When we think about cosmetic surgery, we often think about lifting, nipping, and tucking to make desired changes. Topics that traditionally come to mind include facelift, breast lift, tummy tuck, or thigh lift. These cosmetic procedures typically rely on excision of loose skin and possibly excess fat as well. Surgeries that elevate skin are typically referred to as lifts, such as for the face, breast, arms, buttocks, and even thighs. Surgeries that pull down skin are referred to as tucks which can be performed on the abdomen or lower buttocks for a tummy tuck or butt tuck. Scars are often hidden in skin folds or behind the ear when it comes to face lifting.
This month, Prime magazine posed the question asking: Is a thigh lift worth it? To help investigate this question, we will first consider the ideal candidate for the procedure. Thigh lift surgery is typically performed for people who have increased skin laxity and excess skin to the medial or lateral thighs. Liposuction is often incorporated into the procedure to further enhance results. People considering a thigh lift should have moderate to severe skin laxity to warrant the procedure. Loose skin is excised in the medial thigh crease, along the groin, to help hide the scar. For those with severe skin excess, the lift procedure can be extended medially, along the inner thigh, down to the level of the knee to achieve maximal excision of loose skin.
Thigh Lift Scars
Thigh lift scars are meant to be hidden at the groin or medially at the thigh, but are necessary in order to remove the skin excess. With time scars will fade, but are always present. So to determine if a thigh lift is worth the time and expense would require one to consider if the scar of thigh lift is worth it. When you have moderate to severe skin laxity along the medial thigh, a scar is not such a bad alternative. But, if only mild skin laxity is present you may not necessarily consider a scar an improvement over loose skin.
