Long Live The LifeLong Lift

Time and gravity can be cruel. They work together to diminish the appearance of youth, and people go to just about every length to reverse the effects.  Every year, billions of dollars are spent on makeup, creams, and tonics in an attempt to stave off those powers, but few options actually work. However, some treatments do the job (like facelifts), but very few are as effective as the LifeLong Lift.

The Procedure & The Difference

The LifeLong Lift is a combination of a lower facelift and neck lift. By stretching and removing the excess tissue at the nasolabial lines (or “laugh lines)”, and combining it with the smoothing of the marionette lines (the vertical wrinkles in the corners of the mouth that extend downward toward the chin), two stages of a three-step procedure are complete. Then, a neck lift is performed, in which excess skin and fat deposits that contribute to the appearance of sagging jowls are removed and contoured.

All of these treatments together create the youthful and long-lasting effects that go beyond just a normal facelift. This is what creates a true distinction between the LifeLong Lift and any other facial procedure.   Because it’s done under anesthesia and is accomplished by lifting not only the skin itself, but also the tough areas underneath the skin—in the deep down muscle and facial layers—these processes make the LifeLong Lift a very patient-centered procedure.   

Candidates

The candidates for this procedure are usually those people who are dissatisfied with the appearance of their lower face. If the prospective patient has loose skin under the chin, loss of elasticity, sagging and drooping in the neck, or the formations of jowls, then they are a prime candidate. Also, anyone who has regularly gone through a regiment of fillers or injectable to rid themselves of wrinkles, and are no longer achieving the desired level of results from the treatments may want to consider the LifeLong Lift.   

Inherent Risks & Things to Know

As with all surgery, there are risks. Because of these risks, it is important that the surgeon and the patient’s primary care doctor optimize the patient for surgery. This is to ensure that the patient is in the best possible health prior to going under the knife. This may include the regulation of the patient’s health background. Is the patient a diabetic? Does the patient have high blood pressure? Does the patient smoke? These are pertinent questions a doctor may ask when considering surgery as an option for a patient. It is best for a patient to take their lifestyle into account prior to the operation. There are the cosmetic risks as well. Does the outcome outweigh the means of getting the desired result?

Recovery Time

People recover from different parts of the procedure at different rates. The part that takes the longest in terms of recovery would be the incisions, which take about a full year to “mature,” or look their best. If the surgeon has done his or her job to hide the incisions, in a place like the natural shadows of the face, then the scars can be unnoticeable. There’s going to be swelling and bruising, usually most perceptible in the first week. After that, is sort of a light greenish yellow stage rather than a deep blue or black. But by the end of the second week, it can fade to the point where it shouldn’t be overtly evident.

Cost

The cost can vary. The dependence on individual needs, region of the practice and the doctor’s fees all widen the range of prices from thousands to tens of thousands. It can start at $4000-$5000 on the low end, and reach as high as $20,000. But, the usual median cost is at about $10,000 and is rarely (if ever) covered by insurance.   

Concerns & Conclusion

A patient should ease their concerns by taking the proper steps to ensure they will be happy with the results. Do your research beforehand. It’s your face. Don’t just shop around and try to find the lowest price. Great results do not always come with a huge price tag. Above all, make sure that you feel comfortable with the surgeon’s experience, skill, and understanding of what you want as a patient. The patient and the doctor both want a satisfying conclusion to the surgery, so a common goal must be discussed with the question of whether or not it is realistic from a patient’s view, and can be achieved by the doctor.   

The fight with age and gravity isn’t always a losing battle. Although we strive to keep a youthful presence, we must always remember not to make safety an expense to our desire to stay forever young.   

Written by Cosmetic Town Editorial Team through exclusive interview provided by Dr. Ali Sepehr of Orange County Facial Plastic Surgery in Orange County, CA.