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Am I a Good Candidate for a Thigh Lift?

March 1, 2022 L.A. Vinas
Am I a Good Candidate for a Thigh Lift?

Long, lean legs are a sign of beauty. While you may have loved the way your legs looked as you were younger, fat buildup around the thighs can make them jiggle more than you’d like. Do you dream of wearing a dress and confidently strutting your legs again?

thigh lift is a surgical procedure that eliminates fat from the outer and inner thigh to give you stunning toned legs. Luis Vinas and his practice, L.A. Vinas Plastic Surgery, has three locations in Florida that perform thigh lifts regularly to help patients get a more desirable leg shape.

How your legs age

Your legs carry you from A to B. Thanks to your legs, you can ride a bike, walk to the store, and drive a car. While your skin was tight and trim when you were younger, the normal process of aging can cause unwanted changes.

As you get older, your metabolism slows down and you no longer stay as active as you once did in your youth. This may cause your thighs to accumulate dimpled, stubborn fat. Women experience fat buildup around the thighs, buttocks, and pelvis — men experience weight gain around the stomach.

Causes of fat buildup in thighs:

  • Hormones
  • Weight gain
  • Gravity
  • Lack of exercise
  • Poor diet

Have you tried diet and exercise to slim down with little luck? A thigh lift may be a good option to get the smooth, supple legs you’ve been looking for.

How it works

Liposuction used to be the only option to improve the thigh area. However, this isn’t the best option for patients with excess skin and cellulite. A thigh lift offers more dramatic results for patients looking to boost their confidence.

A thigh lift may involve:

  • Liposuction to remove fat
  • Removing excess skin
  • Lifting and reshaping the skin

A thigh lift, also called thighplasty, is a surgical procedure done on an outpatient basis in about two hours. When you come in for your procedure, Dr. Vinas has you stand and marks your legs for the incision sites. Then, he administers local anesthesia to keep you comfortable during the surgery.

Dr. Vinas makes incisions and removes excess skin and fat from the thigh. Next, he lifts and repositions the skin for a sleeker appearance. Drains are put in so your body can properly eliminate excess fluid — generally, they are removed about a week after surgery.

To end the thigh lift, Dr. Vinas places deep sutures to help keep the skin as tight as can be.

Is it right for me?

Deciding to undergo a thigh lift is a completely personal decision and should only be done for you. It’s important to note that while a thigh lift offers miraculous results, it is major surgery.

You may be a good candidate if you:

  • Are within 10 pounds of your goal weight
  • Have excess soft, fat buildup in your inner or outer thigh
  • Are in good health
  • Don’t smoke
  • Have realistic goals for surgery
  • Maintain a healthy lifestyle
  • Can take 7-10 days off work

The recovery period of a thigh lift shouldn’t be overlooked. After your surgery, you need lots of rest and must eliminate leg movement as much as possible for about two weeks.

While you’ll notice an improvement in shape after surgery, it can take months for the swelling to subside and your full results to be revealed. Once a thigh lift is done, the results are permanent if you maintain a healthy weight.

Four different kinds

Thigh lifts are a popular procedure for patients who have undergone drastic weight loss. The procedure looks different depending on whether you have excess fat in your inner thigh, outer thigh, or both. Here are four of the different kinds of thigh lifts:

Inner thigh lift

This type of thigh lift focuses on the inside of your thigh and is often done for patients who’ve lost weight, but still have sagging skin. An inner thigh lift involves an incision starting at the top of your pubic bone and extending down your buttocks. Dr. Vinas makes the incision in the natural crease of your body so it is easily concealed.

Bilateral thigh lift

A bilateral thigh lift improves the skin on the front and sides of your thighs. Fat deposits from pregnancy or significant weight loss may cause fat to collect here.

Using a V-shaped incision, starting at your groin and wrapping around your hips to your buttocks, Dr. Vinas gives your thighs a smaller circumference. This incision is easily hidden beneath underwear or a swimsuit.

Medial thigh lift

This procedure focuses on tightening the skin in the inner, upper half of your thigh, using an incision that starts at your groin and ends at the crease of your buttocks. Your results offer a great aesthetic improvement in skin laxity.

Mini thighplasty

Mini thighplasty may be an option for those with only a moderate amount of excess skin in their upper, inner thighs. Performed by making a horizontal incision in your groin, mini thighplasty will provide an enhanced thigh shape with less recovery time than the other lifts.

Find out a thigh lift is right for you — contact us to schedule your appointment.

Call your dermatologist or contact us to request an appointment if you notice any of these signs.
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