Does excess skin and fat on your thighs leave you hiding behind your clothes, even during hot summer days? Does the thought of swimsuit season, or even going on vacation, make you cringe because you fear having your legs exposed? There are various causes and reasons for why patients seek surgical thigh lifts to help smooth skin and contour the legs for a more pleasing, feminine silhouette. Some find wrinkled and sagging skin on their thighs due to genetics and natural aging, while others who’ve experienced significant weight loss can be left with excessive hanging skin, leaving them feeling embarrassed and devastating their self esteem. Fortunately, Element’s award winning, board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Adibfar has developed and perfected the technique and skills needed to successfully perform thigh lifts for beautiful results that leave his patients incredibly pleased and satisfied with their smoother, firmer and more contoured legs. It’s important that if you are considering having a thigh lift done, that you choose your plastic surgeon wisely, as your results greatly depend on it.
What Are The Different Types of Thigh Lifts?
A thigh lift procedure can greatly differ from one patient to the next depending on their constitution, the scope of work needed and desired results. Here at Elements, we specialize in offering our patients two thigh lift procedures to better suit their circumstances. They are the Mini Thigh Lift and Vertical Thigh Lift.
The Mini Thigh Lift is the preferred procedure for patients with loose, hanging or wrinkled skin visible on the upper inner thigh. An incision is made along the top of the leg so that the scar lays naturally along the crease of the upper thigh or groin line. This best hides any visible signs of operation. Once the incision is made, the skin tissue is pulled and elevated for an overall smoother appearance. Dissolvable stitches are also used to secure the skin and incision in the leg’s crease.
The Vertical Thigh Lift addresses the inner and outer thighs, as well as loose skin around the hip and buttocks. A more prominent incision is made from the top of the inner thigh down toward the knee, as well as along the leg’s groin line forming a T shape. This technique allows for more efficient fat removal, as well as a more defined and smoother contour along the whole length of the upper leg, resulting in a drastic positive change in the patient’s silhouette. The Vertical Thigh Lift also allows for more skin elasticity. After having treated the area with liposuction, the skin is left easier to gather, secure and dress while still leaving the incision on the inside of the leg. Some other clinics may perform a thigh lift on the outer thigh. At Elements, we prefer the Vertical Thigh Lift because the incision is left less apparent and exposed when placed on the inside of the thigh.
These state-of-the-art procedures are more often combined with other procedures to help tighten tissues, remove any bulging areas and elevate the skin for a smoother, more taut appearance and silhouette. This often includes liposuction, abdominoplasty and/or a body/butt lift. Dr. Adibfar best advises his patients on which procedure, or combined surgeries, would prove most beneficial depending on the patient’s body and their areas of concern and insecurity.
Recovery
Although it may be tempting to rest most of the time, patients are advised to carefully move around after surgery to better encourage circulation and healing. Recovery is gradual, however patients are typically able to resume a normal, and reasonably active lifestyle 6-8 weeks after surgery. As with any procedure, there are always risks and side effects including bruising, swelling, infection and bleeding. Scars also generally tend to appear more prominent and sensitive before settling in and beginning to fade during healing. Light compression dressings are also used to reduce chance of Seroma formation, promote healing and maintain the leg’s freshly tightened contour. Patients are always advised to best follow Dr. Adibfar’s post surgical care instructions for optimal healing and results.
Patients who’ve undergone thigh lifts report that they not only feel more confident in the way they look, but also feel better about themselves and comfortable wearing more subtly revealing clothing, resulting in a significantly positive outlook. If you’re struggling with excess sagging skin from significant weight loss, or simply desire a firmer contour around your thighs, hips and buttocks, then a thigh lift may be a great procedure to lend the results you’ve been craving.
Click here to book a consultation with Element’s own industry-leading, board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Adibfar.