Body Lift or Thigh Lift for Stretch Marks on Calves, Hips, and Thighs?

BODY LIFT OR THIGH LIFT FOR STRETCH MARKS ON CALVES, HIPS, AND THIGHS


Dear Mary:

  I understand your concern regarding stretch marks of your hips and calves.  It is possible to remove stretch marks with a body lift and/or a thigh lift.  This depends on where the stretch marks are and if the proposed skin excision encompasses the stretch marks that want to be removed. 

If the stretch marks are on the upper outer portion of the hip, typically in the saddle bag region, this usually can be removed with a circumferential or 360-body lift.  If the stretch marks are further down on your hips around the knee area on the outside portion, this may not be able to be removed with a body lift.  Alternatively, if you have scars on your inner thighs, these can be removed with a medial or inner thigh lift. 

Typically, the incision for an inner thigh lift goes from the groin to the inner knee and removed an ellipse or extended football shaped amount of skin and fat from the inner thigh.  If the stretch marks are on the inner leg, therefore a thigh lift may be a good solution.

If you have stretch marks on your calves, these can be eliminated with a calf reduction.  Typically, when I do calf reductions, an incision is made from the medial or inner knee down to the inner ankle.  This removes excess skin and fat from the inner calf region and eliminates stretch marks in those areas.

Thank you,


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J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS

Thank you for your question.

Best to be examined by a board certified plastic surgeon for the best advice but if you have excess skin as well as  stretch marks on your thighs, a thigh lift may help BUT it is a large surgery with scarring and you need to weigh the pro's and con's of having this procedure and whether it's worth it.  That is why a consultation is important to get all of the information.

Best Wishes!