Thigh Lift Cosmetic Surgery – What You Need To Know

Thigh lift cosmetic surgery, also known as thighplasty, is an invasive surgical procedure that is designed to tighten the skin of your inner or outer thighs by removing excess sagging skin. In addition, it is not uncommon for people who have thighplasty to also undergo other types of cosmetic surgery.

For example, liposuction, a type of body contouring procedure, can be used to remove excess fat deposits to produce more defined and shapely contours in the thighs.

A buttock lift or abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) can also be carried out if you want to further enhance the appearance of your lower body.

Who Might Need Thighplasty?

Thighplasty can be a suitable procedure for any man or woman who feels self-conscious about the appearance of their lower body, although it is especially suitable for people who have recently lost a significant amount of weight and now have excess sagging or droopy skin hanging off their inner or outer thighs.

This procedure can also be carried out on older adults to remove and tighten lax, or loose, sagging skin that has occurred as a result of gravity, hormonal changes, loss of skin elasticity, excess weight and general aging.

If a person has tried to lose weight but has been unable to shift the fat stored in their thighs through dieting or by exercising, then a thigh lift can be done with liposuction to remove the excess fat and then tighten the skin afterwards.

In all cases, thighplasty can significantly improve the overall appearance and attractiveness of the thighs by reducing their size and giving the inner and outer thighs a more defined contour.

To give you a rough idea as to the type of result that you can expect to get from a thigh lift, stand in front of a mirror and grab the skin along your inner thighs pulling it towards your groin or the skin of your outer thighs pulling it up towards your chest. This will also give you a good indication as to whether or not you really need thigh lift surgery.

How Is Thigh Lift Surgery Done?

Thigh lift surgery is an invasive surgical procedure and so is usually carried out under general anesthesia, meaning that you will be unconscious throughout the duration of the procedure. How long the procedure takes to complete can vary depending on what you are having done, although in most cases, it will usually take around three to six hours.

In order to remove excess skin from the thighs, a cosmetic surgeon will need to make incisions in the skin. The location of these incisions will largely depend upon how much skin there is to tighten or remove, the type of technique your surgeon chooses to use and the type of surgical procedure that you are having done.

This is something that your cosmetic surgeon will discuss with you during your consultation period with them, and it is very important that you are happy with the proposed incision locations as those incisions will leave a visible scar after your thigh lifting procedure has been completed.

Below, we will look at two of the most common types of thigh lift surgery, how they are done and what results you can expect to get from them.

Both procedures are usually carried out with liposuction, as liposuction can help to remove excess fat deposits from underneath the skin, but also has the advantage of loosening the tissues so that they can be pulled together tighter and give a more effective lift.

If required, liposuction can also be carried out in other regions of the body, such as the abdomen or face, as a combination cosmetic surgery. Most cosmetic surgery companies will also offer discounts if you choose to have multiples procedures done at the same.

Outer Thigh Lift

With a standard outer or lateral thigh lift, an incision will be made along the inner groin crease in a v-shaped pattern where the v-shape of your underwear would normally meet the top of your leg, and then extended upwards over the side of the top of your outer thigh and around your back if you are also having a buttock lift. This has the advantage of avoiding scarring on the legs and allowing you to hide your scars by wearing underwear.

To carry out the procedure, the surgeon will lift the skin after making the incisions and cut away any excess skin that is causing sagging on the thigh.

After a satisfactory amount of skin has been removed, the skin is lifted upwards and the incision is then closed. Usually, adsorbable/dissolvable stitches will be used to close the uppermost surface region of the incision as this minimizes the eventually scarring that you will get.

To get a rough idea as to what sort of result you can expect from an outer thigh lift, grab the top of your leg with both hands, at the same angle the bottom of your underwear would lie along one side of your leg, and pull upwards.

Target Areas

The lateral or outer thigh lift targets excess loose skin on the outer regions of the thighs, such as due to weight loss and the effect of gravity on that skin.

If you squeeze and lift the skin on your outer thighs and note the change in appearance it makes, you can quickly make a determination as to how much benefit you would get from having an outer thigh lift done.

Combining With Other Procedures

A lateral thigh lift can be carried out on its own or combined with a medial thigh lift, tummy tuck, body lift or liposuction.

Inner Thigh Lift

An inner or medial thigh lift can involve more scarring and scars which cannot be as easily concealed. To carry out the procedure, the surgeon will start by making an incision in the region where your inner thigh meets your pubic area along the inner groin crease, and then extending that incision backwards into the crease of the buttock if necessary.

If you have a lot of sagging skin however, then you may require a vertical incision that runs down and along your inner thigh towards your knee. You may also require an extra wedge incision in the upper thigh in order for the skin to be more effectively tightened and to produce better results.

A vertical incision will leave a very noticeable scar that is not easily concealed, and so this procedure is usually carried out only on individuals who have lost a large amount of weight and have a lot of excess sagging skin remaining as a result.

To get an idea as to the type of result that you can expect from an inner thigh lift, grab your upper inner thighs and pull upwards or grab your middle inner thighs and pull inwards for a vertical incision.

Target Areas

A medial or inner thigh lift targets the inner area of your thigh to remove excess skin and tighten loose skin along the inside of your leg.

If you notice an improvement in the appearance of your inner legs when you pull the skin of your inner thighs, then you may benefit from having a medial thigh lift done.

Combining With Other Procedures

A medial thigh lift can be done on its own or combined with a lateral thigh lift, tummy tuck, liposuction or body lift.

Buttock Lift

As the name suggests, buttock lift surgery will help to firm up your buttocks making them more defined with better contours. This procedure is usually carried out in conjunction with an outer thigh lift.

There are two ways the incisions for a buttock lift can be made. The first involves making an incision just above and along the top of your buttocks, and the second method involves making an incision along the buttock crease where your lower buttocks meet the top of your thighs.

Generally, most cosmetic surgeons will use the first method, as it is easier to obtain more natural looking results and the eventual scar can be hidden quite easily with your underwear.

With a lower buttock incision however, the resulting scars have a tendency to sag over time as the skin sags which can make it more difficult to hide the scars with underwear or swimwear.

Whilst buttock lifts certainly can be an extremely effective way to give yourself a more shapely bottom, it is important to remember that there will be some scarring after surgery.

The scars can take up to one year before they fade from a reddish color to a whitish color, and even though they will fade, they will still be noticeable.

Lower Body Lift

A lower body lift is a form of cosmetic surgery that is most suitable for people who are looking to make a dramatic change to the way their lower body region looks.

A lower body lift combines a thigh lift, buttock lift, hip lift and lower back lift. So as you can imagine, the recovery period is going to be quite long and you may find it difficult to walk for some time.

Because a lower body lift is such a major form of cosmetic surgery, it tends to be most suitable for those who have lost a lot of weight in a short period of time and now have large amounts of excess sagging skin in the lower body region. For this reason, lower body lifts are often carried out with liposuction and/or a tummy tuck.

A lower body lift is by no means a commonly performed type of cosmetic surgery as it carries a lot of risks with it. As a result, if you are thinking of having a lower body lift done, then you really want to find a cosmetic surgeon who is experienced in this procedure and has operated on at least 10 to 20 patients over the past few years in order to ensure that you get good results.

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is a type of surgery that removes excess abdominal skin, sagging tummy skin or a bulge from your abdomen. It can be carried out on its own, or performed in addition to a thigh and buttock lift as part of a body contouring procedure.

Abdominoplasty is especially suitable for women who have given birth and now have stretch marks or skin creases, or for people who have lost a lot of weight quickly and now find that they have excess sagging skin in their tummy area.

Depending on the amount of skin involved, there are a number of different techniques that a cosmetic surgeon can use to perform the abdominoplasty. In general however, all types of abdominoplasty involve tightening the abdominal wall, removing excess skin and/or removing excess fat.

The end result should be a reshaped abdomen which makes you look slimmer and with more defined body contours. But due to the invasive nature of this procedure, anyone who is considering abdominoplasty should be aware that there will be a significant amount of scarring.

A good cosmetic surgeon will be able to minimize the amount of visible scarring, but it is unlikely that they will be able to hide the scars completely.

Standard abdominoplasty can be used for men or women who have excess or sagging skin below the belly button, and which does not seem to go away no matter how much they exercise or diet.

During your consultation, and also before your surgery, your surgeon will mark your skin with a pen so that they can use those marks as a guide when they later make the incisions needed to carry out the procedure.

It is extremely important that during this time you let your surgeon know about any clothes which you would like to wear in future. For example, if you want to wear a bikini at some stage, then the surgeon may be able to make the incisions beneath your bikini line so that the scars will remain hidden.

So bear this in mind, and if possible, bring any items of clothes you wish to wear after your surgery to your consultation meeting. This way, the surgeon will know exactly where to make the incisions so that they are in the least visible position possible.

How Is A Tummy Tuck Done?

Although the exact steps that a surgeon will follow to perform abdominoplasty can vary from surgeon to surgeon, and indeed, from patient to patient, you can expect something similar to the steps listed below.

1) An incision is made around the edge of your belly button, with another incision running hip to hip across your pubic hairline.

2) The skin is separated from the abdominal muscles underneath.

3) The abdominal muscles are tightened with large sutures.

4) Excess skin is removed from the abdominal region.

5) A new opening is made for your belly button, after which, it is pulled through into place and then sutured.

6) Tubes are placed under the skin to remove any excess fluid and may remain there for up to a week. This is necessary for the healing process.

7) The abdominal incisions are closed.

Some variations of the standard tummy tuck are listed below.

Mini-Tummy Tuck

A mini-tummy tuck, or mini-abdominoplasty, is a less invasive version of the standard abdominoplasty procedure. It results in a shorter scar and does not require the belly button to be repositioned.

However, like standard abdominoplasty, scars will be visible but can be hidden under a bikini or panty line.

Mini-abdominoplasty is most suitable for those who have excess skin or bulging in the lower abdomen. As a result, this procedure tends to be popular with women who are looking to regain their old figure after giving birth.

Extended Abdominoplasty

Extended abdominoplasty is very similar to standard abdominoplasty. The main difference is that the incision is extended slightly so as to remove excess skin and fat from the hips and lower back area.

Whilst extended abdominoplasty certainly can produce excellent results, due to the longer incisions which are made, there is less chance of the surgeon being able to hide the eventual scars. As a result, you may have visible scaring above your bikini line.

Belt Lipectomy

Belt lipectomy is basically a combination of standard abdominoplasty and a buttock lift. It is designed to remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen, hips, lower back and buttocks. This procedure is most suitable for people who are having weight problems, and have lots of flabby or loose skin in the lower half of their body.

Belt lipectomy can give dramatic results, although the resulting scars will wrap around the body making them difficult to conceal. So whether or not you choose to have this procedure done, really depends on the trade-off you are willing to make between a slimmer mid-section and visible scarring.

If you don’t often wear bikinis, then the scarring may be less of a concern for you. To give you an idea of the type of scar that you can expect from a belt lipectomy, imagine a scar line going around your waist like a belt but thinner.

Modified Tummy Tuck

If you have a high belly button with little excess skin above it, a surgeon can pull your abdominal skin down to lower your belly button. This will leave you with tighter and more defined skin in the area between the top of your bikini line and the bottom of your belly button.

This is an area which is frequently a problem for women, as once they get a bulge there, it can be very difficult to completely remove through diet and exercise alone.

Plastic Surgery Recovery Period

The amount of time taken to recover from a thigh lift can vary depending on the extent of your procedure and if you had any other cosmetic surgery procedures done alongside it, although in most cases, you should be able to return to your everyday activities in about 2-3 weeks providing that those activities are not too strenuous.

The first few days of your recovery however, will most likely be spent in bed and you can choose to spend this time either in a hospital or at home.

Your aim during this period should be to get as much rest and relaxation as you can during your recovery, but also to each day gradually increase the amount of activity that you do as this will help to reduce the amount of swelling that you experience.

Due to the fact that you have just undergone a relatively major and serious form of surgery, it will be natural to experience some degree of pain and discomfort. Any pain that you do experience however, should be quite effectively controlled by the post-surgery medication that you have been given.

In order to assist the healing process, reduce swelling and ensure that the skin heals in the correct position, you will be advised to wear a supportive undergarment, take your antibiotic medication and to clean your wounds regularly.

Most cosmetic surgeons now use adsorbable stitches, so you won’t have to go and have your deeper sutures removed until two or three weeks after your surgery. If adsorbable stitches are not used, you will need to have those removed about a week after surgery and then your deeper sutures removed later.

The large majority of your healing will be done within the first month, however, it can take up to six months before you are able to consider yourself fully healed and for all the swelling to go down completely.

Note: If you experience any of the following symptoms you should contact your doctor or surgeon as something may be wrong.

• High temperature/fever
• Excessive & prolonged bleeding
• Separation of wound edges
• Pus filled drainage
• Extreme and constant pain

Risks Of Cosmetic Surgery

Like any other form of cosmetic plastic surgery, there are certain risks associated with having a thigh lift operation done. Below are listed some of the most common risks that can occur, although your cosmetic surgeon should discuss these risks with you during your consultation phase before you decide to go ahead with your surgery.

It is also worth bearing in mind that in general, the risks associated with any type of cosmetic surgery will increase with age, if you are taking any type of medication or if you have an underlying medical condition or disease such as diabetes or heart disease.

In addition, risks can be significantly increased if you are having multiple cosmetic surgeries done at the same time, so if your surgeon feels that you are not healthy enough to have multiple simultaneous procedures, then you may be refused those procedures for your own safety.

Scarring

As you will be having an invasive form of cosmetic surgery, there will be some degree of scarring after you have healed from your procedure.

However, the extent of your scarring is very difficult to predict, as different people heal differently and produce different types of scars. Some people for example, may have very thin and lightly colored scars, whilst others may have scars that appear thicker and more darkly colored.

Although your cosmetic surgeon will do their best to make their incisions in regions of the body where they can be easily concealed, your surgeon has little control over how the resulting scars will turn out and so this is something that you must be prepared for.

Furthermore, some types of incisions, such as a vertical scar incision, will leave a very long and noticeable scar along your inner thigh. So you also must be prepared to make the trade-off between having sagging skin or having reduced skin laxity but with scarred skin.

Infection

Infection is a very serious risk with thigh lift surgery, and even though you will be given antibiotics to take during your recovery period, it is important to remember that antibiotics will not make you immune to infection but will only reduce your risk.

It is therefore vitally important that you cleanse and disinfect your wounds on a regular basis, and be especially carefull to keep your wounds clean after going to the bathroom where they may become contaminated with feces.

The good news is that most infections can be quite easily dealt with if caught early enough, but if left untreated, an infection could lead to the death of tissue in the treated area and possibly also poisoning of the blood by bacteria (septicemia).

Bleeding

Providing that you are not taking any blood thinning medication such as aspirin during your recovery period, the risk of bleeding is relatively low.

However, it still a possibility and severe bleeding could lead to a hematoma where the blood begins to pool underneath the skin and create pressure on the surrounding tissue. If this occurs, you will require immediate surgery to drain the blood and to stop the bleeding.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

The risk of deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is another significant risk associated with most types of surgery, and there is an elevated risk with surgeries in which you will remain bedridden after your surgery for several days. The risk of DVT can be minimized with heparin injections, anti-thrombotic stockings and movement.

If you have ever suffered from DVT before, or have a family history of DVT, then it is important that you make your surgeon aware of these facts because DVT can be fatal if it causes a pulmonary embolism as a result of a blood clot blocking a pulmonary artery.

Disappointment

No matter how much you think you are prepared for what might happen, sometimes, you will end up being disappointed with the results that you get.

You may for example, not be entirely happy with the way that your scars have healed or where your scars were positioned, or, you might think that your thighs haven’t been lifted enough. This is a risk that you must be prepared to take because there are no guarantees when it comes to cosmetic surgery outcomes.

In addition, you must also be prepared for the possibility of getting a bad result. This could occur due to the surgeon making a mistake, some kind of complication occurring during your surgery or some post-surgical complication that affects your end result.

If you are very unhappy with the end result however, you will usually be given the option of having a revision thigh lift surgery done. Although this will mean extra cost and possibly additional scarring, so revision surgeries are always a last resort option.

Other Risks

Some of the other risks that may occur as a result of having plastic surgery include:

Discoloration Of The Skin

Discoloration of the skin is a common occurrence after having surgery, and may be due to bruising or a temporary reduction in blood supply to a particular area. In most cases however, discolored skin will eventually fade back to normal over time.

Swelling

Swelling is quite common after an invasive form of surgery such as a thigh lift, buttock lift or abdominoplasty.

Most swelling will go down within the first week after your surgery, although depending on the exact procedure that you have had done, it could take a few months for your swelling to completely subside.

Numbness

Numbness may be experienced in areas of the body that have been operated on and/or surrounding areas. Numbness is usually short-lived, so in most cases, it should be gone within the first few days after your surgery.

Skin Loss

You may experience some amount of skin loss along any incision lines that have been made on your body. This can cause tension on the skin making it feel tight, which could last for several weeks until the skin is given time to stretch out and heal.

Skin Irregularities

Skin irregularities are any lumps or depressions that appear on your skin after surgery. They are most common after liposuction, although they can also occur with body contouring surgery.

The skin should return back to normal after a few months, but if the irregularities bother you, then a revision surgery may be required.

Asymmetry

If your body has been shaped by a surgeon to make it look different from how it used to be, then you may find that one half of your body looks slightly different to the other half.

This is called an asymmetry, and may require a second surgery to correct if it’s very noticeable and bothers you.

Chronic Swelling

Swelling after surgery is normal, and although some swelling can take 6-12 months to fully go down, eventually it will disappear on its own.

However, in some cases, chronic swelling develops where the swelling does not go down and is permanent.

Wound Separation

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that incisions are closed properly, occasionally wounds may open and will need to be re-sutured.

Wound separation is most likely to occur in people who have undergone weight loss surgery after experiencing massive weight loss.

How Much Does A Thigh Lift Cost?

How much a thigh lift surgery will cost can vary depending on many different factors such as the amount of skin you are having removed, the overall area of skin that needs to be tightened, your cosmetic surgeon, whether or not you are having any other types of cosmetic surgery alongside your thigh lift and if you are having your cosmetic surgery at home or abroad.

In general however, you can expect to pay somewhere in the region of $4,000 to $12,000 for a thigh lift. This amount will include all your fees, such as your surgeon’s fees, fees relating to any medical tests you undergo, fees for drugs, medication and anesthesia and the fee of the medical facility or hospital in which your procedure will be carried out.

If you opt to stay in hospital rather than going home immediately after your surgery, your costs will also include fees for those additional days as well as for any care that you receive by a caregiver or registered nurse.

Note: A thigh lift does not produce permanent results, as over time gravity will cause the skin on your thigh to become loose and start sagging again. Your skin will also become loose and likely sag sooner if you lose weight after your surgery. As a result, you will probably need a new thigh lift done once every 10-15 years to maintain your results.