2–3 hrs
Outpatient procedure, home same day
~ 2–3 wks
Back to work for most patients
~ 6 mos
Final results take shape
What a thigh lift addresses
A thigh lift, thighplasty, reduces excess skin and fat in the thigh area. It can target the inner thighs, the outer thighs, or both, depending on what you need. It is most often chosen by patients who have lost a significant amount of weight, or whose skin has lost elasticity with age.
SKIN
The part that will not go
Loose or sagging skin on the thighs does not tighten with exercise. After significant weight loss it is frequently the last thing standing between a patient and the result they worked for.
FAT
Stubborn deposits
Liposuction can be performed during the same procedure to remove fat that has resisted diet and exercise, so the contour is corrected rather than just the skin tightened.
COMFORT
Chafing, and clothes
Excess thigh skin rubs. Removing it ends the irritation, improves leg proportion, and makes clothing sit the way it is supposed to, which for many patients matters more than the photographs do.
Inner thighs, outer thighs, or both
Which thigh lift you need depends on where the loose skin actually is. The two differ in where the incision sits, which is the main thing patients want to know.
Inner thigh lift
The incision is placed in the natural skin folds of the pubic area, where it stays well hidden. The more commonly requested of the two, and the one most post-weight-loss patients are asking about.
- Treats: inner thighs
- Incision: natural folds of the pubic area
- Scar: well hidden
Lower blepharoplasty
Requires an incision around the hip or buttock region. With proper care it should be barely noticeable once fully healed, but it is a longer scar in a less concealed place than the inner approach.
- Treats: outer thighs
- Incision: around the hip or buttock
- Scar: barely noticeable when healed
Are you a candidate?
Dr. Yee and Dr. Pournik perform thigh lifts for both men and women. The ideal candidate is someone who has lost a lot of weight, or who has loose, sagging skin on the inner and outer thighs from aging.
Having excess skin and tissue on your thighs after achieving significant weight loss is a real drag, literally and figuratively. Our surgery team begins with a detailed consultation to understand your goals, evaluate your skin and tissue, and build a surgical plan around what you actually want.
YOU MAY BE A GOOD CANDIDATE IF YOU
- Are in good overall health
- Have loose or sagging thigh skin
- Have excess fat on inner or outer thigh
- Do not smoke
- Maintain a consistent weight
More than one area?
Common, and expected. Weight loss does not leave skin behind in only one place. Dr. Pournik frequently performs combined body contouring for post-weight-loss patients; a tummy tuck, liposuction, thigh lift, arm lift, and sometimes more, planned together as one custom surgical programme rather than a series of separate decisions. This is the specific work his fellowship concentrated on.

What to expect on procedure day
Our team performs the thigh lift under general anesthesia, so you are asleep and will not remember the procedure. He reviews your medical records ahead of time to confirm anesthesia is safe for you, and you are closely monitored throughout. Most thigh lifts take two to three hours, depending on how much contouring is required.
- The procedure begins with incisions placed in the inner thigh or groin crease, where they stay concealed by underwear and swimwear.
- Excess fat is removed, often with liposuction, to refine the contour of the thigh.
- Our team trims away the loose, sagging skin and tightens the remaining tissue for a firmer, smoother shape.
- The incisions are anchored to the deeper tissue of the groin so the results hold their position as you heal.
- Afterward you recover in the practice’s recovery suite until you are cleared to head home.
Recovery and results
Dr. Yee, Dr. Pournik, and the team provide comprehensive aftercare instructions and stay available throughout your recovery.

- FIRST WEEK OR TWO
Take it easy. Temporary bruising and swelling are expected. Compression garments support healing throughout this period. - 1 TO 2 WEEKS
Back to light activity. - 1 MONTH
Regular activity and exercise usually resume, once you are cleared. If you had additional body contouring at the same time, expect a longer recovery. - AS SWELLING SUBSIDES
Full results become visible.
Why choose a board-certified surgeon
Thigh lift is the procedure where scar management matters most. The inner thigh is a high-tension, high-movement area with poor natural healing, and where the incision sits and how the tissue is anchored determine whether the scar migrates downward over the first year. That anchoring is a technique decision, not something that resolves on its own.
Risks include wound healing problems along the incision, swelling that takes months to settle, changes in sensation, and scarring that varies by skin quality. Our surgery team reviews your specific risks at consultation so you can decide with full information.
WHAT SETS OUR TEAM APART?
- Board certified by the American Board of Surgery
- High-volume fellowship experience in thigh and arm lift
- Careful management of tension, scarring, and contour
- Post-weight-loss body contouring focus, where skin laxity drives the plan

Combining with other procedures
Thigh lifts are often a central component of a complete post-weight-loss surgical plan. Losing a significant amount of weight does not leave loose skin in one convenient place, which is why a thigh lift is frequently combined with a tummy tuck, liposuction, an arm lift, and sometimes more.
Many post-weight-loss patients also combine their thigh lift with procedures that bring volume back where it is needed ; breast augmentation, for instance. The plan is built at your consultation rather than assembled from a menu.

WHY CHOOSE DR. YEE
Dr. Suzanne Yee, MD, FACS
- Triple Board-Certified Cosmetic Surgeon
- ★★★★★
- 4.8 · 387 Google reviews
Dr. Suzanne Yee is a triple board-certified cosmetic surgeon in Little Rock, AR, who offers a wide variety of surgical and non-invasive treatments. Dr. Yee is affiliated with several prestigious organizations. Her memberships include:
- Fellow of American Board of Cosmetic Surgery
- Fellow of American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery
- Fellow of American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Fellow of American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
- Fellow of American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc.
- Fellow of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
To schedule a consultation at our state-of-the-art surgical center, please contact us online or call (501) 224-1044.
BOARD CERTIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS






WHY CHOOSE DR. POURNIK
Homayoun Pournik, MD
- Fellowship-Trained Cosmetic Surgeon
A thigh lift is a problem of tension and scar placement. How much skin can come out, how the rest will sit once it does, and where the incision can go so it holds without widening or migrating; those are the judgments that separate a good result from a tight one with a bad scar.
Dr. Pournik’s fellowship named thigh lift and arm lift specifically, with high volume across both ; roughly 1,800 cosmetic procedures in a single year at one of the country’s highest-volume body contouring centers. Post-weight-loss body contouring is the first specialty on his list. Before cosmetic surgery, twelve years in transplant: around 300 organ transplants, hundreds of robotic hernia repairs, and the first robotic kidney transplant performed in either California or North Carolina.
He also stages complex cases rather than doing everything at once. “Staging gives you success,” the primary procedure first, evaluate the result, then return for refinements. That matters on a page where most patients need more than one thing done.
BOARD CERTIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

REAL PATIENTS
Before & After
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CONTACT US
Ready to boost your comfort and confidence?
Take the first step today. Dr. Pournik will evaluate your skin and tissue, understand what you are actually trying to change, and build a plan around it, whether that is a thigh lift alone or part of a wider post-weight-loss program.
Frequently asked questions
Dr. Pournik performs thigh lifts for both men and women. The ideal candidate has lost a lot of weight, or has loose, sagging skin on the inner and outer thighs from aging. Thigh lifts can also remove excess fat through liposuction.
Common, and expected. Dr. Pournik often performs combined body contouring for post-weight-loss patients — a tummy tuck, liposuction, thigh lift, arm lift, and sometimes more. A custom surgical plan is built at your consultation.
Take it easy for the first week or two. We will advise when regular activity and exercise can resume, usually after about a month. If you had additional body contouring at the same time as your thigh lift, you may need a longer recovery period.
All surgical procedures require cutting the skin and will leave some scarring. For an inner thigh lift, the incision goes in the natural skin folds of the pubic area, where it is well hidden. Outer thigh lifts require an incision around the hip or buttock, but with proper care it should be barely noticeable once fully healed.
Many post-weight-loss patients combine their thigh lift with procedures that remove loose skin and bring back volume where it is needed — breast augmentation or a tummy tuck, as well as an arm lift.
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(501) 224-1044

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