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(501) 224-1044
THIGHPLASTY · LITTLE ROCK, AR
Thigh Lift
Whether from age, genetics, or weight loss, the thighs are one of the most common places for loose, sagging skin to settle, and one of the hardest to do anything about. It makes fitted clothing uncomfortable and warm weather worse. A thigh lift removes the excess skin and fat and reshapes the upper legs. Dr. Suzanne Yee and Dr. Homayoun Pournik, a fellowship-trained cosmetic surgeon, perform the procedure in Little Rock.
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
Outer thigh lift
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 men and women whose inner or outer thighs no longer match the rest of their body. Most often that follows major weight loss, when the skin has lost the elasticity to retract on its own, but it can also be the result of aging or heredity.
Loose thigh skin is more than a cosmetic frustration. It chafes, limits what you can wear, and can undo the confidence that weight loss was supposed to bring. Your consultation begins with a conversation about what you want to change, followed by an assessment of your skin quality, remaining fat, and overall proportions. From there, your surgeon builds a plan around the result you are after, whether that is a thigh lift alone or one part of a broader contouring program.
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
- Have maintained a stable weight for at least six months
More than one area?
Most thigh lift patients are addressing more than their thighs. Weight loss does not leave skin behind in only one place, which is why a tummy tuck, liposuction, thigh lift, and arm lift are frequently planned together as a single staged program rather than a series of separate decisions.
Dr. Yee and Dr. Pournik both have extensive experience in post-weight-loss body contouring, and they will map out the order and timing that gives you the safest recovery and the most cohesive result.
Explore all body contouring options after weight loss.
What to expect on procedure day
A thigh lift is performed under general anesthesia, so you are asleep and will not remember the procedure. Your medical records are reviewed 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 incisions are placed along the inner thigh or within the groin crease, where underwear and swimwear keep them concealed.
- Excess fat is removed, often with liposuction, to refine the contour before any skin is addressed.
- The loose, sagging skin is trimmed away and the remaining tissue is tightened for a firmer, smoother shape.
- The incisions are anchored to the deeper tissue of the groin so the lift holds its position as you heal rather than drifting downward.
- You wake in the practice’s recovery suite and rest there until you are cleared to go home the same day.
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. Dr. Yee or Dr. Pournik will review your specific risks at consultation so you can decide with full information.
WHAT SETS OUR SURGEONS APART?
- Two board-certified surgeons, each with the training to plan and perform your procedure start to finish
- Combined decades of body contouring experience, from high-volume fellowship training to 20+ years in practice
- Careful management of tension, scarring, and contour, which matters most in the inner thigh
- 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 feel comfortable in your own skin again?
Take the first step today. Dr. Yee or Dr. Pournik will evaluate your skin and tissue, listen to what you want to change, and build a plan around it, whether that is a thigh lift alone or one part of a wider post-weight-loss program.
Frequently asked questions
A thigh lift is performed 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. A thigh lift is 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.
A thigh lift typically takes three to four hours. An inner thigh lift with a short groin incision sits at the lower end of that range, while an extended thigh lift after major weight loss, or a thigh lift combined with liposuction or another contouring procedure, takes longer. Dr. Yee or Dr. Pournik will give you a more specific estimate at your consultation once the plan is set. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, and most patients go home the same day after a period in recovery.
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