Am I a candidate for inner thigh lipo? Afraid it'd leave me with loose skin (Photos)

Question

I am looking to get rid of my upper inner thigh fat....my skin is tight and i have been told i have good skin elasticity. I am pretty muscular and athletic, theres not a ton of fat but it bothers me a lot. I am afraid this procedure would leave me with loose skin.

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello Sophia45_s, 
Thank you for your question whether you are a candidate for inner thigh liposuction, even though you were afraid it would leave you with loose, inner thigh skin. Thank you for your history and pictures.  Skin recoil after liposuction is multifactorial. Skin recoil after liposuction depends on your genetics and quality of your skin. If your inner thigh skin has not been stretched by pregnancy or massive weight gain and weight loss, there is more of a tendency of the skin to snap back after inner thigh liposuction. However, if you have inner thigh stretch marks, have a significant amount of solar and radiation damage to the inner thigh, the inner thigh skin may not snap back after liposuction. In addition, patient who smoke and do not regularly exercise have poor skin elasticity. From your brief history and two pictures, it does not look like you fit into any of those categories.  Therefore, I think you will have a good result with inner thigh liposuction. It is best to be overly cautious with the inner thigh.  It is better to perform a little inner thigh liposuction twice, than risk removing too much inner thigh fat in one procedure. I hope I have answered your question whether you are a good candidate for inner thigh liposuction and the fact that you were afraid it may leave you with loose inner thigh skin.   Good luck with your inner thigh liposuction     Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.

Finny George, MD · Answer

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. You are an excellent candidate for liposuction and should not develop loose skin if the liposuction is not done aggressively.

Lane Smith, MD · Answer

Vaser liposuction uses ultrasound and heat to tighten skin and stimulate collagen production as the fat is being removed. It will prevent loose or saggy skin in your thighs. For such a small area of liposuction, your cost and down time would be minimal. I would love to see you at Smith Plastic Surgery for a consultation.

Brandon Richland, MD · Answer

Dear sophia,
Thanks for your question and attaching photos, very helpful! Based on the photos, the inner thighs would likely respond well to liposuction. You may also want to consider a skin tightening procedure such as renuvion/j plasma as well. Based on the photos, I wouldn't recommend a skin excision procedure such as a thigh lift, but you can get more information from your surgeon. I recommend seeing a board-certified plastic surgeon for a consultation to obtain more information and recommendations.

John Reilly, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi, Based on the photos provided it would highly unlikely to have loose skin after liposuction of your upper/inner thigh if performed by an experienced plastic surgeon. Th procedure can certainly be office based. Good luck.

Timothy M. Bradley, MD · Answer

Your skin elasticity appears to be good, and there should not be an issue with having loose skin following a liposuction procedure. Not only is good skin quality extremely important to a good out come when treating the inner thigh area, but conservative and proper fat removal is also paramount to a good outcome. Aggressive fat removal of the inner thigh area as is frequently performed when treating the abdomen or flank area can result in what is known as a “shark bite” deformity of the inner thigh. Be sure you choose a surgeon who has extensive experience with liposuction. A shark bite deformity is not only exceedingly unsightly, but also impossible to fully correct

Dinah Wan, MD · Answer

Your photos appear like you have good skin elasticity. You also do not appear to have much excess skin in your inner thighs. You will most likely do well with conservative liposuction of your inner thighs. An alternative, less invasive option for you is coolsculpting.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear sophia45_s,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. Based on your photos, it looks like you might be a candidate for thigh lipo. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Robert M. Lowen, MD · Answer

You are a great candidate for inner thigh lipo. Skin is tight, elastic and fat that bothers you is localized. This can still be done badly and cause irregularities or waviness if over done.  Find an experienced plastic surgeon who is comfortable doing this "unforgiving" area, and you should be happy.  Limit the lipo just to the bulge.
  By the way, this has to be done from the front and the back, usually start on the back with an incision in the medial infragluteal crease, because that's where the fat is thickest, then from an incision inside the medial bikini/groin crease to refine the front, which really has to be done gently and incrementally to blend in with the removal from the posterior liposuction.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

Based on these photos, you could expect bnefits of conservative liposuction of upper inner thights. However, be sure that you find a board certified plastic surgeon with good reputation in body contouring surgery since this is not work for everybody. Hope this helps.

Am I a candidate for inner thigh lipo? Afraid it'd leave me with loose skin (Photos)

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