Thigh lift
Lift the tissues,
enhance the definition
There are many elements that influence the aspect of your thighs: skin quality, skin tone, fat distribution, and muscle volume. The inner thigh especially is very subjective to changes in weight and often looses its definition when you get older. This can be bothersome in shorts, skirts or swimming clothes. There are multiple treatments that I can offer to improve both the skin quality and tightness of your thighs. Which technique is the best for you, depends on your wishes and expectations, as well as the anatomical structures and tissues that need to be treated.
The essentials
A thigh lift is a procedure to improve your thigh definition, enhance the contour and reduce the skin excess if needed.
Several surgical options are possible, some with incisions and some without: radio-frequency skin tightening - liposuction with radio-frequency - liposuction with limited skin excision - liposuction with extended skin excision.
The best results are achieved when both the skin and fat are tackled by targeted fat reduction and advanced skin tightening. If sufficient skin retraction can not be achieved, skin excision is needed.
To determine the best treatment, I analyse several aspects of your thighs: skin quality and tone, skin and fat excess, the zone of skin excess, and the skin-fat ratio.
Not every thigh lift requires an incision. The combination of liposuction with radio-frequency skin tightening often gives amazing results without the need for visible scars.
Consider a downtime of 1-2 weeks with easy dressings. Avoid physical activity for 6 weeks.
Respect the recovery time well and you will profit from the transformation for the rest of your life.
How can we achieve a good thigh lift ?
The goal of a thigh lift is quite straight forward: turn a loose, flaccid inner thigh without definition into a more toned, well-defined thigh with tighter skin. However, there are numerous techniques described to perform a thigh lift. And experience has taught me that a lot of patients really hate the potential scars that they will have. The truth is, not every thigh lift requires an incision and if an incision is required, several patterns are possible. In addition, not every incision needs to be visible. The technique to get a more defined and better looking thigh really depends on a thorough clinical investigation, during which I analyse several factors:
How is the skin quality and skin tone ?
Is there a lot of fat excess ?
What is the amount of skin excess and where is it located ?
What is the ratio between fat and skin ?
Is the problem only situated in the upper part of the inner thigh or until the knee ?
What are your expectations and surgical goals ?
Depending on these factors, I can then make a well-informed judgement as to which treatment will give you the best result. In some cases, you will have a choice (depending on your expectations), in other cases there may be only one good option. Depending on the aspect of your thighs, we may go for:
A radio-frequency treatment (coming soon): if you have moderate skin laxity without any fat excess, a treatment with radio-frequency will help you tighten the skin and get a better definition. There are no scars, there is no anaesthesia needed, and you have minimal downtime. If the indication is there, this is truly a winner.
A liposuction in combination with radio-frequency: if you have moderate skin laxity with some fat excess, this combination will reduce both the fat as well as tighten the skin. The operation can be performed under local anaesthesia with 2 small incisions, which are basically invisible. By combining both the advantages of the liposuction and the strength of radio-frequency, I can give you the optimal treatment if you just have a little bit of loose skin and want to avoid a scar.
Liposuction + limited skin excision in the groin: if you have a bit too much skin laxity high in the inner thigh, radio-frequency may not give you the results you are hoping for. The liposuction will reduce the fat excess and give some skin contraction, but too loose skin at the upper inner thigh will need to be excised. The scar is completely hidden in the groin and covered by any short or skirt.
Liposuction + skin excision of the inner thigh: if you have too much loose skin over the complete length of the inner thigh, I have to judge the quality and tone. Especially after weight loss, the skin has usually become very lax. Excising the excess skin may then be the only option to have well-defined, better looking thighs. The scar is hidden in the inside of the thigh. I never go below the knee, as this may render the scar too visible. The great advantage of a full inner thigh lift is that the combination of extensive liposuction with limited skin excision allows me to give you a 360 degree improved aspect of the thighs.
The use of radio-frequency has really changed my practice and is an excellent innovative technique to treat a thigh. In an area like the inner thigh, it can avoid a scar in a lot of patients. Especially if I combine it with a liposuction. There are of course exceptions (as mentioned above) where surgical excision is the only option. The operative plan is therefore very specific to the aspect of your thighs. I apply a very patient-tailored approach for this type of surgery as everybody has a different anatomy and different expectations as well. During the consultation, I will explain to you the procedure in more detail, with pictures and photographs, as well as which scars to expect (if any) and the post-operative care that will be needed. In case of surgery, you can expect a down time of 1 to 2 weeks, with light dressings.
The design of the skin incision is very much dependent on the clinical aspect of the thigh. By analysing both the skin and fat excess, we can make a clear decision which treatment is the best for you and which combination of liposuction, skin tightening and skin excision (if needed) will give you the best results.
What are the benefits of an thigh lift?
Getting toned, more defined thighs is easier said than done. Exercising regularly will help of course, and I do advise to keep cardio and leg training as a part of your weekly training schedule to maintain a certain muscle tone. But once that skin starts hanging, there is not much you can do besides getting some sort of surgical treatment. As I said before, it truly depends on the analysis of your skin, fat, and overall aspect of the thighs to determine what would be the best treatment for you, and if there is some skin excision to perform or not. Regardless of the technique, I aim to achieve the following benefits in every patient:
Reduction of the loose hanging skin as much as possible, which can be done through multiple techniques and with the least amount of incisions as needed
Reduction of the fatty excess to achieve slimmer, better looking thighs
More toned thighs that look good from the front and the back
Good looking thighs in any clothing that you wear
Long-lasting, natural results
A boost in self-confidence
Are you a good candidate for an thigh lift ?
There are several techniques, both invasive and minimally invasive, to achieve more toned, better looking thighs. This makes it possible for a lot of patients to be good candidates for a thigh lift. It therefor depends a lot on your wishes and expectations in order to decide if an thigh lift is indicated for you. In general, you are a good candidate for an thigh lift if:
You do not like the way your inner thighs look when wearing a shorter skirt, dress or in swimming clothes
You do not like the fullness of your inner thighs and would love to have slimmer thighs that look beautiful in any type of clothing
You have lost some weight, but your thighs now look a bit loose and flaccid
You would like to have a more aesthetic look of your thighs, but you are unable to achieve your goals at the gym
You have realistic expectations
If you recognise some of these signs or concerns, I recommend you to plan a consultation in order to see how we can improve your thigh aesthetics and bring a positive impact to your life.
