Thigh Bulges

By Susan K Buenaventura, MS, MD

The Sendi Center for Cosmetic Surgery

More Beauty Skin Care & Gorgeous Smiles Articles

Thigh Bulges

Sick of chafing, worn out inner thighs of pants, and saddle bags? There are various procedures to help you achieve your body contouring goals.

Most people do not like pockets of excess fat, no matter where it lies on the body. Increases in fat distribution around the thighs is linked to estrogen production, and is primarily used by the body for energy during pregnancy and nursing. These areas can be particularly difficult to sculpt naturally with diet and exercise.

With warmer weather approaching, you may be ready for some additional help in decreasing the size and improving the appearance of your upper thighs.

Many women become frustrated with the inability to improve the shape and fullness of their thighs, despite a healthy diet and exercise. While being at your optimal weight is always the goal, it is not unusual to see dancers and even marathon runners with excess fatty tissue in the inner thighs or outer thighs. With the inner thighs, common complaints are chafing with exercise, or shorts riding up in the middle when walking or running. Complaints with the outer thigh fullness are difficulty with pants fitting properly or feeling self-conscious in a bathing suit or in a dress.

It is possible to remove this fat, with intervention. Liposuction can remove the fat surgically, with minimal downtime and immediate results. When performed by a board certified plastic surgeon in an accredited facility or hospital, it is a very safe and effective procedure. Only tiny incisions are required and it usually takes a couple of hours. It is important to wear a compression garment for a several weeks afterwards and gently massage your skin daily.

If surgery is not an option for you, there is the option of Coolsculpting a non-invasive way of removing fat more gradually by freezing it, and letting your body eliminate the excess fat naturally. It can be performed on both the inner and outer thighs and takes 1-2 hours per session. The number of sessions required differs for each patient as it depends on how much fat needs to be removed.

With Coolsculpting by Zeltiq, we have the ability to non-invasively decrease the amount of fat in a specific location. With the use of different applicators to sculpt distinct contours of the body, such as the inner and outer thighs, this procedure can be customized to treat patients of various body types with little or no downtime.

This procedure works by gently lowering the temperature of the treatment area, causing unwanted fat cells to die, which stimulates a natural process where your body then breaks down and eliminates the fat cells. The skin is unharmed. This results in a noticeable but partial reduction of fat in the treated area in as early as 3 weeks. Some patients require additional treatments to enhance the desired aesthetic outcome.

Coolsculpting is FDA cleared for treatment of thighs and also abdomen and love handles. Your doctor can help guide you as to which is the best choice for you.