Inner, outer and knees
Outer thighs usually respond well: the fat is deep and the skin thick. Inner thighs have thinner skin that shows unevenness more easily, so less is taken and skill matters more. Fat around the inside of the knee is a small area that is often treated with the inner thighs.
Lipoedema is different
If both legs have grown heavy and painful, bruise easily and diet doesn't change them, that may be lipoedema, a medical condition, not stubborn fat. See your GP first. Liposuction for lipoedema is specialist treatment and is planned differently.
Who it suits
Liposuction is probably not for you if:
- the skin on your inner thighs is loose (a thigh lift removes skin)
- you are still losing or gaining weight, or your BMI is well above the healthy range
- the problem is loose, hanging skin rather than fat (that needs a skin-removal operation)
- you smoke and won't stop before surgery: smoking slows healing and raises the risk of blood clots
- you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy soon
- you hope it will change how you feel about your whole body, not one area
Recovery
You wear compression shorts for several weeks. Swelling can run down to the ankles for a while. Walk from day one to lower the risk of clots. Desk work usually resumes within about a week, gentle exercise at three to four weeks, and running or heavy leg training when your surgeon agrees.
Risks
Common in the weeks after any liposuction:
- bruising and swelling, which can last up to six months
- numbness, which usually settles in six to eight weeks
- small scars where the tube went in
- fluid leaking from the cuts for the first days
Less common, and the reason you want a specialist and a proper hospital or clinic:
- lumpy or uneven results, sometimes needing a second operation
- bleeding under the skin (a haematoma)
- numbness that lasts for months
- changes in skin colour over the treated area
- infection, or an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic
- a blood clot in a leg vein, which can travel to the lungs
- fluid on the lungs from the fluid injected during surgery
- damage to internal organs, which is very rare
Your surgeon should tell you how likely each one is for you, and what they do if it happens. See the full guide to liposuction risks and side effects.
Cost
One area costs €2,500 to €4,500. Inner and outer thighs together, or thighs and knees, fall in the two-area range of €3,000 to €7,000.
By law every doctor practising in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council, and a doctor can only practise independently as a specialist if they hold specialist registration. For liposuction, look for an entry in the Specialist Division under Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. You can search the register yourself on the Medical Council's website.
Questions people ask
Will thigh lipo stop my thighs rubbing?
It can reduce the inner-thigh contact if fat is the cause. If skin is loose, it won't.
Does thigh lipo remove cellulite?
No. Liposuction doesn't remove cellulite, and in some people it makes dimpling more noticeable.
How long is the swelling?
Most goes in the first few weeks; the last of it can take up to six months, longer in the lower legs.