wafflesatnoon.com » Reviews » Seeking Reviews for Lifestyle Lift
Seeking Reviews for Lifestyle Lift
Have you had experience with Lifestyle Lift? We want to hear from you whether your experience has been a dream come true or a nightmare.
The Lifestyle Lift Commercial
You’ve seen the commercials on television, featuring spokeswoman Debby Boone along with glowing testimonials, claiming that Lifestyle Lift can restore a youthful face in as little as an hour.
The current advertisement being run begins with Ms. Boone stating the following:
Today we’re letting you know about Lifestyle Lift, a breakthrough process that really does turn back the hands of time. Imagine waking up, going to the mirror, and seeing yourself the way you looked years ago. You can transform your appearance thanks to a breakthrough medical process than can take years of wrinkles, frown lines, and sagging skin off your face and neck. It’s called Lifestyle Lift. Look at these amazing transformations of just some of the over 150,000 people who have already had a Lifestyle Life. Everyone is talking about it.
The first thing I noticed in the commercial is that there was a microscopic disclaimer that I couldn’t read even on my HD television. I was able to view the commercial on their official website, and finally read the entire disclaimer:
Patient had Lifestyle Lift facial, neck and eye firming procedures, Las Vegas NV center. Lifestyle Lift offers surgical procedures which take about one hour, but more time may be required to achieve better results. many patients return to normal activities in a week but some need extra healing time.
What is Lifestyle Lift?
Good luck finding the answer to that question on the official Lifestyle Lift website! The answer is that Lifestyle Lift is merely a type of face lift which does not require general anesthesia, and appears to focus on the lower face and neck. Some doctors refer to it as a “mini-face lift.” This means that incisions are made, and with that in mind the skill of the doctor performing the procedure is of utmost importance.
Mixed Results
In writing this article we have managed to contact several people who had the gone through the procedure and the results have been mixed. While one person informed us that they were completely satisfied with Lifestyle Lift, another claimed the procedure left her scarred and required additional surgery. Some have claimed that they were able to get back to work right away, while others have complained of being in terrible pain for over a week.
Cost
The cost of Lifestyle Lift varies, depending on location and the nature of the work being done. From what we have learned, it appears that the average patient spends around $3000-$8000 for the procedure.
Bottom Line
It appears that the cost and the satisfaction with Lifestyle Lift vary greatly, often depending on the location and the doctor performing the procedure. This leads us to believe that the procedure itself is probably sound, but the implementation is where problems arise. It is probably not a good alternative to a full-fledged plastic surgeon who has many procedures in his arsenal.
A Lifestyle Lift ad seen in January 2013.
Cautions
- If you’re considering getting a Lifestyle Lift, we recommend you investigate your doctor thoroughly before taking the plunge.
- Once you find a doctor with whom you feel comfortable, be sure the doctor is the one performing the procedure, and not an assistant or intern.
- Some users have reported high-pressure up-selling tactics, where they try to convince you to add extra procedures, which can end up more than doubling your initial price quote.
- It is unclear if all of the doctors performing this procedure are actually plastic surgeons.
- Detractors have said that such “mini face lifts” are not at all “breakthrough” as the commercial claims.
If you’re on the fence about Lifestyle Lift, we suggest that you visit surgery.org, which is the official website for the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, or plasticsurgery.org which is the website for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. There is no mistaking these doctors for the real deal. Be sure to read their 2009 article which discusses these “quick fix” surgeries in an article entitled “Branded Surgery Is Not Always the “Quick Fix” it is Advertised To Be.” In this article, we read the point of view that a treatment should be tailored to the patient on an individual basis. It is also written that these procedures are sometimes performed by “…untrained or inadequately trained practitioners, some of whom are not medical doctors…”
We’d like to hear from you
Let us know if you have any experience with Lifestyle Lift. Let us know which location served you, what you had done, the cost, and if you felt it was a worthwhile investment.
Article updated January 11, 2013
My mom went in for a consultation, thinking it was some fancy laser procedure. Waste of time. The commercials say you’ll be in and out in an hour, somehow implying that it’s not surgery – which it is. She decided to skip it because she doesn’t want to go under the knife.
I too thought it was some “new” procedure and was surprised when I called that it’s basically nothing more than a face lift.
I’ve also heard they end up “upgrading” to the point that you could have just paid for a full face lift for the same cost. Not sure about this….
Disappointed with the consultation. Will probably pass.
My mother Died from the Lifestyle Lift. Dr. GUSTAVO A. DIAZ in Charlotte was the doctor. Please use a real board certified plastic surgeon. I tried to talk my mother out of it. He is a Quack.
What was the reason for her death????
I had a Lifestyle lift (neck and face) and lower eye procedure done Dec 27, 2012. This was done in the Norwalk, CT office. First let me say that I tried to write a review for the Lifestyle Lift Web site. They DID NOT publish it most likely because it was not a bad review it was not a “Glowing” review. After the inital mundane consultation with a woman in an office in near my town (she was very nice) (they show you the same infomercial and pull back of your face and then pricing) an appointment was made in the Norwalk office. I was made to sign forms, pictures were taken then Dr. Berger came in to tell me what would happen. He was very kind and explained the “surgery”. Please understand people…THIS IS SURGERY. This is not some simple wart removal. This doctor, your doctor, is removing your face from your skull, pulling on muscles and skin, cutting away excess skin and sewing your face back onto your skull. I don’t care what anyone says..this is MAJOR surgery! The day of the surgery I was scared to death praying I would come out looking good and not deformed. The “procedure rooms” are no more than a dental chair. These rooms are NOT sterile..they are NOT operating rooms. You are FULLY clothed…shoes and all. You are laid down and the doctor begins to inject your face in MULTIPLE places with vast amounts of Lidocane…hence you feel nothing but are awake. Now let me claify awake. You are give medicine to relax you…I had to take 3 pills AND a pain pill. I did fall asleep during all this because of those drugs but did wake up when he was working on my left eye…hence the longer scar I believe. When he was done I was wrapped very tightly and sent back to the hotel. My shirt was full of blood which my companion noticed. I was in pain…nothing terrible but in pain, VERY bruised and VERY swollen. I returned the next morning to get the drains behind my ears out and returned again the following week for the sutures out from the corner of my eyes. For the next 3 weeks I was homebound. The swelling and bruising went away a bit every day. It has been one month and two days since I had this done and there is still swelling in front of both ears and down my jaw line…nothing very noticable but I know it is there. The skin is harder there too AND there is a LOT of numbness…again all going away slowly but surely. The doctor did say the swelling could last for up to 3 months. My eyes are beautiful except on the left eye his cut left a bit of a scar in the corner and I think he pulled it a bit differently. I notice.. I don’t know if anyone else does. People tell me I look rested, different, great….
My neck is still swollen and the cut under the chin is noticable but it too is going away. My hope is that a year, two years, three years from now it still looks this good. I have read stories that everything falls apart within a year…we shall see. Would I do it again for 8000.00? I don’t know. I am NOT unhappy with the results, I am VERY happy as I look 15 years younger in just one month. BUT I think I may have gotten more opinions from other doctors and had this done in a hospital if I had know what and how things were done. I did check up on the doctor, which I suggest EVEYONE do! He is a PLASTIC SURGEON BOARD CERTIFIED…he is not a dentist with PS credentials this is all he does. He has his own practice in NY also. Again, this does not make ANY doctor a GOOD doctor. I am lucky because all in all he did a great job. So that is my story ladies and gentlemen. I hope it helps you make an informed decision. Again, check up on the doctor, make sure that he is a Plastic Surgeon…ANY doctor can obtain a Plastic Surgeons license so beware. And remember you are not going into the hospital…this is done in an office. Lastly everyone heals differenly…so where I took 3 weeks to go out you may take one. Good luck
Thank you for your excellent review and advice to future readers.
As far as I can tell my Doctor, Michael Desvigne, Phoenix, AZ is board certified. The first month I looked great and was pleased. Had a little bruising under eyes, but could hide it with cover stick..the swelling improved with ice packs. Was in a lot of pain and only given vicodin but asked for and got percocet when I went in for the 24hr. after surgery appt. I had a brow lift along with the lift procedure and cannot tell any difference there. Was able to take the trip I’d planned a week later. The shots were numerous and horrible, I was shaking and in tears.The 20mg of valium did nothing, I was wide awake the whole time, took about 3 hours.Now 3mos later, I still think I need a lift, several of the issues I wanted fixed are still there. It was not worth $7000. Didn’t care for the hard sell pitch- get a discount but only today…appt. was for 11am, then they called and told me 6am!! I lived and hour away so this wasn’t convenient. Was told I would be made comfortable for the procedure- I was not, only valium and not enough of it!! Wish I’d read the horror stories online first. I do not recommend this procedure.
We’re so sorry to hear of your unfortunate experience. Has there been any follow-up correspondence with your doctor?
I have composed a letter to my doctor and will drop in the mail today. Have heard of other ladies getting another surgery with the same doctor, but after the initial results, seeing the same doctor doesn’t appeal to me. I would like some sort of reimbursement so that I might see another surgeon. Will let you know what transpires.
The doctor must have received my letter as I was contacted a day or so later by Lifestyle Lift to set an appt. with the doctor. I will see him on Mar.13. I want to ask him if I had contacted him apart from Lifestle would he have used the same procedure? Seems to me the procedure itself is faulty. Have noticed other women have been given the option of re-doing the surgery…but having failed the first time, why would I want to go through that horrible experience again for NO RESULTS? So am not sure how to respond if given that option. If he says he will do it differently this time, perhaps I will try again as he seems to be a competent surgeon. My preference is a refund so I can see someone else who has a long list of satisfied clients, but no one so far has recieved any refund that I have found.
We’re very curious as to how he answers your questions. Please let us know how that meeting goes!
I saw Dr. Desvigne on Wed. where he told me I looked great for 20 minutes as I repeatedly pulled up my sagging cheeks and pulled my brows up to where they should have been. Pictures were taken in a setting unlike the before pics, different lighting, different camera. At one point as he tried to convince me I looked fabulous I asked which pic I was looking at and then identified it by the earrings I wore that day- it was the after photo and I could’nt tell any bloody difference.If I’d been in the sales/TV room he’d have been pulling up my cheeks and brows and telling me how they could fix it all, but in this other room I suddenly look great…he offered a small revision in a month- the 6 week mark, also told me to let it settle- settle? My face is nearly back to what it was before surgery, my neck is still somewhat improved but slacking more each month. Would like to hear from anyone whose had a “revision”. Do I still trust this charlatan? Oh, he said he would have done the work exactly the same if I’d contacted his private practice.Is looking more and more like Atty Gen. complaints, medical boards complaints and a lawyer to get my $$$ back along with punitive damages…..
I have not had the procedure myself but sat not a foot away from a co-worker who came back to work 3 days after the Lifestyle Lift procedure. Didn’t look too bad as she showed me all the tiny black sutures in front of and in back of her ears. But 3 days later she had a horrific infection (it looked gross!) behind her left ear. She said it was very painful and that her surgeon started her on an oral antibiotic and codeine. It looked to me like she needed IV antibiotics, something a little more aggressive. About a week later though it was almost clear, and overall she said she was pleased. Funny thing was though, she really didn’t look that much younger for a $8,000 price tag.
I would like to retract the charlatan comment I made as perhaps that is not fair or accurate.If I hear similar stories from other women about him I may feel more confident giving him that designation…his credentials, if true are adequate.I plan to consult with a 5star rated Phoenix plastic surgeon soon and see what he says about my lift and would he advise I return for the revision.I found him on RealSelf.
Please keep us updated about your next consultation.
Yesterday I saw Dr. Remus Repta, a top Dr. with a 5star rating on realself.com. I was very impressed with his humility, attention to concerns, advice and kindness. He thought my scars needed to be addressed and said I needed the whole facelift re-done. Was dismayed to learn the LSL was performed in an office bldg…he was surprised their operation had not already been shut down. He said the Dr. I saw probably did not go deep enough to pull up the musculature underneath the skin, which explains the failure. He did not see any evidence of the browlift other than scars.Also did not think it could be corrected from the temple area where the LSL doctor said he would perform the “fix” from. His assistant gave me the pricing info and no one was pushy or offered discounts for a quick sign-up. Much more professional than the used car atmosphere of LSL. Although $6000 more than I paid at LSL I would gladly pay this Doctor this amount to be in a clean safe environment with a reputable surgeon. Am now thinking of trying to be re-imbursed rather than go through another harrowing experience with a Dr. that seemed reluctant and annoyed to even offer the revision. Also, Dr. Repta said he thought he knew Dr. Desvigne but offered nothing more about him. Am considering complaining to corporate just to see what reply I get.
Thanks for the update. It seems as if you’ve found a doctor you’re more comfortable with. Please keep us updated, and good luck!
My LSL Dr. contacted me recently to complain about my ratings of him on realself. 3 stars for bedside manner? I said well that’s not bad and he said it’s not great. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong w/his manner it was if I gave too many stars to less important things then he’d get a good rating and I am becoming less happy everyday….was in tears yesterday. We have another talk and possible revision on Apr30, or so I’ve been told. Other women say they get the run around on the revisions,,,,Surgeons on realself mostly tell people to stay away fromLSL. I upgraded the stars to 4 out of 5 on account of his seeming willingness to address my issues…I would still rather see Dr. Repta but money IS an issue especially after blowing 7000 already.
Doctors nowadays have to be mindful of online reviews. It sounds like posting a review paid off in your case.
Don’t do it,the doctors are not qualified.My one ear is further back than the other,one side of my face has more wrinkles.The backs and around my ears are a mess with scars.My face is asymmetrical,a real mess.Go to a qualified board certified plastic surgeon and even do as much research as you can.The doctor that did me is not there anymore or I would sue.