Life changes and age can all have their effect on our bodies. Sometimes even diet and exercise aren’t quite enough to combat these unwanted changes, and that’s why we’re here to help. Our professional, experienced team can help you regain and maintain a more youthful appearance. Christopher Tiner M.D. in Pasadena, CA, is pleased to offer a thigh lift as one of our many services.
How Does a Thigh Lift Work?
A Facelift for Your Thighs
Many factors can contribute to patients being unhappy with the appearance of their thighs. One of the most common reasons someone will seek out a thigh lift is when they want to remove excess skin. Excess skin can be caused by the natural loss of elastin and collagen as we age, but it can also be a result of weight loss.
This surgery corrects visual concerns by removing any excess skin that’s affecting the appearance of your thighs.
How Long Does It Take?
Generally speaking, this process is fairly quick and can sometimes be finished in as little as two hours. It’s important to remember that each patient is individual, so your unique timeline may differ slightly.
During a consultation, we can go over the incision methods that we believe would be most effective for you. After that, we’ll be able to give you a more detailed and individualized timeline for what you can expect.
Common Types of Thigh Lifts
There are several approaches to this surgery, all of which can be helpful depending on a patient’s needs. When we know your needs, we’ll be able to tell you which approach we believe has the best chance of meeting your goals.
1. The Mini Lift
This type of lift can help reduce sagging throughout the upper part of your inner thigh. It doesn’t tighten the entire thigh, but if your primary concern is the upper third of your thigh, the mini lift could be a viable option. It tends to be a good fit for patients who don’t have a lot of excess skin or fat, but just want to smooth and trim the area down a little bit.
The incision for this surgery is usually made in the groin area. After liposuction, excess skin can be removed for an overall smoother and slimmer appearance. This type of lift tends to be the quickest.
2. The Medial or Inner Lift
This lift addresses the inner region of your upper thigh, which is a notoriously difficult area to shed excess weight. If you’ve been struggling to trim down this area with diet and exercise, you could be a good candidate for this surgery.
It’s also a great way to trim the area up if you’ve already lost weight, but don’t like the way skin may sag after rapid weight loss. Regardless of the reason, be it due to age or weight fluctuation, this is a popular treatment option.
An In-Depth Look at the Process
The most common incision location for the inner lift is the crease where the thigh and pubic area join together. This helps camouflage the incision, which will usually start close to your hip bone, then seamlessly travel along the crease of your body to the back of the buttocks.
These incisions allow a significant amount of excess fat and skin to be removed. Liposuction can be included as part of the process. To top things off, the thigh is lifted by rejoining the skin in a tighter, higher position than before.
3. Vertical Lift
If you have excess skin traveling all the way around your thigh, a vertical lift might be a good call for you. This type of lift can help address the lower and middle sections of the thigh as well as that upper area. It’s sometimes referred to as a crescent lift.
4. Lateral or Outer Lift
If excess weight or skin has accumulated around the waist and backside, this type of lift is a great way to handle that. It primarily focuses on the outside of your thigh. This process can be similar to a lower body lift, in that the incision is located around the waist.
Liposuction can be used to reduce fat along the buttocks and thighs before extra tissue is pulled up to the hip bone. This process can help both smooth and contour the shape of your body in one go.
5. Posterior Lift
If the back of your thighs and buttocks is your primary concern, or if you’re battling cellulite, those areas can be addressed with a posterior lift. This will help iron out any unwanted dimpling, or the appearance of saggy skin. The result should be a firming and smoothing effect all across the treated areas.
6. Spiral Lift
This newer type of lift can address the front, back, and sides of the thigh. You may also hear it referred to as a “360 lift” or a “total lift.” In addition to trimming up and shaping the thighs, it is a great way to help improve the contour and appearance of the buttocks. As with the other thigh lift methods, excess tissue, skin, and fat can be removed for dramatic results.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
This process can improve the appearance of thighs by tightening up the area. Patients who have lost skin elasticity due to age, weight loss, or other factors can find this treatment very helpful. In short, if you’re generally in good health and want to improve the appearance of your thighs, you could be a candidate for this treatment. That said, scheduling a consultation is the best way to know for sure.
What Else Do We Offer?
Tummy Tucks
We offer a range of treatments for the body, face, and skin. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a popular way to sculpt a more narrow waist, and a flatter, firmer stomach area.
It can achieve this by tightening up the abdominal muscles and removing excess fat and skin in strategic areas. While it’s not a substitute for a healthy diet or exercise, it can certainly help tone the body.
Body Lifts
Much like a thigh lift, the body lift can help create a smoother, firmer, and slimmer appearance. A lower body lift will address the thighs, buttocks, abdomen, and hips.
Liposuction and Contouring
Liposuction, commonly referred to as lipo, has proven its worth time and time again by offering consistently dramatic results. Patients, regardless of their gender, who want a well-proportioned and smoother appearance can be brought closer to their goals through liposuction.
How Lipo Works
The transformative abilities of lipo are realized through its ability to break up fat. Certain areas that are bothering the patient can be targeted, or it can be used to help shape the body.
While lipo won’t necessarily help you drop a significant amount of weight, it will shrink down your measurements in the targeted area. When paired with diet and exercise, you can expect even more pronounced effects.
Arm Lift
For the same reasons someone may want to tighten up their thighs, sometimes patients want to firm up their arms. Dramatic weight loss can leave extra skin in that area, but oftentimes just the process of aging is enough to cause flaps of loose skin along the arms.
An arm lift can improve the appearance of arms that appear less firm than they used to. Patients who are feeling self-conscious about their arms and want to feel more confident in tank tops or swimsuits may benefit from this lifting procedure.
Breast Procedures
We offer several options when it comes to breast procedures. Some women may find themselves wanting to restore their breasts to a previous size or shape after delivery, while other women who have undergone a mastectomy may need their breasts rebuilt. A breast lift is another popular option.
Not only can we enlarge and reshape breasts, but we also offer breast reductions for patients who find uneven breasts or large breasts inconvenient or even painful for their neck and back.
Butt, Calf, and Bicep Augmentation
If you want to reshape your buttocks, calves, or biceps, our team can help you with that. Our range of services can fit a wide range of needs. When we have the chance to talk to you one-on-one, feel free to bring in reference pictures of what you’re hoping to achieve.
You can talk us through what you want, and we’ll be able to give you a clear idea of what to expect. Whether you want to address concerns affecting your face, body, or the health of your skin, our team has you covered.
Come Visit Us!
If you have more questions about any of the services we offer, our compassionate team is ready to help you through every step of the process. Contact us at Christopher Tiner M.D. in Pasadena, CA, today to schedule a consultation and get one step closer to achieving your goals.