It's Not Enough to Have a Thigh Gap Anymore. Here's Why 'Thighlighting' Has Become the Latest Trend

 
If you’ve heard any of the buzz about thighlighting, you may have assumed it involved shimmery lotion or leg makeup for leaner-looking stems. But this trend takes things up a notch—or 10.

Thighlighting is a new term for a collection of plastic surgery procedures that add up to full-leg makeovers: think thigh lift, calf implants, inner and outer thigh contouring, laser procedures, and liposuction. A-listers with enviable gams like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Jennifer Lopez are said to be driving the trend—as are red-carpet gowns that put the spotlight on this new hot body part. 

The desire for flawless legs is actually part of a larger trend, says Neil Sadick, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College and past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. Whereas the focus in plastic surgery was once on the face, he's noticed a new interest in whole-body rejuvenation: "There is now more of an emphasis on improving other places of the body,” he says, including the arms and hands too.