OVERVIEW
Jiggly thighs can be reversed with a thigh lift, or thighplasty, which removes excessive, loose skin and tightens the remaining skin around the thighs. As a result, patients will experience more contoured, shapelier thighs. Houston cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Kristi Sumpter, finds the thigh lift to be particularly effective for patients who have gone through significant weight loss and aging patients. In addition to removing skin, Dr. Sumpter can remove abundant fat from the thighs with liposuction to further improve the look of the thighs. Patients will be proud to show off their legs after this surgery.
Several women and men experience loose skin in their thighs for a number of reasons, most of which include dramatic weight loss. In these cases which the skin does not retract on its own, a thigh lift is a great solution to tighten the loss skin and lose the flabby jiggling sensation and appearance.
BEST CANDIDATES
The best candidates for a thigh lift are those who are at or near their goal weight and whose weight loss is stable. Patients that have loose skin hanging from the inner and/or outer thigh would be candidates for this. Because thighplasty is a skin tightening surgery, patients who simply wish to remove fat, but otherwise have good skin laxity, will be better suited for a liposuction procedure. A combination of liposuction and skin tightening is usually incorporated in a thigh lift.
WHAT TO EXPECT
During a thigh lift surgery, the most common incision point places the incisions in the groin and in many cases, depending on the amount of skin to be removed, extends downward. The hanging skin is trimmed away and removed and the underlying tissue is re-draped and tightened. Depending on the needs of the patient, our doctor will either perform a medial thigh lift targeting the inner thigh, or a lateral tight lift, which targets the outer thigh. Patients who are advised to have an outer thigh lift will generally need to have their butt lifted as well. This combination approach is sometimes incorporated into an overall lower body lift for severe skin sagging.
DURING/AFTER SURGERY
Thigh lift surgery, if performed alone, takes about 2-4 hours to complete. It is considered an outpatient procedure. The recovery for a thigh lift is somewhat slow, but this is primarily due to the incisions. On average, patients can expect to return to light activities within 2 weeks, and a full recovery in about 6-8 weeks. Depending on how much skin was removed, there may be scars that are evident outside of the groin area. Proper scar care is needed for the scars to heal safely. Because of newly enhanced thighs and a slimmer thigh appearance, patients find that their self-confidence improves greatly after this surgery.
EXPECTED COST
Thigh lift surgery costs an average of $8,000 to $10,000. The fees increase if the surgery is combined with another lower body cosmetic procedure.
GET THE SILHOUETTE YOU DESERVE
Thigh lift surgery has changed the lives of countless men and women who have battled loose and sagging skin in the thighs. This unsightly appearance creates anxiety when wearing shorts and makes wearing everyday clothing difficult. Our talented team has the credentials to create gorgeous results for patients seeking body contouring. Please call our office today to learn more.
