Facelift: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

The Quicklift and the Lifestyle Lift are branded techniques, which have a lot of marketing behind them. The problem with these procedures is that they may (or may not) be done by surgeons who are not trained or board-certified as plastic surgeons or facial aesthetic surgeons.

There are several articles and YouTube videos out there on the internet about the marketing and controversial nature of these procedures so I do recommend you research your options and the background of the surgeon you choose.

There are other mini-facelift options out there besides these names you might also want to check out such as the LiteLift, or S lift. Choosing a more experienced and educated surgeon will greatly improve your chances of a great result, safety, and less recovery time.

Before And After Lifestyle Lift (1)

A starting place might be to make sure they are a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

Both names are for marketing and may encompass different things in the hands of different surgeons. In general the Lifestyle lift is a procedure that is taught to non plastic surgeons and then franchised and marketed by a company in NY for a percentage of the profits made.

The Quicklift is marketed by a company from Pennsylvania. The Quicklift is more involved with a pursestring or similar suture placed in the deeper tissue to help lift the underlying structures and provide a longer lasting result.

Look for a board certified plastic surgeon in your area. Choose the surgeon based on their training and experience and don’t get hung up on the name of a procedure that may or may not be right for you.

Mini Facelifts are relatively safe procedures if performed by an experienced physician.

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The most important thing is your consultation with a board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon in order to evaluate your concern and see if a mini facelift or regular facelift is more adequate for you.

Brands of mini facelifts

There are many brands of limited incision or mini facelifts currently being advertised, including the lifestyle lift and quick lift. These are nothing more than brand names for a procedure that should be variable and custom tailored to you.

I am often asked this question, and there are many analogies I like to use: McDonald’s and Burger King both advertise heavily and sell hamburgers, but odds are they are not the highest quality burgers on the market, and the one you are served is very unlikely to look like the one you saw on TV.

The same goes for jeans, there are lots of brand names, but you don’t want to buy just by the name; you need to buy based on your size, fit, desired tailoring, choice of color and pockets even.

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So many brands exist for these mini lifts because they can be effective when done properly. That doesn’t mean they are done in an hour; a lot of people still try to take shortcuts when they’re doing them, and this is where poor results happen.

The good news is, even more extensive lifts can be performed safely and effectively under just local anesthesia, making the procedure overall much more safe and simple for you as the patient.

Local anesthesia also usually means lower costs, not having to stay in the hospital and recovering at home, and overall shorter recovery times.

Make sure your surgeon has experience in multiple types of lifts, meaning that they can see what you need specifically and make that happen, as opposed to just performing a cookie-cutter brand name lift with no customization.

To guarantee you’re receiving the highest level of care, seek out a dermatologic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who is board certified and fellowship trained in one of these “core four” cosmetic specialties. (Cameron Chesnut, MD, FAAD, FACMS, Spokane Dermatologic Surgeon)

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Brands of Heavily Marketed Minilifts

Results from an aesthetic facial procedure are most reliant on the Surgeon performing it, not the marketing or the “brand name” of the procedure.

Just as in any field or profession, there are gifted individuals and those that have less ability. Remember that an aesthetic result isn’t something that is packaged and falls out of a box.

Your result and satisfaction will rely on the skill and artistry of the Surgeon, the postoperative care you will receive, accompanied by the follow up and reassurance that you require.

Lastly, quickly performed procedures are neither safer nor more effective than a well perormed facelift procedure. (Stephen Prendiville, MD, Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon)

A real facelift is a million times better! Getting an advanced mini lift which is a real face/neck lift but done under local anesthesia is an easy, safe and very effective 5 hr procedure which really looks great and natural.

Lifestyle Facelift Before And After (1)

Cost is roughly $8800 on special and so worth it. (David Hansen, MD, Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon)

Its extremely important to research your facelift surgeon, by looking at their before and after photographs, ratings and reviews, board certifications, and testimonials.

Safety is important but Corporate greed should also be of concern

Large companies offering commercialized face lifts are certainly a mixed bag. The safety of a specific procedure will depend on several factors:

1. Experience, training and skill of the surgeon
2. Your medical health and history
3. Type of anesthesia used
4. Unaccountable factors like infection, hematoma, sutures breaking
5. Ethics of the provider and their dedication to patient care above profit

While safety in most face lifts and done by the right surgeons is quite high, there is reason for concern when dealing with large corporate groups that put their financial concerns above patient safety.

Lifestyle Facelift Before And After (2)

Keep in mind that advertising on television and print can be very expensive. Add to this the overhead costs of running multiple offices with a large number of physicians and staff and this sets up a scenario where there is tremendous pressure to bring in lots of money to make up for these costs.

This also means that large volumes of patients are needed and the time for personalized care is simply not there. This can translate into less than appropriate face lifts being done for any and all patients and by any and all doctors.

So the procedures tend to be what they are but you need to make sure a corporate outfit treats you like a patient and not a customer – there is a big and important difference there. (Kamran Jafri, MD, New York Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Lifestyle Facelift Recovery Pictures (1)

I tell patients that all the “branded” names for the Mini Lift procedure are ways to cleverly market a Mini Facelift.

I would never suggest that one “brand” of Mini Facelift is better. What I would tell a patient to do is choose the best surgeon, NOT a “branded” procedure.

Ultimately, the results of any procedure depend on a surgeon’s expertise, training, and experience with the procedure you are seeking. Find a board certified facial plastic or plastic surgeon who has excellent credentials with vast experience in performing Mini Facelifts. (Anthony Corrado, DO, Philadelphia Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Lifestyle lift and Quick Lift are marketing terms for different types of facelifts. It is easy to be confused about what type of facelift is best for you, especially when there are many advertised on infomercials like a lifestyle lift.

Lifestyle Facelift Recovery Pictures (2)

These are basically mini-lift type procedures but they can vary between surgeons and locations. The fact that there are different types of facelifts offered should not be a deterent, I offer my patients different types of lifts so that they can receive a customized treatment plan.

mini-lift, full facelift, a lift with or without laser resurfacing or blepharoplasty. What really counts is that your surgeon has the training, skills and aesthetic knowledge that provides you with what is the best procedure for you.

Not every patient is the same, so why should everyone have the exact same facelift.

Subtle variations can make all the difference in capturing an individual’s natural beauty. (Edgar Franklin Fincher, MD, PhD, Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon)

For Mini Facelift Choose Surgeon not Brand Name Quicklift or Lifestyle Lift

Lifestyle Lift Is Advertised As A Minimally Invasive

Your result and your safety will depend on the skill and expertise of your surgeon. No Brand name that is heavily marketed can assure you of the skill, experience, reputation and expertise of each surgeon.

You need to evaluate the surgeon not the name of the procedure. I recommend that you see a surgeon who is Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. I recommend that you consult more than one doctor.

I recommend that you ask the doctor to speak to other patients that he/she has operated on. Ask friends who have had Plastic Surgery about their experience with the doctor. This is a very important decision.

Rely on your gut feelings about the doctor and study his/her credentials. (Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS, Boston Plastic Surgeon)

Photo Of Lifestyle Facelift Before After (1)

What is the REAL difference between Quick lift and “Lifestyle lift?”

These are marketing terms meant to imply that you can still obtain “full” facelift results with “mini” incisions or invasiveness, or with some “special sauce” facelift that uses a short(er) incision and somehow heals faster (because it takes less time to perform!) Let’s pose an example that might help illustrate how you should think about your question.

Let’s say you are building a home for yourself and you have a pretty good idea of exactly what you want. You find out what it involves, the time required to build that home, and the costs.

Then you hear about a “mini” home or a “mobile” home or a “quick bungalow” that costs less, takes less time to construct, etc. Of course these examples mean there will be compromises–how could there NOT be? With facelifts, there is no magic “better” facelift, just careful examination of your facial anatomy, careful listening to your requests and needs, experienced and ABPS board-certified analysis of all of these factors, and then the facelift that doesn’t have a cute nickname, but one that is tailored exactly to your situation.

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YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! Remember, the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. (Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS, Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon)

Types of mini facelifts

Please beware of the branded, marketed mini facelift procedures. They tend to have a very low rate of patient satisfaction.

This is not because mini facelifts are not effective. If they are utilized for the correct patient (the appropriate type of anatomy and the appropriate expectations) and if it is performed with technical expertise, the mini facelift can be an extremely satisfying procedure.

Unfortunately, many of these “named” mini facelifts are performed by practitioners that are not adequately trained, skilled or experienced. They may be using the procedure for anyone that comes through their clinic door and is willing to sign up after hearing a slick marketing presentation.

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Therefore, no one procedure is “best”. Please seek more than one consultation from board certified Plastic or Facial Plastic Surgeons. If the surgeon does not discuss various options, you should see someone else. (Robert Wilke, MD, Edina Plastic Surgeon)

The Quicklift and Lifestyle Lift are just a marketing term. The most effective procedure for a particular patient is the one that addresses the physical changes present and their desired goals and expectations.

During a consultation, I go over in detail about the differences between each facelift. In simple terms, a minilift is for younger patients with early jowls and neck laxity. A regular facelift addresses more severe jowls, deeper facial creases, and neck laxity.

Depending on the degree of neck aging, some additional work may be necessary there too. A full facelift (deep plane) will address everything stated above plus the cheek/midface.

A minilift does not necessarily mean minimal results, it can be a great option for the right candidate.

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Another observation I have made is that usually, there is little difference in price (if any) between these lifts and comparable ones at a traditional practice. Assuming the procedure and price are comparable, patients are sacrificing after care consistently as is being reported on most forums. (Edmon Pierre Khoury, MD, Lone Tree Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Facelifts and safety

A Quicklift and a Life style lift are marketing terms used to lure patients in for surgery. Some are done by board certified plastic surgeons or facial plastic surgeons and some are not. They often do not do much and the results are not very long lasting. (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Branded procedures are gimmicks to get you to the door, mostly by physicians not trained to do a face lift, call them WANNABE Plastic Surgeons See a BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON discuss your concers and options then decide.

Facial rejuvanation require expertise in all aspects and procedures available in the armamantarium of the plastic surgeon. (Samir Shureih, MD, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)

Mini lifts aren’t usually effective and lasting

French surgeons in the 30’s began with lifts that resembled the current various “mini-lifts”. Unfortunately, less is always less both in terms of durability, effectiveness, and artistry. All the advances in facelifting have come from properly doing more to create durability, effectiveness, and artistry.

Fortunately, doing the right operation typically can be done through the same incisions as the “brand name” and generic lifts. Its not the “doorway” that counts but what is done behind that doorway. (Nathan Mayl, MD (retired), Fort Lauderdale Plastic Surgeon)