Thigh lift
The thigh lift corrects loose skin and excess skin and fat on the thigh, mainly on its inner side. It removes the excess skin, reduces the fat by liposuction if needed, and tightens the tissues, for a firmer inner thigh and a more harmonious contour. Dr Manon Belhoste performs this procedure in Marseille, for €3,300 to €5,000.
The procedure
The thigh lift gradually removes the excess skin from the inner thigh, then redrapes and sutures the tissues without excessive tension. Liposuction may be performed before or during the removal of the skin, and the tissues may be fixed at depth to support the correction.
Dr Manon Belhoste performs three thigh lift techniques, which differ by their scar: a horizontal scar hidden in the groin fold and the perineal crease, a vertical scar running down the inner thigh, sometimes as far as the knee, or a combination of the two. The format is decided during the consultation, depending on how much skin needs to be removed, where it is located, the quality of the tissues, past weight changes and body shape.
- Price
- €3,300 to €5,000
The procedure and recovery
Dr Manon Belhoste performs thigh lift surgery at Polyclinique La Phocéanne and Clinique Phénicia in Marseille. A consultation with the anaesthetist comes before the procedure, and the risks specific to anaesthesia are explained at that consultation.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Anaesthesia | General. |
| Duration | 3 to 4 hours |
| Hospital stay | A stay in hospital of 1 to 3 days is possible |
| Equipment | Drains: sometimes placed, and left in place for a few days. Compression garment: worn for 6 weeks. |
| Exercise and strenuous activity | Strenuous activity and lifting heavy loads are avoided during the first weeks. Sport usually resumes from around 6 weeks. |
| Result | The result is assessed gradually, once the swelling has gone down and the tissues have softened after several weeks and months. An asymmetry already present before the procedure may persist. Major weight changes and ageing can change the result. |
Frequently asked questions
Here is a visual and schematic representation of the thigh lift.
A thigh lift removes the excess skin of the inner thigh and tightens the tissues, something no other technique can do when the excess skin is significant. Its limits: perfect symmetry cannot be guaranteed, and an insufficient correction, returning loose skin or contour irregularities may persist, which sometimes makes a touch-up worth discussing after stabilisation, usually not before several months. The scar is permanent and may widen, thicken, become pigmented, or migrate when it sits high. The alternatives depend on body shape: no procedure, weight stabilisation, or liposuction alone when the excess is mainly fat and the skin shrinks back sufficiently. These alternatives do not correct significant excess skin.
Before a thigh lift, Dr Manon Belhoste and the anaesthetist must be told about all treatments, medicines and supplements you take. Treatments that affect blood clotting are stopped only on the advice of the prescriber, Dr Manon Belhoste or the anaesthetist: a prescribed treatment is never stopped alone. Stopping smoking and all nicotine is required, because nicotine increases the risk of poor healing and of necrosis of the skin. Fasting, hygiene and blood clot prevention instructions apply as given, and the return home, with sufficient help for the first days, is arranged in advance.
After a thigh lift, walking with short steps from the first days is recommended, and keeping the legs slightly raised at rest reduces swelling and the risk of blood clots. Long strides, wide leg separation and positions that pull on the groin-fold scar are avoided during the first weeks. Swelling, bruising, tightness and reduced sensation on the inner thighs are usual at first.
Liposuction alone may be enough when the excess is mainly fat and the quality of the skin allows sufficient retraction. It does not correct significant excess skin, which requires a thigh lift.
The scar is permanent. It is concealed in the groin and perineal fold, may extend along the inner thigh, or may combine both routes. Its length depends on the amount of skin to be removed and how the excess skin is distributed. Scars are red and firm for the first months, then soften and fade: full maturation can take 12 to 18 months. No direct sun exposure is recommended in the first year, then SPF 50+ protection once the scars have closed.
The price of a thigh lift includes Dr Manon Belhoste's fees, follow-up consultations after the operation, anaesthesia and clinic fees at Polyclinique La Phocéanne or Clinique Phénicia.
Dr Manon Belhoste
Dr Manon Belhoste is a plastic surgeon, Doctor of Medicine and holder of the European Diploma in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery; she is in partnership with Dr Richard Abs, a specialist in buttock surgery.
Dr Manon Belhoste's background
The practice
Dr Manon Belhoste holds consultations at her practice, 1 Boulevard Lord Duveen, 13008 Marseille, from Monday to Thursday.
Operations take place at the La Phocéanne polyclinic and the Phénicia clinic, in Marseille.
The practice and the clinicsPage updated on 10 October 2026.