Your face is not the only area of your body that can suffer the effects of aging, sun exposure and collagen/elastin loss. The knees do not get nearly the same amount of attention as the face, but they can certainly bear the brunt of lifestyle and environmental factors over time.
Even if you are in shape, eat well and exercise regularly, saggy, wrinkled knees may make your legs look older than they are.
If the appearance of your knees bothers you, Dr. Ary Krau can help. Read on as he discusses how to get the smoother, tighter leg contours that you envision.
Surgical and Non-surgical Tightening Treatments
In some cases of mild to moderate knee sagging and wrinkling, non-surgical, ultrasound-based tightening treatments can offer improvement. A series of treatments with the Ultherapy system can trigger the production of collagen in the foundation of the skin; with replenished collagen reserves, knees gradually appear smoother and younger.
However, Ultherapy is only effective in a fraction of cases. The more reliable treatment option is to surgically lift and tighten the skin and tissues of the entire upper leg with thigh lift.
During thigh lift surgery, an incision is made in the groin area, sometimes extending down the leg toward the knee. Through the incision, the leg’s tissues are lifted and tightened, and the skin is wrapped more smoothly around the newly improved tissues. Excess skin is removed. Most patients are happy to trade some light scarring for a better leg contour.
If you have lost a substantial amount of weight and are left with sagging or redundant skin folds around your knees, thigh lift is probably your best option for comprehensive improvement.
Will Liposuction Help?
Some of Dr. Krau’s patients are under the impression that knee liposuction can remedy the appearance of wrinkled, saggy knees. This is true for a small number of patients whose primary problem is excess fat and not excess skin. Liposuction eliminates unwanted fat without improving the appearance of the skin. Simply removing fat and ignoring folds of skin usually does not provide the desired improvements.
If you have “pinchable” areas of fat around your knees but your skin has relatively good tone, knee liposuction may be appropriate.
Individualized Care for Your Unique Needs
The best way to determine a suitable treatment approach to your unique needs is with a surgical consultation at Dr. Krau’s practice. He will examine your knees, evaluate the amount of unwanted fat as well as the quality of your skin and recommend the best way to proceed. Dr. Krau is happy to answer any questions you have about knee liposuction, thigh lift or other treatment options, so you can feel fully informed about your choices.
To request a consultation with Dr. Krau, call or email our office today.