Thigh Lift

Who does it?
● Plastic Surgeon

What is it?
For those who are massively over-weight, losing the extra poundage is often only the first step in achieving the body they aspire to.

Once the skin has been stretched it won’t snap back and although there are a number of different procedures that claim to tighten the skin (see Skin Tightening – Energy Assisted), they only work on a small degree of sagging skin.

For those with a lot of loose skin, a surgical procedure (or combination of procedures) may be the answer. Often performed as part of a Body Lift, a thigh lift is a procedure to remove loose skin and (some) excess fat from the thighs.

Who is suitable?
A thigh lift is not a weight-loss procedure so you have to be as close to your ideal weight as possible.

If your problem is severe excess weight, you might want to consider Weight Loss Programmes or even Weight Loss Surgery.

There are few medical reasons why you would be exempt from having thigh lift surgery but, in particular, if you are prone to keloid scarring (raised, red scars) then you might want to look at other alternatives as this procedure does leave you with a large degree of scarring.

What’s the treatment like?
A thigh lift will usually be performed under a general anaesthetic and is often combined with other procedures that make up a lower body lift, and/or liposuction to remove any extra fat.

The surgeon makes curved incisions and removes skin and underlying fat. The remaining skin and tissue is then lifted to achieve a smoother contour and the incisions are closed, usually with dissolvable stitches.

What happens afterwards?
You will usually remain in hospital for a day or so before being allowed home.

There will be a degree of discomfort during the healing process and it can two weeks before you’re able to resume normal activities, with a further wait of a month before exercise can be embarked on.

In the first two weeks there will be bruising and swelling – the latter may take a few months to fully subside. There may also be a degree of numbness in the upper part of the legs, which should eventually disappear.

As with all the surgical procedures that make up a body lift, it can take a few months to feel like normal again and the more fit and well you are before the surgery, the quicker you will bounce back.

Will I have a scar?
There certainly will be some scarring, the extent of which is determined by how much excess skin needs to be removed.

However, they will fade over time and your surgeon will try to site any scars in the best position possible – usually within the bikini area.