Thigh Lift New Jersey: Techniques, Recovery, and Results

Do you feel self-conscious about the appearance of your thighs? If so, you are not alone — the thighs are notoriously difficult to slim and tone. Thigh lift surgery targets that extra skin and fat, helping you a achieve thinner, more beautifully sculpted appearance.

Whether it’s caused by rapid weight loss or the natural aging process, sagging skin in the thigh area is a very common concern among plastic surgery patients. Not only can it make you feel poorly about your appearance, but it can also result in uncomfortable chafing and skin lesions.

Thigh lift surgery — also known as thighplasty — removes excess skin and fat deposits, giving the thighs a more toned appearance and aesthetically pleasing proportions. It’s especially popular among those who have lost a significant amount of weight following bariatric surgery or lifestyle changes.

While some patients may benefit from liposuction or non-invasive body contouring procedures in the thigh area, this won’t accomplish the desired results when the skin has been stretched beyond its ability to “bounce back”. In such cases, thighplasty is the recommended approach.

There are two main techniques: the medial (inner) thigh lift, and the lateral (outer) thigh lift. The latter is typically performed as part of a combination of procedures known as a lower body lift.

In either case, incisions are performed to remove excess skin and fat. The remaining skin is then tightened before the incisions are closed with sutures.

1. Inner thigh lift: The medial or inner thigh lift involves liposuction, generally followed by the removal of a “crescent” of skin from the upper thigh. This creates a very discrete horizontal scar in the upper leg crease (where your underwear sits). If there is a significant amount of excess skin extending towards the knee, the surgeon may perform a vertical medial thighplasty, or vertical thigh lift. In such cases, the incision extends to the knee along the inside of the leg.

2. Outer thigh lift: More advanced techniques are required to perform outer thigh lift surgery. A greater amount of excess tissue is removed, as incisions extend from the groin and around the hip to the patient’s buttocks and back. This results in more extensive and visible scarring.

Downtime is dependent upon the specific technique employed, but in most cases full recovery can be expected after six to eight weeks.

Your surgeon may prescribe narcotic pain relievers at first, followed by double-strength, over-the-counter pain medication such as Tylenol for up to seven days. Expect to be away from work for at least two weeks — some surgeons recommend a longer recovery period, especially for patients with jobs that are more physically demanding.

Bandages will be applied following surgery, and drains may also be used to remove excess fluid or blood. Compression garments should also be worn for the first few weeks to minimize swelling. Giving your incisions time to heal by avoiding strenuous activity is critical to ensuring a smooth recovery, and ultimately ensuring that your stitches don’t open.

Assuming that you follow your surgeon’s aftercare instructions, you can expect your scars to fade into very fine, barely perceptible lines over time.

The short answer is that a thigh lift can certainly improve the appearance of cellulite, but won’t completely remove it. In fact, this is true of any procedure labelled as a cellulite treatment.

A thigh lift will simply remove some of the skin and tissue that may have cellulite. It will also tighten the skin. However, it will not remove the cellulite because the underlying fat cells are still present.

Unlike other procedures, thigh lift surgery results can be seen almost immediately. Assuming that you maintain a stable weight, these results will be long-lasting.

A recent study shared by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that with the increased use of bariatric surgery, the numbers of patients seeking body contouring surgery after massive weight loss has also risen. Thigh lift surgery has demonstrated significant functional and cosmetic benefits, resulting in improved self-esteem for an overwhelming majority of patients.