Thigh Lift

If you’ve undergone significant weight loss or your skin has lost elasticity, you may have noticed excess skin around the upper thighs. While this can be a normal part of losing a lot of weight, it can make individuals feel self-conscious about showing off all of their hard work.

At The Pennsylvania Centre for Plastic Surgery in Philadelphia and Plymouth Meeting, PA, our board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Scott A. Brenman can perform a thigh lift to help tighten and tone loose skin, so you can reveal your results with confidence.

A thigh lift is done to remove excess skin from either the inner thigh or outer thigh/buttock area. This extra skin is usually caused by significant weight loss. Patients who lose a great deal of weight often wish to continue body improvement by removing the extra skin which has accumulated. Some patients have a thigh lift performed because of a significant relaxation of these areas with natural aging.

A thigh lift can include skin tightening with liposuction, which is useful for patients who may have lost a significant amount of weight but still have localized fat in the thigh region.

The best candidates for a thigh lift are individuals who have noticed significant skin sagging along the thigh region. This sagging can be a result of weight loss or just getting older. Candidates should be healthy non-smokers who have realistic expectations for the procedure’s outcomes.

A thigh lift can be performed in two ways:

1. Inner Thigh Lift: This procedure removes and tightens the skin of the inner thigh area. Incisions are placed in the natural crease of the inner thigh. The incisions fade nicely over time.
2. Outer Thigh/Buttock Lift: This procedure is designed to lift the outer thighs and buttocks. An incision is required which extends from the groin area around the outer thigh to the low back. The incision tends to fade nicely with time and is well-hidden in a bathing suit. Great improvements in contour and shape are made with this type of lift.

Dr. Brenman can help you determine which type of thigh lift you’ll most benefit from.

Most patients will immediately notice their results, particularly if there was a significant amount of excess skin and fat. Final results are usually noticeable around the 4-6 month mark, which is when the bulk of the healing usually takes place.

The recovery process will take about 4-6 weeks, with patients asked to refrain from physical activity during the first week of recovery. You should be able to return to normal physical activities after 3-4 weeks, depending on Dr. Brenman’s feedback. Patients may also need to wear compression garments to help the new results settle and heal.