Bridging the Gap – What’s the Word on Thigh Gaps?

March 7, 2013 - By Dr. Jules Feledy

Searching social media sites such as Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook in all the right places will yield a number of fan pages that celebrate “the elusive gap,” also known as the thigh gap – a sliver of empty space between the upper thighs when standing upright. You’ve probably seen such a gap sported by runway models, Victoria’s Secret ads, and on countless magazine covers. There are some that are worried about an obsession over this gap among young girls has become a worrying trend.

Is there a rising demand for thigh-centric cosmetic procedures?

But is there a trend? Surgically speaking, anyway? Some news outlets, such as the UK’s Daily Mail, are reporting a rise in thigh-related procedures, but ASPS president-elect Dr. Robert Murphy doesn’t see such a trend.

Dr. Murphy says that women’s interest in thighs and slimming them down, “has always been an area on concern…now it’s just getting reinvented under a new title.” Furthermore, with the 2012 statistics fresh off the press, surgical procedures often employed to contour the thighs have actually decreased in popularity. Last year saw a one per cent decrease in the number of liposuction procedures. Instead, non-invasive procedures – Botox, injectable fillers, and laser procedures – were the types of procedures to show significant growth.

Dr. Murphy doesn’t discount the power media has over plastic surgery trends, though. “Media visibility puts something forward in a person’s mind,” said Dr. Murphy. The kind of curves and contours the most popular supermodels sport today may in fact influence what kind of surgery a patient may have on their mind when they come into a plastic surgeon’s office tomorrow. If there is to be a rise in thigh surgeries to come, only time will tell.

If you’re interested in any sort of plastic surgery, be it for thigh contouring, or anything else, be sure to consult your plastic surgeon to find out if that procedure’s right for you.