Lower Body Lift (Thigh Lift)

What Does a Lower Body Lift Address?

A lower body lift can reshape a number of body regions that are prone to excess skin and fat accumulation, including:

• Lower midsection
• Buttocks
• Hips
• Upper thighs

For more far-reaching cosmetic enhancement, Dr. Leber frequently combines a lower body lift with an abdominoplasty procedure, or a tummy tuck. By combining both procedures, patients are usually able to attain optimal improvement in the look of their abdominal profile and curves of their lower body.

Thigh Lift

Many individuals who consider a lower body lift also want to improve the appearance of their upper thighs. A thigh lift can be very effective at reducing excess skin circumferentially, allowing a firmer and slimmer look while alleviating the skin irritation that often results from the thighs rubbing together. This procedure can tighten the underlying structures of the thighs while removing the redundant tissue that may be masking your more athletic contours. Dr. Leber can perform a thigh lift as a single procedure or as part of a full lower body lift, depending on your aesthetic goals. Other options include undergoing a thigh lift in conjunction with an arm lift for comprehensive body sculpting, or implementing the procedure into a Mommy Makeover to restore your pre-pregnancy figure.

What Can a Lower Body Lift Do for Me?

The benefits yielded by a lower body lift are dependent on your unique needs and cosmetic desires for surgery. Generally speaking, this procedure can treat the following concerns in the lower portions of the body:

• Loose or sagging skin
• Stubborn fat that is unresponsive to diet and exercise
• Muscles that have become loose or weak
• Skin folds that are causing discomfort, chafing, or irritation

The best candidates for a lower body lift are healthy individuals near their ideal body weight who wish to resculpt parts of their lower body through excess skin removal. Those who are contending with loose or hanging skin after having undergone substantial weight loss are typically excellent candidates for the procedure. Dr. Leber will listen intently to your individual concerns and formulate the most beneficial treatment plan to attain your aesthetic ideal.

What is Recovery Like for a Lower Body Lift?

As a lower body lift often involves considerable surgical work, it is not uncommon for the procedure to necessitate one or two overnight stays in a hospital or surgical facility. Any post-surgical bruising, swelling, or discomfort can be managed with oral pain medication. A compression garment will be worn temporarily to minimize swelling and help support your new body contours. Patients generally require a healing period of two to three weeks before returning to work and other daily activities, with some activities restricted for three to four weeks. Strict adherence to Dr. Leber’s post-operative instructions, which will be provided personally, can generally accelerate the recovery process.

How Long Do Thigh Lift Results Last?

A thigh lift circumferentially tightens both the skin and underlying musculature, providing you with long-lasting results that can last forever with a healthy lifestyle. Unlike non-surgical treatments, the procedures included in a lower body lift (such as thigh lift surgery) allow long-term enhancement — often without the need for additional treatments in the future. It’s important to remember that a thigh lift, or any cosmetic procedure, cannot prevent weight gain or stop the natural aging process. With that in mind, an active lifestyle and a healthy diet are key to preserving your new contours. Fat cells in the thighs and lower body can still grow larger with weight gain, potentially altering the body sculpting results you achieved with your procedure. In order to preserve the outcome as long as possible, Dr. Leber recommends:

• Staying active and minimizing weight gain
• Undergoing a thigh lift/lower body lift only after you have no plans for pregnancy or breastfeeding in the future
• Not smoking to minimize skin laxity and help preserve a good skin tone

How Much Does a Thigh Lift Cost?

Thigh lift costs are personalized according to each patient’s needs and the extent of their concerns. While your cost estimate includes the fees and expenses typical of cosmetic surgery, the total price of a thigh lift is primarily influenced by:

• The surgical techniques utilized
• Whether a thigh lift was combined with other procedures
• The complexity of your treatment plan

As cosmetic procedures, a thigh lift and other surgeries included in a lower body lift are not usually covered by insurance. However, we believe aesthetic surgery should be affordable and accessible to all who desire it, which is why our Boston practice accepts plastic surgery financing from CareCredit® and Prosper® Healthcare Lending for qualified patients. Upon approval, these lenders can provide patients with short- and long-term payment plans to help them accommodate their individual budget.

Alternatives to a Lower Body Lift

A lower body lift is ideal for patients who have sagging skin or excess tissue buildup around the thighs, waist, or buttocks; however, it may not be the most optimal treatment for all concerns. For example, liposuction may be enough to resculpt the lower body if your contours are primarily affected by fat accumulation. In order to make this determination, Dr. Leber will have to evaluate whether you have adequate skin elasticity to accommodate liposuction. 

Alternatively, a Mommy Makeover may be able to more comprehensively achieve your goals if you also desire breast rejuvenation. Similar to a lower body lift, a Mommy Makeover also offers a combined treatment plan — except rather than focusing solely on the lower body, a Mommy Makeover typically includes breast procedures like a breast augmentation or a breast lift in addition to thigh lift surgery. No matter the nature of your concerns, Dr. Leber can help you formulate the best treatment plan to give you the results you desire. 

Questions? Contact Dr. Leber at our Boston office to schedule a consultation or to learn more about a thigh lift, lower body lift surgery, and our other services.