Conveniently located to serve the Greater Hartford and Farmington Valley areas of Connecticut.

What is Thighplasty?

Thighplasty, or thigh lift surgery, is a procedure aimed at reshaping and contouring the thighs. It involves the removal of excess skin and fat to achieve smoother, firmer, and more toned thighs. This procedure is often sought by individuals who have experienced significant weight loss, aging, or genetic factors that have led to loose or sagging skin in the thigh area.

Table of Contents

Before

After

Types of Thighplasty

Medial Thigh Lift

• Focuses on the inner thigh area.
• Involves an incision along the inner thigh to remove excess skin and fat.
• Ideal for addressing sagging and excess skin on the inner thighs.

Lateral Thigh Lift

• Targets the outer thigh area.
• Involves an incision extending around the upper thigh to lift and tighten the skin.
• Suitable for improving the contour of the outer thigh.

Circumferential Thigh Lift

• Addresses both the inner and outer thighs.
• Involves a more extensive incision around the thigh, often combined with a body lift for comprehensive results.
• Ideal for patients with significant skin laxity and excess fat.

Lateral Thigh Lift

• Targets the outer thigh area.
• Involves an incision extending around the upper thigh to lift and tighten the skin.
• Suitable for improving the contour of the outer thigh.

Thighplasty Procedure Overview: From Consultation to Recovery

Thighplasty, or thigh lift surgery, enhances thigh appearance by removing excess skin and fat. This summary covers the process from the initial consultation through to recovery, giving you a clear idea of what to expect during your thighplasty journey.

  • Preoperative Consultation
  • Anesthesia
  • Incisions
  • Removal of Excess Skin and Fat
  • Closure
  • Postoperative Care and Recovery

Thighplasty Recovery: What to Expect Week by Week

Week 1: Immediate Post-Operative Phase

Healing and Discomfort:

  • You will experience swelling, bruising, and discomfort in the thigh area. These are common and expected as part of the healing process.
  • Pain is managed with prescribed medications. Follow your surgeon’s instructions on dosage and frequency. 

Activity and Mobility:

  • Rest is crucial. Avoid any strenuous activities or heavy lifting. Keep your legs elevated to reduce swelling.
  • You may need assistance with daily tasks and mobility. Arrange for help if necessary.

Wound Care:

  • Follow the instructions provided by your surgeon for wound care. Keep the surgical site clean and dry to prevent infection.
  • You may have drainage tubes in place to help with excess fluid. Your surgeon will guide managing these.

Follow-Up:

  • A follow-up visit will be scheduled within the first week to assess your initial healing progress and remove any stitches or drainage tubes if applicable.

Week 2: Early Recovery

Swelling and Bruising:

  • Swelling and bruising continue but should start to decrease. You may begin to see early signs of your new thigh contours.
  • Continue using compression garments as recommended to help control swelling and support healing.

Gradual Return to Activities:

  • Light activities and return to work may be possible if your job is not physically demanding. Avoid high-impact activities and intense exercise.
  • Follow any specific activity restrictions provided by your surgeon

Wound Care:

  • Continue to monitor your incisions for signs of infection. Follow your surgeon’s advice on how to care for the wounds.
  • Attend your follow-up appointment for an evaluation of your healing progress.

Week 3 to 4: Intermediate Recovery

Swelling and Contour:

  • Most of the swelling and bruising should significantly diminish. Your thighs will start to show the results of the procedure, although some residual swelling may persist.
  • You may start to notice a more defined shape as your body continues to heal.

Increased Activity:

  • You can gradually resume more normal activities, including gentle exercise like walking. However, continue to avoid high-impact activities and heavy lifting.
  • Listen to your body and only increase activity levels as tolerated.

Follow-up Care:

  • Regular follow-up appointments with your surgeon are important to monitor your recovery, check for any complications, and discuss your progress.

Week 5 to 6: Advanced Recovery

Continued Improvement:

  • Swelling should largely resolve, and you will see more defined results. Scarring will be present but will start to fade over time.
  • The contours of your thighs will be more apparent as healing progresses.

Return to Normal Activities:

  • Most patients can resume normal activities and moderate exercise. Avoid high-impact sports or activities that put excessive strain on the thighs.
  • Continue to wear compression garments if advised by your surgeon.

Ongoing Care:

  • Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle to support your continued recovery and preserve the results of your surgery.
  • Follow your surgeon’s post-operative care instructions and attend all scheduled follow-up visits.

Understanding the Risks and Complications of Thighplasty

Thighplasty, or thigh lift surgery, is generally safe and effective, but like any surgical procedure, it carries potential risks and complications. Being informed about these risks helps you make an educated decision and prepares you for potential outcomes.

  • Infection
  • Bleeding and Hematoma
  • Scarring
  • Seroma
  • Asymmetry
  • Delayed Healing

We love hearing from our community and are always here to help! Whether you have a question, need assistance, or just want to share your feedback, our team is ready to listen. Visit our “Contact Us” page to get in touch with us directly. Your thoughts and inquiries are important to us, and we strive to provide you with the best support possible. Don’t hesitate—reach out today and let’s connect!

Schedule A Consultation

Sclerotherapy is a treatment for spider veins. These tiny visible veins are injected with a very fine needle, using a sclerosing agent. This instantaneously makes the veins obliterate and become invisible.
SculpSure is a device that can provide noninvasive fat burning and body contouring. It works by using 1060nm laser that targets fat cells to cause lipolysis, or destruction of the fat cells. It is the first FDA-cleared device for noninvasive body contouring.
Accufit is a muscle toning system that uses external electrical pulses to stimulate muscle contraction. It has the same effect of doing a strenuous workout, all without leaving the chair. The benefits are that the electrical signals can provide stronger muscle contraction than what is typical in a traditional workout. Results can be seen in as few as 4 treatments, but many patients make it a regular treatment.
Using our Platelet Rich Fibrin Matrix (PRFM) technology, we offer scalp injections that aim to initiate growth of hair. By using the growth factors provided by PRFM, inactive hair follicles can be reactivated and stimulated to grow hair again. This has been shown to give great results. This is a key portion of nonsurgical hair restoration offered at Youthful Images. PRFM can also be used in conjunction with our hair transplantation procedures. For more information about hair transplantation procedures that we offer.
Using our Clarity II laser, we are able to perform hair removal where ever a patient may desire. We guarantee results. We also have the ability to adjust our setting, allowing this treatment to work on any skin type, which is something that is not always possible with certain lasers.
Nonablative laser treatments can have many targets. Whether it is small wrinkles, pigmented spots, vascular lesions, or scars, these lasers can helps improve it all. Our device, the Clarity II laser, has the ability to be adjusted based on the treatment type and skin type. We are able to treat any skin type by adjusting settings, allowing use to be completely inclusive of treatments.
The CO2 laser is one of the best lasers to help reverse aging. It works by targeting water, inducing just enough damage to the skin to allow your body to rejuvenate the skin by enhancing collagen production, softening and smoothing skin. It provides excellent results in treating fine lines that no surgery can improve. It works very well when done independently, but can be even more beneficial when combined with surgical treatments. Depending on the goals, the CO2 laser can be used with a few different intensities to target different issues.
Microneedling is a treatment that uses a series of extremely fine needles to make numerous micropunctures in the skin. Our device, the Dermafrac, provides a gentle suctioning force to rid the skin of the imperfections, while simultaneously providing microinjections of either selected serums or platelet rich fibrin matrix (PRFM). This allows your skin to build more collagen and improve skin quality. By using selected serums or PRFM, growth factors or directed vitamins can help enhance these results.
Microdermabrasion is a treatment that uses a very fine abrasive surface to “scrub” off the very superficial layer of cells of the skin. This helps take away the most superficial blemishes and skin irregularities, allowing the skin to initiate a rejuvenating process. This can be done on it’s own or in combination with microneedling.
Jawline contouring is a board category of treatments. In addition to using fillers to contour by adding volume, Botox can be used to inject the masseter muscle, a large muscle at the angle of the jaw that can be very large in some people. By injecting this with Botox, it can inactivate the muscle and help it decrease in bulk, allowing a slimmer facial width. This can provide additional relief in people that have issues with teeth clenching, as relaxing this muscle relieves that pressure.
Excessive Sweating can be treated using simple Botox injections. Botox, unlike its use in facial injections, works to paralyze the sweat glands rather than muscles. By injecting certain areas, the sweat glands become inactivated temporarily. These results can typically last around 6 months but can be shorter or longer depending on multiple factors. Areas of use can vary based on the patient, but typical locations include axilla (armpits) and the palms.
Sculptra is an injectable treatment that stimulates your own body to locally increase volume. It contains a compound called poly-L-lactic acid, which essentially forms a framework for your body to lay more collagen fibers. Studies have shown an increase in type I collagen, the main type that exists in our body. This fills out volume, smooths skin, and provides an overall more youthful appearance.
Platelet Rich Fibrin Matrix is a unique treatment with multiple modalities. It all begins with a simple blood draw. From there, your own blood is spun at a high speed in a centrifuge to separate the blood cells from the plasma, or fluid portion of the blood. In this fluid, there are many platelets, which release powerful growth factors. This plasma is then isolated and then the fibrin cross-linking that naturally happens during clotting is activated. This PRFM can then be used in multiple techniques, including volumizing injections, hair restoration injections, microneedling applications, and more. The benefit of PRFM over traditional Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections is that by utilizing the naturally occurring fibrin matrix reaction, it allows the platelets to remain in the tissue for 5-7 days. Typical PRP is only present for about 24 hours before the body washes it away. This additional times means multiple additional days of growth factor release. Research has shown this, along with much improved results.
Fillers are injectables that are used to restore volume. The most frequently used are based with a compound called hyaluronic acid. This can be formulated with various “stiffness” for the various uses. Based on the location to be injected, it can be used to fill in deep lines or creases, volumize areas of loss, balance out asymmetries, and much more. The compounds are naturally broken down by your body over time, typically lasting between 1-2 years, depending on multiple factors.
Botox is a neuromodulator, meaning it works by paralyzing muscles. The purpose of these injections are to paralyze specific areas of muscles, frequently in the face, in order to eliminate unwanted lines and creases. These typically last 3-6 months and are one of the most common treatments done in any medspa.

Chantale M.

Chantale joined Youthful Images in November 2021 as one of our Front Office Coordinators. She started her career as a dedicated Human Resources professional with a passion for fostering a positive work culture and facilitating employee development. After years of experience in HR operations, she took her first steps into the field of aesthetics and has found a new home at Youthful Images. This opened the opportunity to get her foot into the door to learn from an amazing team of highly educated and experienced professionals. Chantale enjoys her work responsibilities as a Front Office Coordinator but the most rewarding part of her job is making patients feel welcomed, have an amazing experience, and seeing and hearing them achieve their aesthetic results.

When Chantale is not at work she loves to garden, ice skate, be active in fitness, practice her French language skills, and travel the world. Last, but not least, she enjoys being a fur mom to her Chihuahua named Coco Bijou.

Joan O.

Joan joined Youthful Images in December of 2011. A native of Rhode Island, she moved to San Diego in 1982, where she graduated from the Cabrillo School of Nursing with a Certificate in Medical Assisting. She also attended National University with an emphasis in Business Administration. She returned to New England in 1993, making Connecticut her home. She has worked in a variety of medical practices, including Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Hand Surgery, and an Ophthalmologic Surgery Center. At Youthful Images, Joan is one of your first points of contact. She also assists in managing daily workflow, practice management, and coordinating patient appointments.

Melisa Selimovic, RN, BSN

Melisa is a registered nurse at Youthful Images whose position includes performing non-surgical services such as Botox, Filler, PRFM, lasers, facials, and more. She also assists Dr. Felice and Dr. Karcutskie with office visits and will scrub or circulate within our operating room on surgical days. Melisa graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 2022. Before joining Youthful Images, she worked in the Emergency Department. She has always had a passion for aesthetic nursing and thinks it’s important to uplift others and to create a welcoming environment for all her patients. During her free time she enjoys reading and spending time outdoors in warm weather.

Kelsey Parker, RN, BSN

Kelsey is a Registered Nurse at Youthful Images whose position includes performing non-surgical services including Botox, filler, PRFM, microneedling/microdermabrasion and laser therapy, as well as coordinating and managing the hair restoration practice. On surgical days, you can expect to see Kelsey circulating or scrubbing in our operating room. Kelsey graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UConn in 2018, in addition to earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Hartford in 2015. Kelsey has worked in various fields of nursing during her career including postpartum nursing, labor and delivery, and circulating in various orthopedic surgeries. Kelsey’s passion for making others feel and look their best led her to Youthful Images in 2021. She strives to provide a welcoming environment where patients feel comfortable and fulfilled. Her passions outside of work include hiking with her two dogs and husband, as well as spending time watching her newborn baby grow and learn.

Ali Putman, MHS, PA-C

Ali is a physician assistant at Youthful Images, providing a wide range of nonsurgical treatments such as Botox, filler, platelet rich fibrin matrix, and laser treatments. She was born and raised in Connecticut. She received her Bachelor of Health Sciences from Quinnipiac University in 2016 and went on to graduate from their Physician Assistant program in 2018. She spent the first 3 years of her career in the emergency department and urgent care setting before transitioning to the field of aesthetics, joining Youthful Images. In her spare time, Ali enjoys baking and spending time with family and friends.

Nancy Russo, RN, BSN, NE-BC

Nancy graduated from Barry University in Miami, Florida. She joined Youthful Images in 1997 as Clinical Administrator, prior to which her background had been in oncology, nurse consulting and hospital administration. She has been a Board Certified Nursing Executive since 1998 and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery Nurses, the CT Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers/Patient Safety Organization as well as the National Association of Professional Women. Nancy is responsible for daily operations, patient education and oversees patient care, as well as assisting patients through the surgical process. She is also an active member of the operating room team. Nancy’s role is to ensure the highest level of care is maintained throughout the surgical process.