Expert guide: Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery 2015 44 June 2015 June 2015 45 March was a pivotal month for the health and safety of Atlanta resi-dents. The Lifestyle Lift, a contro-versial national company with an At-lanta-area office, shuttered its doors both locally and nationally due to widespread reports of irresponsible marketing and unsafe conditions. The company promised quick, low-cost mini-facelifts with dramatic re-sults that often resulted in unsatis-factory outcomes.Popular plastic sur-gery review sites, such as RealSelf, show hun-dreds of negative re-views of the Lifestyle Lift, with patients re-porting substandard results, unsafe practices, and false advertising. For many Lifestyle Lift patients, the risks of the procedure ended up greatly outweighing any potential benefit.Controversy has surrounded the Life-style Lift for many years, coming to a head with an investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office in 2009 over false reviews published by the company to counteract nega-tive patient testimonials. Then-at-torney general Andrew Cuomo said in a statement that the company’s attempt to “generate business by duping consumers was cynical, ma-nipulative and illegal.” The company had a similar run-in with the Florida attorney general, who required Life-style Lift to refund some customer’s money and adjust their advertising.While the Lifestyle Lift’s deceptive mar-keting practices are unethical and many patients have had negative experiences with the procedure, most of the public was unaware of the risks. Few patients realise that there is little government regulation in the area of cosmetic medicine, and that they must vet their provider and facility credentials on their own. “It is critical that patients check a doctor’s board certification and op-erating facility accreditation before moving forward with any cosmet-The Swan Centre for Plastic Surgery info@swancenteratlanta.com +1 770 667 0904 The Downfall of the Lifestyle Lift: Atlanta’s Swan Centre Emphasizes Importance of Avoiding Low-Cost Facelift Alternatives By The Swan Centre for Plastic Surgery USA ic procedure,” states board certi-fied plastic surgeon Dr. Dean Fardo. “Other red flags include providers making a given procedure sound too easy, reluctance to discuss potential risks, and a lack of verifiable safety measures.”The Swan Center advocates for safe, responsible cosmetic procedures and believes that facelifts should never be “one size fits all.” Years of experience have proven that for suc-cess and safety, it is essential that each patient’s concerns are treated with an individualised surgical plan. The Swan Center’s board certified plastic surgeons believe it is criti-cal to have an in-depth consultation with each patient, and through this process, they create a safe rejuvena-tion plan.Surgical anti-ageing procedures should only be performed by a board certified, highly trained plastic surgeon operating in an accredited surgical facility with hospital-quality safety measures in place. Non-sur-gical treatments also have risks and