Whether a result of rapid weight loss or the natural process of ageing, excess lax skin around the thighs can be a frustrating aesthetic issue. A highly effective remedy for this excess tissue is a thigh lift, which can remove the inelastic skin and tighten up the surface of the thigh for a smoother look.
As with any surgery, a thigh lift can leave some degree of scarring. It is natural to want to know what to expect from thigh lift scarring as you move through your recovery – this article will help you get a clearer picture of how your scarring may look after a year.
The CREO Clinic’s Medical Director, Dr. Omar Tillo, is a specialist in body contouring procedures and has performed countless successful thigh lifts over the course of his career. In his care, you are in the hands of an experienced surgeon who prioritises safety and provides high-quality, natural-looking results.
Book an initial consultation today with Dr.Tillo to find out more about the many transformative benefits of a thigh lift procedure.
Different types of thigh lift surgery are performed depending on the severity of the loose skin that needs addressing. The incisions of each type of thigh lift differ slightly and leave different scars.
A crescent, or vertical thigh lift, creates one crescent-shaped incision from the top of the inner thigh down to the inside knee – this is used for patients with significant loose skin. Over time the incision will heal into a single thin white scar.
An inner thigh lift, sometimes called a mini thigh lift, involves one incision made along the natural crease that separates your mons pubis from the thigh. The scar that results from this is usually well hidden in the natural thigh crease.
Lateral thigh lifts create an incision around the waist that permits the surgeon to remove excess skin from the waist, thighs, and buttocks. This incision generally leaves a scar that runs around the hip bone from the groin but can also include an incision at the buttock crease in certain cases.
A spiral thigh lift requires one incision along the crease of your buttocks and another along the front following the crease between your mons pubis and your upper thigh – this is the extent of the scarring. This type of incision allows your surgeon to perform a lift on the full circumference of your thigh.
Your thigh lift scar will look most inflamed in the first week after surgery but will soon begin the process of becoming thinner, paler, and less noticeable.
Thigh lift scars will always be visible to some degree, but a skilful surgeon will minimise their appearance through careful, clean incision-making that follows the natural contours of your body.
After your procedure, the best way to keep thigh lift scarring to a minimum is to follow the instructions of your surgeon to the letter. Here are some examples of steps you can take at home to optimise the recovery of your incisions:
Keeping your scar tissue hydrated is an important part of optimising scar formation, so the daily application of fragrance-free moisturising ointments, gels, or creams can make a significant difference Ensure Dr. Tillo has approved any moisturiser before use, then try to create the habit of daily applications for at least a year post-surgery.
Fresh scar tissue is more vulnerable to UV rays than the skin around it and can darken more quickly in the sun. This can lead to more noticeable scars. The best way to prevent this is to avoid sun exposure or wear a high-factor sunscreen (50+) whenever needed.
A good way to help speed up the process of incision healing is by undergoing a lymphatic drainage massage. This works to disperse the buildup of lymph fluid at the treatment sites, thereby reducing inflammation and getting blood circulating to your incisions.
Once the incisions have healed – usually after 3-4 weeks – you can begin to massage the skin around the scars 2-3 times a day for around five minutes at a time. This can help to soften the scar and stop it becoming raised.
Once your incisions have healed completely – usually after 3-4 weeks – try to use silicone sheets or gels that can help hydrate the scar tissue and regulate collagen production. This can reduce the appearance of your scars and prevent malformations like keloid scarring.
Laser scar treatment can be an effective and minimally invasive scar reduction technique. The application of Fotona’s dual wavelength laser using Nd:YAG and Er:YAG can lead to an improvement in scar appearance and the quality of the scar tissue – this makes the scar less visible and more pliable.
Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure to treat scarring by stimulating collagen production. This is achieved by creating micro-punctures in the skin using tiny sterilised needles. As new collagen develops, the texture and quality of the skin improves, minimising the appearance of scarring.
At the CREO Clinic, stitches used in thigh lift procedures to close the surgical incisions are typically dissolvable. This means that the stitches will disappear once they are no longer necessary. Any other stitches that require removal by our medical team will be taken out during a follow-up appointment.
Initially, you will see some redness and inflammation at the incision sites, but this should begin to calm down after one week. There may still be a pink tint to your scars after three months, but this should become paler over time. Between 6-12 months after your surgery, your thigh lift scars should be thinner, flatter, and less visible. Over the following years, any remaining scarring should continue to fade and will appear less prominent on the skin.
The majority of swelling should have eased 2 weeks after your thigh lift procedure, but some swelling may remain for up to 3-4 months. Regular lymphatic drainage massage throughout recovery can help speed up and optimise your incision healing.
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