of the top 20 'diseases'in the world.

truecolors 13 Jun 2010

Bits, Just google "top 20 causes of death," and you'll find that Osteoporosis is NOT one of them. THEN google "dangers of bisphosphonates" and see how many frightening pages run up. I'm so thankful that my friend Jan refused to take Fosamax. Someone should tell Sally Field to stop her TV ads for Boniva.

truecolors 13 Jun 2010

Hi Bits, Thanks for your posting, Bits, and I agree that we're off-topic but this is SO IMPORTANT for people to know, especially for women over 50. I hope realself.com will be tolerant, given that a fair number of Realself's members are women over 50, and realize that by spreading the word we might be saving people from serious harm. Bits, you say that you read somewhere that 'osteoporosis' is the 4th leading cause of death!?! NO! That's not true! Osteoporosis is not even in the top ten of leading deaths in the US OR in the world! How do your sources justify saying that? Osteoporosis is not even a disease, any more than wrinkles on your face are a disease! Osteoporosis is a natural cause of aging, but it can be reversed with diet and exercise. This is horrible--my dear high school friend, Jan, was just diagnosed with osteoporosis. Jan's physician wrote her a prescription for Fosamax. Jan (thankfully) refused to fill the prescription, even before she called me to tell me about her diagnosis. I began doing my research. It turns out that Bisphosphonates (the type of drugs prescribed for osteoporosis) are basically laundry detergent, and there are already lawsuits piling up because bisphosphonates appear to be related to an increase in bone fractures (rather than a decrease) and a horrible condition that causes rotting of the jaw and facial deformity that dental surgeons are becoming alarmed about. Well, there's your connection with plastic surgery--facial deformity caused by the use of supposedly 'anti-osteoporosis' drugs. Sally Field should refuse to do any more Boniva commercials.

Bits 17 May 2010

True, The only side effects I ever got was a fever. Within an hour, I have a fever for a day. Not bad, but when you ask what causes a fever from this med, it's kind of scarey. In my case, I had 3 opinions & all said I needed the meds. I tried pills, they were eroding my esophegus. I went for the infusions, which bypass the GI tract. I continually hear osteo is the 4th largest leading cause of death. My bones are at the stage where they can fracture>spine & hips. With the infusions I reversed bone loss . I am now osteopenic. But, the thigh bone cracking clean through? That's scarey. Thx for the info& sorry we are so off topic.

truecolors 11 May 2010

I personally think that you are wise to stop Boniva and speak to your doctor before continuing. After all, osteoporosis (OP) isn't a life-threatening condition. Ask your physician why he prescribed this drug to you. He will, of course, say 'to prevent bone loss.' Then say, "It's my understanding now that bone loss is a natural condition of aging, soI'd like to know what SPECIFICALLY is Boniva protecting me from? Death? Deteriorating health? Loss in quality of life? Please explain to me what this drug, given all its dangerous side effects, is protecting me FROM." Your doctor might say "fractures" as this point. Ask, "Fractures of what?" "Bones." Ask "Which bones?" If he answers 'Any bones'--that won't work. The only serious 'risk' of OP [and it's not even clear} is of HIP fractures of the very old, which cause many hospitalizations. However, there's not even a clear correlation between OP and hip fractures in the elderly--and statistically the odds of getting a hip fracture when you are very old is less than 5%. So do you, as a relatively young or middle-aged person, want to risk side effects of dizziness, nausea, headaches, ulcers of the stomach and mouth and possible "dead jaw" for the next 20-30 years just to avoid OP because you MIGHT fracture your hip when you're 85? And hip fractures can usually be corrected surgically when the fractures occur anyway--not that recovery is easy, but I'd prefer this to 20 years of severe drug side effects. Also, ALKALINE DIETS AND EXERCISE reverse bone loss. I'm sorry about your mother, Bits. Truecolors