We are considered to be one of the premier Palm Beach Cosmetic Surgery offices for thigh lift surgery and body contouring due to massive weight loss. Dr. Dana is regarded as many to be one of the top choices in Thigh Cosmetic surgery in Florida.
Patients who come to us for thigh lift surgery often share similar experiences:
- Loose, hanging skin on the inner thighs that rubs together and causes irritation or rashes
- Skin that interferes with exercise, cycling, or daily movement
- Self-consciousness wearing shorts, swimwear, or fitted pants
- Significant weight loss — including from GLP-1 medications — that left behind excess skin the body won’t reabsorb
- Aging and gravity that have gradually changed the contour and firmness of the thighs
Many of our patients suffer because after weight loss and due to gravity over time, the skin of their inner thighs can become loose and hang. They are often frustrated with how they look in clothing and feel self-conscious wearing shorts, bathing suits, and tight pants.
Many even have symptoms like infections, rashes, and difficulty exercising. Thigh lift with or without liposuction can help improve the shape of their thighs and how they feel about themselves. Our patient satisfaction with thigh lifts make it a popular choice in Palm Beach Cosmetic surgery.
Techniques of Thigh Cosmetic Surgery
Each thigh lift surgery is individualized depending on the amount of extra skin and fat and the amount of improvement desired from the thigh lift.
Incisions – If there is only a small amount of extra skin at the top of the thighs and no extra tissue closer to the knees, there will be an incision hidden near the groin crease from your thigh cosmetic surgery. If you have extra skin all around the thighs, then you will need to have an incision shaped like the letter L that goes from just above the knee to the groin and then along the groin crease from your thigh lift surgery.
If you want to address all the skin around the thighs, you may consider a circumferential thigh lift (incision goes all the way around the thigh) or a lower body lift (link), which also addresses the abdomen. This is the most dramatic type of thigh cosmetic surgery.
After the incision has been made, I will gently elevate the skin and fat off of the underlying thigh muscles. The extra skin and fat is removed, and the skin is redraped over the underlying muscles. One or more drains may be placed beneath the incision. These slender tubes assist in draining fluid that accumulates beneath the incision and delays healing after this type of thigh cosmetic surgery.
The incisions are carefully closed with multiple layers of strong sutures to minimize your scar. All of the sutures are beneath the skin and are absorbed by your body so they will not have to be removed after the thigh lift surgery.
A sterile dressing is applied to the incisions, and a compression garment is placed over your thighs to support your legs during healing, decrease swelling, and minimize bruising after the thigh lift.
Liposuction – If you have extra skin but no extra fat, then a one-stage thigh cosmetic surgery to remove the skin will give you the results you want. If there are fat deposits as well as extra skin, then you may get better results from a two stage thigh surgery approach with liposuction of the inner thighs first and skin surgery at a second stage to address skin that doesn’t shrink over time. Liposuction of the outer thighs can safely be done at the same time as an inner thigh lift. Please click here to read more about Palm Beach cosmetic surgery liposuction and what to expect after liposuction surgery.
Types of Thigh Lifts
Every thigh lift I perform is different, because every patient’s anatomy is different. The technique I recommend depends on where your excess skin is, how much there is, and what result you’re hoping to achieve. Here’s how I think about it:
Inner Thigh Lift (Medial Thigh Lift)
If you have a moderate amount of loose skin limited to the upper inner thigh, I can often address it through a single incision hidden right in the natural groin crease. That scar tucks neatly into the fold where your thigh meets your body — it’s not visible when you’re standing, and most patients tell me they forget it’s there once it’s healed.
If the excess skin extends further down toward the knee, I’ll need a longer incision — shaped like the letter L — that runs vertically along the inner thigh and then follows the groin crease. It’s a bigger scar, but it’s the only way to actually address laxity the full length of the inner thigh rather than just pulling from the top. I’d rather be honest with you about that upfront than have you end up with a result that only partially solves the problem.
Circumferential Thigh Lift
When skin laxity goes all the way around the thigh — front, back, inner, and outer — a circumferential thigh lift is the most complete solution. The incision encircles the entire thigh, which is a more involved surgery and a more significant recovery, but it’s the only approach that addresses the full picture. For the right patient, the transformation is remarkable.
Lower Body Lift
For many of my patients who’ve had massive weight loss — including those who’ve lost significant weight on GLP-1 medications — the thighs are just one part of a larger concern that also includes the abdomen, buttocks, and hips. In those cases, I often recommend we think bigger than a thigh lift alone. A lower body lift addresses all of those areas together in a single surgery, which can be a more efficient and more transformative approach than tackling each area separately. We’ll talk through whether that makes sense for you at your consultation.
AYON Body Contouring System: The Most Advanced Technology for Thigh Contouring
For patients who are combining a thigh lift with liposuction, I’m excited to now offer the AYON Body Contouring System™ by Apyx Medical in my practice. It’s the first FDA-cleared all-in-one platform for the aesthetic surgical suite, and honestly, it has changed the way I approach combined body contouring cases.
What AYON does is bring together everything I might need — VASER ultrasound-assisted liposuction, power liposuction, Renuvion helium plasma skin tightening, and electrosurgical capabilities — into a single integrated system. For thigh contouring, that means I can remove fat and immediately treat the surrounding tissue for maximum skin contraction, all in one procedure without switching between devices. The workflow is smoother, and the outcomes reflect that.
Where I find AYON particularly valuable is in patients who have some skin laxity but aren’t quite ready — or aren’t the right candidates — for a full surgical thigh lift. Renuvion through the AYON system can add meaningful skin contraction beyond what liposuction alone achieves. It won’t replace a lift when a lift is truly needed, and I’ll always tell you that directly. But for the right patient, it can make a significant difference in how tight and smooth the result looks — and it may reduce the extent of surgical skin removal needed down the road.
Risks of Thigh Lift Surgery
- Infection from thigh lift surgery – This can vary from a small amount of redness on the skin that may require antibiotics by mouth to a pocket of infection that requires surgery and admission to the hospital for IV antibiotics.
- Bleeding from thigh lift surgery – A small amount of bleeding may cause bruising and swelling. Rarely, bleeding is severe enough that you need additional surgery to stop it.
- Blood Clots from thigh lift surgery– After surgery blood clots can form in the veins in the leg. They can cause swelling, and they can break off and travel to the lungs where they can be fatal. Smoking, surgery time over 4-6 hours, and inactivity after surgery increase the risk. This is a rare but serious risk of surgery, and I take every precaution to ensure your safety.
- Poor wound healing after thigh lift surgery – This is a common complication of thigh surgery due to the length of the incisions and the moist environment near the groin. This complication is even more common with smokers, patients with diabetes or obesity, and patients with poor protein intake, which can occur with rapid weight loss or extreme dieting.
- Scarring after thigh lift surgery – Wound healing depends on a combination of surgical technique and how your body naturally heals based on your genetics. That being said, the scars from thigh surgery can be more prominent than for other surgeries for a few reasons. Gravity puts a lot of tension on the suture line and you use your legs a lot ,which can put further stress on scars. If there are small areas that don’t heal well, they can usually be improved with a small procedure under local anesthetic in the office.
- Numbness after thigh lift surgery– There may be some numb areas after surgery. For most patients it improves to full sensation over several days to weeks. Rarely, there will be areas of permanent numbness or areas of increased sensitivity. It is normal for the incision to itch as it is healing as the nerves recover.
What to expect after a thigh lift
Thigh lift surgery is performed in our AAAASF Outpatient Surgery Center. You will need to be taken home by a friend or family member.
You will go home the same day as your surgery, or you may choose to have us arrange for a private duty Palm Beach cosmetic surgery post-operative care nurse to care for you in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Medication will be prescribed to ease pain and anxiety and should be taken as directed. These pain medications can cause constipation, so I recommend you use over the counter stool softeners to help prevent this.
The dressings will be taken off in the office a few days after a thigh lift, and the drainage tubes will be removed when the drainage is minimal. You should plan to take it easy following your thigh lift.
No strenuous activities, heavy lifting (over 10 pounds), aerobic exercises, swimming, contact sports, tennis, or golf should be planned for the first three weeks after a thigh lift. You should wear the compression garment for three weeks following thigh lift surgery. You will see some results instantly after your thigh lift, but it can take 6-12 months to see the final contour and scar.
How Much Does a Thigh Lift Cost?
The cost of thigh lift surgery in South Florida depends on the technique used, the extent of skin removal, whether liposuction or AYON is included, and the surgical facility and anesthesia fees. Our team will provide a personalized estimate at your consultation which includes all costs for surgery including anesthesia, facility fees, surgeons fees and cosmetassure.
Financing is available through CareCredit® and Alphaeon for qualified patients. Learn more about procedure financing.