Thigh Lift

In most women, fat is found throughout the thighs, specifically the inner and outer thighs, the saddlebags and the hips. Some women have fat deposits only on the outer edges of the thighs, while others have fat bulges on the inside.

The thighs and hips specifically contain large amounts of the enzyme lipase, which causes these areas to store fat quickly. This may be why the thighs and hips are two areas that seem especially resistant to diet and exercise. If you're unhappy with the appearance of your thighs, you may want to consider a thigh lift.

A thigh lift will remove excess skin and fat from your thighs. The incisions often leave scars at the hip, which fade over time and can be hidden by a bathing suit. However, many thigh lift patients say the scars are a fair trade-off to the improvement in their body shape.

Anyone who has excess skin and folds, uneven contours and unwanted pockets of fat in their upper legs, belly, hips, buttocks or thighs, and women who gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy.

Those who are not willing to undergo surgery to eliminate excess skin and fat on their thighs.

With an incision at the bottom of the stomach (like a tummy tuck scar) that wraps around the back, extra skin is removed, which gives a lifting effect to the butt and thighs, and smooths out cellulite, acting almost like a pair of stockings.

To remove fat and sculpt the thighs, small incisions will be made either at the crease of your hip or in the crease behind your knee, or in both places. After the fat is removed, the incisions may or may not be closed with sutures, depending on how big they are and the technique used.

Although it may sound like a slam-dunk procedure, like any surgery, it comes with risk. Surgeons advise that the scar in the groin crease can widen and descend, making it visible and very difficult to fix.

Stitches are removed within one to two weeks after surgery, and you may be told wear a support garment for a few weeks. This is not to reduce swelling, as most people perceive, but rather to prevent fluid collection. Some surgeons prefer drains to compression.

Don’t be surprised if your doctor asks you to take antibiotics to prevent infection. Most of the swelling will disappear after about three weeks, though some may remain for several months. You should be able to return to work four to six weeks after surgery, but any strenuous activity should be avoided for at least a month. 

When the buttocks become flat and saggy, an inner thigh lift may be paired with a butt lift so excess skin is removed and the butt is repositioned.