Due to the marketing and the appeal of the Lifestyle Lift, many potential patients have at least heard of it. A scaled-down version of a facelift, the Lifestyle Lift is not really unique but is actually a common procedure performed by many plastic surgeons. Todays trend toward less invasive plastic surgery and performing facial rejuvenation earlier rather than later, it is a facial procedure that can provide good improvement with a relatively quick recovery.
Unknown to most patients is that the Lifestyle Lift is really a branded name and is a blended marketing and service approach to delivering facelift surgery. In essence, it is really a franchise approach to selling surgery with office in 22 states. While there is nothing wrong with that concept, the Lifestyle Lift company has recently ran into some legal problems in New York state. The attorney general there has settled a complaint against the company as it has admitted that it used its employees to pose as satisfied customers in online ads. It is reported that the company ordered employees to write positive reviews of the Lifestyle Lift procedure on websites and created its own sites of facelift reviews to appear as unsolicited testimonials, thus violating consumer protection laws.
While the parent company and the way it operates may have its issues, the actual operation however is still a sound one. The limited facelift or short scar facelift (what is known as a Lifestyle Lift) is popular for two reasons. Younger patients today want to treat the earlier signs of jowl and neck changes rather than waiting until they are much worse. As a result, their facial problem is less severe and they do not need an extended or full facelift operation. The limited facelift can be combined with many other smaller procedures as well (e.g., Botox, injectable fillers, laser resurfacing, eyelid tucks, neck and jowl liposuction) to create an even better overall result without significantly extending the recovery. Older patients (who really do need a bigger operation but do not want it) can still get a simpler and less invasive operation that will provide some real improvement. (although less than that from a more extensive facelift procedure) This usually fits their financial situation and allows them to have facial surgery that they can afford or does not put them out of work for very long.
But let me clarify three concepts about a ‘Lifestyle Lift’which I emphasize to all my Indianapolis facelift patients. First and foremost, it is a surgical procedure. Only surgery with cutting and lifting skin can create those results, not some magic laser or suspending threads. Secondly, it can be done under a variety of anesthetic methods (local, sedation, or general) which is determined by what else is being done and the doctor’s comfort level with it. Lastly, there will be some recovery with swelling and bruising afterwards. While the recovery is fairly short (a week), it is not possible to have a surgical procedure and have no recovery. The recovery is a social one (i.e., how the face looks) not a physical one of pain and restrictions.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana