Thigh Lift - can it be done without a large scar?

Congratulations on your impressive weight loss! The length of the scar for a thigh lift is dependent upon the amount of loose skin. For minimal loose skin located on the upper thighs the scar can often be hidden in the crease of the thigh. For significant loose skin a longer incision is typically necessary. I encourage you to visit with a board certified plastic surgeon near you. You will learn more about the procedure and what you can expect in terms of the incision based on your examination.

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding whether a thigh lift can be done without the long scar that usually runs along the inner thigh. Congratulations on your weight loss. That’s a major accomplishment. Now you are ready to take the next step in your transformation by addressing the excess thigh skin.

From your description, it sounds like you have significant skin laxity, which is common after losing 100 pounds. Unfortunately, when there is loose skin from the groin down to the knee, non-surgical options and limited incision techniques are often not strong enough to create a meaningful improvement. For patients with excess skin only in the upper third of the inner thigh, a crescent or mini thigh lift may be an option. However, when skin looseness affects the middle and lower thirds of the thigh, a vertical thigh lift provides the most effective and longest-lasting result. This procedure removes a vertical wedge of skin and fat from the inner thigh, which does result in a scar along the inner thigh.

Most patients are initially hesitant about the scar, but over time, many find that it fades and becomes more acceptable than the excess hanging skin. For patients who have already undergone other body contouring procedures, the thigh lift is often a welcomed final stage. While scarless lifting sounds ideal, it is not realistic when you are dealing with a large amount of skin. Treatments like radiofrequency or microneedling may provide modest tightening, but they are not powerful enough to remove redundant tissue. In your case, a vertical thigh lift is likely your best option.

I hope this helps you better understand your options. If you have any questions about the vertical thigh lift, medial thigh lift, or thigh reduction, please contact a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in thigh lifts. Make sure your surgeon has performed at least 150 thigh lifts and can show you before-and-after photos to help you feel confident in your decision. Good luck.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon