The Basics of a Leg Lift and a Thigh Lift

Although the popularity of face lifts has made general knowledge of that type of lift pretty common, most people do not have the same kind of knowledge when it comes to other types of body lifts. One type of body lift many people may benefit from is the thigh lift, also known as a leg lift. There are several types of thigh lifts and many reasons a person may want to get one or more of these procedures.

Types of Thigh Lifts

There are several types of thigh lifts, including inner thigh lifts, bilateral thigh lifts and medial thigh lifts. These lifts may also be complemented by body lifts and buttock lifts. The exact lifts necessary will vary from person to person.

The inner thigh lift reduces the amount of skin in the inner thigh and tightens it as well. This may be performed with liposuction at the same time. Because this area of the body can be so difficult to trim down through diet and exercise, this type of lift can be helpful for many people -- women in particular. If a person has long a significant amount of weight, this is also a great option. This is due to the fact that if a person loses a significant amount of weight, that person may be left with a large amount of excess skin that no diet or exercise program can help to eliminate.

The bilateral thigh lift helps to tighten the skin located on the outside and front of the legs. It may be performed in addition to other thigh lifts (at the same time) or by itself. With this type of surgery the surgeon makes an incision around where the bottom of a person’s underwear would hit and removes the excess skin and then tightens what is left. This type of surgery is also good for individuals who cannot trim everything they would like to with diet and exercise or if they have lost a lot of weight and have excess skin. This type of surgery can also be performed with liposuction as well.

A medial thigh lift is performed in the upper inner thigh region. It may be performed for the same reasons as other thigh lifts (excess skin from weight loss or stubborn weight) or it may be performed simply because a person does not like the way her upper thigh looks or is shaped.

What to Expect

Any person who is considering a thigh lift should know what to expect before, after and during the procedure. First of all, to be considered a good candidate for this surgery a person should be in good health and preferably a non-smoker. There is likely to be scarring from a thigh lift procedure but that scarring is generally hidden in the underwear line. A person’s doctor may advise that a patient get liposuction before the thigh lift to reduce the amount of fat in a region prior to lifting it.

Thigh lifts are usually performed under general anesthesia, most often under an outpatient basis. Any person considering a thigh lift will likely need a person to drive them home afterward. The time taken off work is generally about two weeks.