As we age, certain changes happen all over the body which makes us look older. One of the biggest components of ageing is that the skin loses its elasticity and starts to sag. One of the most common areas where this happens is the thighs, leading to saggy thighs. Let us see how this can be treated.
What are saggy thighs?
Saggy thighs is the term given to excess loose skin in the thighs which sags. This can be a problem especially when wearing swimwear or shorts.
Why does this happen?
There are several reasons for this
- Loss of collagen in the skin with age
- Weight gain and loss that happens with pregnancy
- After massive weight loss and bariatric surgery
- After menopause– hormonal changes lead to loss of skin elasticity
How can this be treated?
In mild cases, where there isn’t much extra skin and only extra fat, liposuction can be done. To learn more about liposuction surgery, click here.
In most cases where there is a lot of extra skin, the traditional treatment for sagging arms is a thigh lift or thighplasty.
What is thigh lift or thighplasty?
It is a surgical procedure where extra skin in the thigh is removed
- It is done under general anesthesia
- An ellipse of extra skin from the groin to the mid-thigh is marked and removed
- The skin is then stitched closed.
Does this leave a scar?
Thigh lift gives a scar in the inner thigh that is not visible from the front or sides.
What is the recovery from thigh lift like?
IT is done as a daycare case under general anesthesia. The patient goes home the same day. Sutures are present which are removed after a week. The patient can resume normal activities after 10 days.
Lower body workouts can be resumed after 3-4 weeks.
The scars fade over 3-6 months.
Is there any scarless alternative?
Until recently there was no good alternative to a thigh lift. Nonsurgical treatments were often promoted but weren’t very effective, especially when there was a lot of extra skin. Hence many patients were left unhappy as they didn’t want a scar that would be visible with swimwear
Recently, however, there has emerged a technology that can fill this gap between less effective nonsurgical treatments and scarring surgery- the INMODE bodytite platform.
What is the INMODE bodytite platform?
It is a device that uses radiofrequency energy to cause skin contraction and can therefore help with extra skin.
How is this different from other machines?
- It uses energy both below and above the skin which gives superior results to other devices
- It has a special probe named bodytite which is large and accurate enough to be used on the body safely and effectively. Other devices do not have this level of accuracy
How is BODYTITE done?
It is done as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia, the patient goes home in half an hour. Hence it has a much shorter downtime than a traditional thigh lift. The patient can resume activities in 2-3 days.
Is it safe?
The device has numerous safeguards built-in which ensure complete safety. The results are seen immediately, with the best results after 6 weeks and improving even further over 12 months
The procedure can either be done at the same time as liposuction or later as a secondary procedure.
Who is a candidate for this procedure?
The best candidates for this procedure are those with a moderate amount of skin excess, who don’t want a surgical procedure.
Patients with severe skin excess, after massive weight loss, may still require a thigh lift.
To know more click here
