Admit it. It’s one of the first things you think about when you see someone in shorts or a bathing suit. It’s one of the first things you can’t help but judge, even if just a little. After all, when someone’s legs – their thighs, specifically – are on display, the natural reaction is to look at them. To some degree or another, you’re either impressed by someone’s nice-looking legs, or you’re not. Excess skin and fat around the thigh area isn’t fun to look at, and it certainly isn’t fun to have. If you 
find yourself in this category, a thigh lift procedure could very well be a path toward thighs you’ll feel downright confident about showing off.
What are the benefits of a thigh lift?
A thigh lift can reduce the amount of sagging skin on the outer or inner thighs. A thigh lift can be especially beneficial to patients who have experienced dramatic weight loss, but can also provide desirable results to just about anyone who would like tighter, more sculpted thighs. If you're looking to tighten the skin around your thighs and get rid of sagging, hanging skin, then a thigh lift might be perfect for you.
How does a thigh lift procedure work?
A thigh lift procedure typically lasts several hours and is usually performed on an outpatient basis. At GLOW Surgical Arts, all procedures are performed in our Redwood City surgical clinic. Here at GLOW, thigh lifts, like all of our procedures, are done under local tumescent anesthesia. The procedure itself begins with an incision in the groin area, near the hip. Your surgeon sepeartes the skin on your thigh from the fat and muscle below and by pulling that flap of skin upwards, can remove excess skin and fat from the area. Afterwards, the remaining skin is streched back in place and the incisions are closed with small stitches. If you have significant excess fat, liposuction of the area may also be performed. Either way, you should be able to go home the same day.
The risks are minimal and rare in occurrence, but as with any surgical procedure, do exist. They include bleeding, infection and fluid accumulation.
What’s the recovery process like?
While you’ll be able to go home the same day of the procedure, the recovery process does take a while. The precise timeline and specifics of what you’ll need to do to most efficiently fully recover will depend on you, your surgeon and the procedure itself. Everyone is different, but in general, you’ll want to do things like walk around as soon as possible post-procedure to help reduce swelling. There will be some pain and some swelling no matter what, and if needed, we can provide medicine to control both.
You will need to wear a support garmet to help reduce swelling for a few weeks. Typically the stiches used do not need to be removed. Most patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity for around a month, but you should be able to get back to work within a week or two after the procedure. The key word in dealing with the recovery from a thigh lift procedure is “process.” It’s a process, and it can feel slow. Healing is slow, and at first it might not seem like the results were worth it because they take some time to show up.
Here’s the good news: Once you are fully healed, and assuming you maintain a healthy diet and steady exercise, the results are life-long. Touchups might be necessary down the road, but the major changes you’ll experience in your thighs (less saggy, flabby skin) from the actual procedure will be permanent.
So its time to stop hiding your legs. Especially when it’s quite possible a thigh lift procedure might be just the thing to help you get rid of that excess skin and fat. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel good about walking around, enjoying the sunshine in shorts or a swimsuit? A thigh lift procedure can help you get there. And you can schedule a no obligation, free consultation with a GLOW cosmetic surgeon any time to find out just how much sense a thigh lift procedure might make for you.
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