Will Liposuction Of My Inner Thighs Leave Me With Loose Saggy Skin?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am 48 years old and am tired of my ugly looking inner thighs. Not only do they touch and rub all the time, which is irritating and embarrassing, but the skin is loose and not very tight.I want to know if liposuction on my inner thighs will tighten them or make them even more saggy. I want some fat removed but I don’t want to make them look worse.

A:  The inner thighs, although not a big area, represent a challenge for satisfying liposuction results. The quality of skin in the inner thighs is typically not good in that it has poor elasticity. This translates into a very limited ability to contract which is a critical factor needed to get good liposuction outcomes. As a result, liposuction of the inner thighs does not tighten the skin and in some cases may even make it look worse.While liposuction can help slim down the inner thighs, it is an area that is notorious for irregularities and unevenness. This is because the skin in this area does not shrink or tighten well after it is deflated by fat removal. It is also an area that is very difficult to get smooth results because it is a curved structure rather than a flat surface. While everyone's skin elasticity is different, your description of your inner thighs does not sound very favorable for good skin contraction after liposuction. This does not mean that you should not have it but that a conservative approach should be done with expected modest changes. You may want to consider liposuction combined with an inner thigh lift. That is a great way to hedge against the risks of loose and irregular skin by treating the skin problem at the same time.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana