Thigh lift surgery reshapes the thighs by reducing excess skin and fat, resulting in smoother skin and better-proportioned contours of the thighs and lower body.
If fitness and weight control efforts have not achieved your goals for a body that is firmer, more youthful-looking and more proportionate to your overall body image, a surgical lift may be right for you.
Do not smoke, as this can disrupt the healing process and increase your risk of complications. If you do smoke, you may become a candidate for thighplasty if you quit smoking for a prescribed period of time before and after your surgery.
Do not consume alcohol too much, since this can also impair your recovery and raise your risk of complications.
During an initial consultation, your plastic surgeon will conduct a thorough exam and help determine if labiaplasty is the right option for you. You need to let the surgeon know how your current labia structure impacts your daily life and what you expect from surgery. This is the time to ask any questions you may have about your surgery.
Thigh lifts remove excess skin and fat, but there are different types that are achieved via different incisions. Your provider will help you choose the best surgery to meet your individual needs. Below are the different types of thigh lifts to consider.
A medial thigh lift is the most common form of this cosmetic surgery. It addresses sagging skin in your inner thighs via an incision from your groin down toward your knee or toward the back of your thigh area.
Depending on your individual needs, your surgeon may determine that you qualify for a mini thigh lift. This procedure requires fewer incisions than other types of thigh lifts, only involving an incision in your groin area. It works well if you’re wanting to focus on the upper-inner part of your thigh only.
An outer thigh lift addresses the outside portions of your thighs. The procedure involves an incision that starts in you groin area, then extends outward to your hip and lower back area.
If you’re looking to address a lot of excess skin in all areas of your thighs, you may consider a vertical thigh lift. It requires larger incisions that extend down to your knees. However, due to a higher risk for complications Trusted Source, your surgeon may not recommend this type of thigh lift.
In some cases, the thigh area may have poor skin elasticity. Your surgeon may recommend liposuction in addition to thigh lift surgery to help remove excess fat cells and prevent sagging skin.
You’ll be put under general anesthesia during the procedure. Your surgeon will make the appropriate incisions based on the type of thigh lift you’ve chosen. Then, they’ll cut out excess skin and fat cells before inserting sutures to close up your wounds. On average, the entire procedure takes 2 hours to complete. Since you’ll also spend several hours in both pre-op and post-op, you should expect the entire process to take up most of the day. The surgeon makes an incision at the top of the leg, about where the lower edge of a bikini bottom or underwear would be. A small amount of skin is removed and then the remaining skin is pulled up, which tightens the skin along both sides of the leg. In all types of thigh-plasty, the incision is sutured shut with deep sutures to ensure that there is no sagging after the incisions heal. The scar from the surgery is hidden in the groin crease, beneath the bikini line. If there is an excessive amount of fatty tissue, a liposuction may be performed before a thigh-plasty. If several months after liposuction a thigh-plasty is still recommended, it can then be performed.
Is it safe?
You’ll likely experience pain, bruising, and swelling for a few days after the procedure. It can be easily treated by painkiller medicine. Any worsening pain or the onset of bleeding through sutures or dressings should be addressed with your doctor right away.
Your recovery will take an average of 5 weeks. Patients will be advised to refrain from exercise for 6-8 weeks, although light exercise can begin after 2-3 weeks. You can also return to work at the 2–3-week mark. Compression garments will need to be worn until 4 weeks post-surgery, and you will need to refrain from sitting on your incisions for 2-3 weeks. Be careful not to completely submerge your incisions during your recovery time but begin showering 2 days after surgery.
The results of a thigh lift are visible almost immediately. However, it may take several months for the final results to fully develop.
Following a thigh lift, skin quality is improved both in appearance and feel.
Some visible scars will remain, but the overall results are long lasting, provided that you maintain a stable weight and general fitness.
As your body ages, it is natural to lose some firmness. However, most of your initial improvement should remain.
Although good results are expected from your procedure, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.
Your scars will be firm and pink for at least six weeks. After six weeks, scars are very strong and can withstand any activity. Then they may remain the same size for several months, or even appear to widen. After several months, your scars will begin to fade, although they will never disappear completely. It takes 1-2 years for a scar to completely heal. Make sure to apply sunscreen containing zinc-oxide to your scars for six months so that they do not darken due to increased pigmentation.
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