Free mini cosmetic consultations
Thinking about cosmetic surgery but unsure what’s right for you? Join Mr Simon Mackey on 8 October for a free mini consultation. Limited spaces available – reserve your spot today!
Thinking about cosmetic surgery but unsure what’s right for you? Join Mr Simon Mackey on 8 October for a free mini consultation. Limited spaces available – reserve your spot today!
A thigh lift is a cosmetic surgery procedure designed to address sagging or loose skin in the thigh area. This condition can result from factors like aging, significant weight loss, or genetics. Thigh lift surgery is an effective way to tighten and reshape your thighs, giving you smoother, more toned contours. It can also be combined with liposuction to remove any excess fat in the area.
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Mr Simon Mackey, Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon, discusses thigh lift surgery at Benenden Hospital (7 videos)
A thigh lift is a procedure designed to remove excess skin from the medial thigh area. There are two general scar patterns, one which passes just along the growing crease, along the medial thigh. And the other type which courses along the growing crease and then leaves you with a longer scar, which travels down the thigh itself.
Thigh lift surgery is generally performed under a general anaesthetic as a day case or as an inpatient at the hospital. The precise scar pattern that's required will depend upon the distribution of fat along your thighs, and also your own personal goals and compromise that you may be happy to make with regards to scar pattern. So, some of the techniques which place a scar along the inner surface of the thigh are more powerful but obviously leave a scar, which is more noticeable.
You would normally have dissolving stitches, you may require a drain overnight and you would normally need to wear some compression shorts for the first six weeks following the procedure to try and obtain the best results.
So, thigh lift surgery is normally not too painful. It tends to be performed with you asleep and, before you wake up, I inject the area with lots of local anaesthetic. Because it involves the skin only, and no deeper structures, the pain tends to be quite well controlled with simple painkillers such as paracetamol.
Thigh lift surgery can improve the appearance of cellulite, in that it will remove some of the cellulite from the thighs, but it will not smooth the appearance of the thighs overall. And sadly, there remains a lack of particularly good treatments for cellulite.
You can definitely walk following thigh lift surgery. For the first week or so, I'd normally advise that you take things fairly easily. And I would rather that you don't stretch the scars too much, as this can increase the chance of wound healing problems or a stretched scar itself.
But from the day after the procedure, really, you can go for gentle walks. And this will also help to prevent complications, such as blood clots in the legs. You would normally return to normal function somewhere between six and 12 weeks following a thigh lift procedure.
Immediately following a thigh lift, you'll have lots of local anaesthetic on board and any position would be comfortable. But I would really urge people to avoid any positions which involve crossing the legs, particularly. You're better just to sit on the bottom, directly on a chair.
Immediately following a thigh lift, the wounds will be closed with dissolving stitches, glue, and a special tape dressing. We then tend to wrap the thighs in a semi compressive bandage which will work for the first few days following the operation.
Beyond that, our Plastic Surgery nurse will be able to advise you on compression garments to wear. But really, you should be trying to wear cycle short type garments, which involve the full length of the thigh, as the pressure will encourage the scars to settle more swiftly.
Clinical Nurse Specialist in Plastics and Cosmetic Surgery
Kate is the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Plastics and Cosmetic Surgery at Benenden Hospital.
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Miss Anita Hazari specialises in cosmetic breast surgery, body contouring (tummy tuck and arm lift), labiaplasty, and upper eyelid surgery.
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Mr Macdonald's clinical interests include breast reduction surgery, abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, body contouring, brachioplasty or arm lift.
Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon
Mr Mackey's clinical interests include breast reduction surgery, mastopexy or breast uplift, abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, brachioplasty or arm lift.
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