Thigh lifts are an expert-loved procedure for addressing excess skin. Now, the procedure is more popular than ever!
Featured Experts
- Chet Mays, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Louisville, KY
- David R. Alfonso, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Grand Rapids, MI
- Amy Sprole, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Wichita, KS
- Bianca Molina, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York
What is a thigh lift?
Just like a facelift is designed to address loose skin in the face, a thigh lift removes excess skin in the upper thigh. A thigh lift “plays an integral role in our procedures for weight loss patients,” says Louisville, KY plastic surgeon Chet Mays, MD. “When there is laxity of the inner or outer thigh from rapid weight loss, the skin doesn’t have time to retract with the volume loss.”
“Typically, we’re talking about tightening the skin on the inner thigh,” adds Grand Rapids, MI, plastic surgeon David R. Alfonso, MD. “Though there are extensions of this procedure that can address the outer thigh and the buttock, with a longer scar that we place in the bikini line, depending on where there is laxity.”
The goal of a thigh lift includes removing and tightening skin to create an improved contour and is sometimes combined with liposuction to help achieve the best results.
“Liposuction can be a complimentary procedure to a thigh lift,” says Wichita, KS plastic surgeon Amy Sprole, MD. “In this setting I sometimes use liposuction as a contouring tool, to optimize shape when the excess skin is removed. For example, it is common for there to be a small to moderately size fat pocket in the inner knee area. This area usually contours well with liposuction and does not commonly have loose skin, making this a nice complement to the lifted and tightened inner thigh. For the outer thigh, debulking the ‘saddlebag’ area with liposuction in conjunction with the outer thigh lift will generally lead to an even better contour with the final result.”
What’s causing thigh lifts to rise in popularity?
“We have seen a rise in body contouring procedures overall, including thigh lift, as a result of weight loss drugs like Ozempic,” says New York plastic surgeon Bianca Molina, MD. “Skin undergoes significant stretch as a result of weight gain, and these changes are irreversible such as loss of elasticity [and] stretch marks. Therefore, when we lose a large amount of weight, the skin does not recover, and rather we are left with a deflated, sagging appearance to the skin which is the downside of massive weight loss or rapid weight loss.”
As weight loss drugs gain more and more popularity, experts are seeing more patients that have lost large amounts of weight.
“All of the GLP-1 agonist medications, including Ozempic, have substantially improved success with weight loss efforts in the past few years,” says Dr. Sprole. “I do see a lot of ‘massive weight loss’ patients—those that have lost 100 pounds or more. These patients very commonly have severely loose, deflated skin in the inner and outer thigh areas, and thigh lift surgery is typically the only option to effectively contour these deflated, loose areas after substantial weight loss.”
Dr. Alfonso notes that even before GLP-1s were a common weight loss strategy, the thigh lift was a popular choice for anyone who successfully lost weight through any means. “This is a particularly common procedure for those who have undergone bariatric surgery,” he says. And these days, weight loss medications have led to sustained growth in thigh lifts. “And the number of patients, at least in my practice, has certainly gone up compared to a few years ago.”
Who makes a good candidate?
It’s critical to meet and maintain your weight loss goals before undergoing a thigh lift.
“Ideal candidates for inner and outer thigh lift procedures have achieved their weight loss goals and stability of weight over several months, as weight fluctuations can alter results dramatically,” Dr. Sprole notes.
“Patients who are active and maintaining a well-balanced diet and exercise who have skin that is not going anywhere are the best candidates for the thigh lift,” Dr. Mays says. “If patients have high BMI and fullness, rather than skin laxity, they are not good candidates for a thigh lift.”
When patients are dealing with not just loose skin but heaviness, a thigh lift may not produce the best results.
“You can think of the thigh lift as an anti-gravity procedure, and there is always going to be some relaxation to the tissue,” Dr. Alfonso notes. “The heavier the thigh, then, the more pronounced that relaxation is, which is why six months or so after surgery, their results aren’t as optimal as someone with less fat.”
Ultimately, you can think of a thigh lift as the final step to refining your weight loss results. “Oftentimes, this is the last step in a patient’s weight loss journey, and they are able to fit into more form-fitting clothing, move around and exercise easier after this surgery,” says Dr. Molina.
Recovering From a Thigh Lift
“Recovery, just like with any plastic surgery procedure we do, is four to six weeks,” explains Dr. Mays. “On the night of surgery, you go home with a foley catheter to allow for comfort overnight so you’re not getting up and going to the restroom many times and [this] also keeps the fresh incisions clean.”
“While the time off work is probably equivalent to a tummy tuck, the thigh lift probably has one of the longest recovery phases,” Dr. Alfonso adds. “Patients are restricted to just walking, not exercise, for several weeks.”
