The Lifestyle Lift infomercial promises those willing to take on the procedure that it can enhance facial features and make clients younger, an appealing promise to more and more men and women who are getting facial work done.
A local doctor explained the procedures of the ever-growing industry of facial rejuvenation, along with the technical aspects of the trend.
Dr. Jared Spencer is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who works for Northwest Health System. Spencer used to work for Lifestyle Lift in Arizona.
"It's not a scam. It's a different kind of style of doing a face lift," Spencer said. "What sets a Lifestyle Lift apart from other face lift procedures is it's done under local anesthesia while the patient is completely awake."
He said for anyone going under the knife, safety needs to be taken into consideration. Diabetics and smokers have the highest risk of having skin problems from surgery.
"With the Lifestyle Lift, as well as any facelift, there's always risks of problems with the skin because the skin is lifted up for the tighten to happen beneath the skin," Spencer said.
The Lifestyle Lift promises a "safer, more affordable approach." Spencer said Lifestyle Lift made plastic surgery available to the masses, but he said 45 minutes for a mini face lift might be too short a procedure.
"There are some constraints as far as what can be done. It is a business. They have to be done quickly to work with the business model that they have," Spencer said.
Spencer said the process is less personal since, in most cases, the surgeon is chosen for the patient.
"A lot of the surgeons are very well-qualified, but it's nice to kind of pick out the surgeon. I think that's important," Spencer said.
There aren't any Lifestyle Lift centers in Arkansas. The closest ones are in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Missouri. Spencer, who works at a clinic in Springdale, said it's important to have the surgeon nearby.
"There are issues that can arise, and it's nice for me just to see the patient," Spencer said.
Spencer said recovery time can take about 10 days.