Thigh liposuction
We decide how slim to make the thighs by looking at the whole curve from the waist through the hips and buttocks down to the legs.
LINE ONThigh Liposuction
Fat on the lower body tends to be slower to go.
If any of these apply to you, please mention it first at your consultation.
LINE ONThigh Liposuction
Point 1. From the waist to the legs
When you stand in front of a mirror in jeans or leggings, you don’t see your thighs on their own. You see the curve from your waist through your hips and buttocks down to your legs. So we decide how slim to make the thighs by looking all the way to where they meet the buttocks.
LINE ONThigh Liposuction
Point 2. Fat or muscle?
If fat is what makes the thighs look full, liposuction can make a bigger difference; if it’s muscle, the difference is smaller. So we first check the proportion of fat to muscle with a physical examination and ultrasound. We remove subcutaneous fat layer by layer, at the most effective depths.
LINE ONThigh Liposuction
Point 3. What to leave
The fat around the fold under the buttocks supports the buttocks. If too much is removed here, the buttocks can look saggy or extra creases can form. For the inner thighs, too, we first decide how much thickness to leave, then remove fat evenly.
LINE ONThigh Liposuction
Areas we examine
We don’t remove too much from the inner thighs just to create a gap. We aim for an inner line that looks natural within your natural build.
If you have hip dips (the dip at the side, below the hip bone) or your buttocks lack volume, we’ll discuss whether to add fat transfer to the buttocks.
LINE ONThigh Liposuction
How it works
We decide the extent of surgery after a physical examination and ultrasound.
We do the tests needed before anesthesia.
While you stand, we mark where fat will be removed and where it will be left.
Surgery is done while you’re asleep under IV sedation.
We inject a fluid that reduces bleeding and pain, then remove the fat.
We stitch with the SCAR OFF method to leave less of a scar.
You wear a compression garment, have your stitches removed on the scheduled day and come in for follow-up visits.
Medical note
More about thigh liposuction
From here, we explain how the surgery works, recovery and what to watch for in more detail. It’s written to the standards Dr. Oh uses when he sees patients.
Women’s bodies store a lot of energy in the thighs.
Because of hormones, women tend to store fat in the buttocks and thighs. Fat here tends to be slow to go, even when you lose weight. That’s why people say their upper body gets thinner while their lower body stays the same.
Liposuction reduces the number of fat cells that have collected here. It can’t change the shape of muscle or bone. So we first explain what surgery can and can’t do.
Besides the proportion of fat to muscle, we check the following before deciding on surgery.
The right approach differs from person to person. We decide after an examination, based on how much fat there is, how much change you’d like and how much time you can set aside for recovery.
Liposuction needs entry points for the tube that removes fat. So the marks at the entry points can’t be avoided entirely. Instead, we keep the entry points small and choose places hidden by clothing or skin creases.
For the thighs, the entry points are usually in the groin crease or the fold under the buttocks, where they’re hidden by underwear and skin creases. If the area near the knee is treated too, an entry point may also be placed in a crease near the knee.
Scars usually look red or dark for the first few months, then gradually fade. How much they fade depends on your skin type. At your examination, we mark your body as we explain where the entry points will go and how many there will be.
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If you have full buttocks, slimmer thighs alone can make your buttocks look fuller, so liposuction alone may give you the line you want. If fat transfer to the buttocks is added, we plan it as Lower Body LINE ON, our signature surgery that combines liposuction of the thighs, buttocks and love handles with fat transfer to the buttocks.
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The entry points where the cannula (a thin tube used to remove fat) goes in and out are protected with Protect, a device of our own design. We stitch the inner layer of the skin first, and stitch the surface with as little pull on the skin as possible.
When we don’t recommend it
Results and recovery vary from person to person. Whether a treatment suits you is decided after Dr. Oh examines you in person.
If inner-thigh fat was what kept a gap from showing, a gap may appear after liposuction. But a gap also depends on your pelvic width, the angle of your thigh bones and your inner-thigh muscles, so not everyone will get one. Removing too much from the inner thighs to create a gap can cause sagging or lumpiness.
Liposuction doesn’t reduce muscle. If a thick layer of fat covers the muscle, the thighs can get slimmer by that much. But if most of the size is muscle, the change won’t be large. We’ll tell you before surgery how much difference to expect.
Liposuction doesn’t change curved bones. If fat on the inner and outer thighs makes the legs look more curved, the line may look a little different. How much varies from person to person. We’ll tell you after an examination whether the cause is fat or bone.
The skin on the inner thighs is thin, so removing a lot of fat, even from the superficial layer, can make it sag or look uneven. If the area became lumpy or saggy after surgery elsewhere, it can sometimes be improved by combining fat transfer and liposuction, or with filler. But there are limits to how smooth it can become again, which vary from person to person, so we’ll discuss this after an examination.
After surgery, swelling and bruising can move downward because of gravity and show below the knees or even at the ankles.
While the treated areas are sore, you may feel a pull when you sit down or stand up. For Lower Body LINE ON, which treats the thighs, buttocks and love handles together, liposuction takes 2–3 hours and you can return to daily activities the next day. If only the thighs are treated, we’ll tell you the surgery time and when you can return to daily activities once we’ve set the extent after an examination.
Cellulite is when fibrous tissue under the skin pulls on the fat, making the surface look bumpy. Liposuction doesn’t smooth it out. It can even become more noticeable as the fat is reduced, so we tell you this before surgery.
If you only treat the thighs, only the thighs improve; if you only treat the waist, only the waist gets slimmer. What matters is one continuous line running through the thighs, buttocks and love handles.
If your buttocks are already full, slimming just the thighs can make them look bigger, so liposuction alone may be enough to bring out the line. If you have hip dips, or your hips or buttocks themselves lack volume, liposuction alone may not be enough.
Generally, most of the swelling goes down in about 1 month, and the rest in about 3 months. Bruising mostly fades within 2 weeks.
Whether it’s the face or the body, I look at the flow and proportions that connect one area to the next, not at a single area. That’s because no single line suits everyone.
Yes. I believe whether a treatment is technically possible and whether it’s worth doing for that person are two completely different questions.
Yes. For people who want to regain lines they’ve lost, whether after a first surgery or a revision, we’re also planning to offer corrective care after surgery.
We are a 3-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11, and the medical director examines every patient in person.