The skin in the arms area, from the armpit to the elbow, often sags and causes not only a cosmetic but also a functional problem since it obstructs free movement and doesn’t allow you to wear whatever you want. Laxity is due to ageing or to a significant weight loss and it can be improved by arm lift surgery known also as brachioplasty, a surgery that removes skin and fat excess from the upper arms area and greatly improves their appearance.
What’s an arm lift surgery?
Who’s a good candidate?
An arm lift surgery addresses skin laxity and loss of firmness in the arms area that are due to significant weight loss as well as chronological ageing and restores the arms youthfull and firm appearance. The ideal candidate should be healthy, able to maintain his weight stable for the years to come and have reastic expectations. Arm lift surgery makes arms slim and sculpted again and, in this way, boosts patients confidence and improves their life quality.
Facts I need to know
Arm surgery is safe, performed under general anesthesia, in an organised clinic and takes 2 to 3 hours. Incisions size and shape differ according to the quantity of skin excess removed. If the operation concerns a small area then incisions are small, performed in the armpit area and may extend in the inner part of the arm. If the operation concerns a larger area then incisions will be larger but will be placed in the inner part of the arms and will be partly hidden. Fat excess is removed either surgically or by liposuction and then the skin is repositioned and stabilised in its new position. The doctor always studies carefullly the different needs, the size of the problem and the anatomy of the arms of each patient before proceeding with the surgery.
Recovery Time
After an arm surgery there is brusing and swelling but they gradually subside in the first 10 to 20 days. Patients return to their work 1 to 2 weeks following the surgery but should avoid putting any pressure on the incisions or rubbing them to help them heal faster and help the swelling subside.
What to expect
After the surgery arms look immediately firmer and well-shaped. Results continue to improve as the bruising and swelling fade. This outcome may last for many years as long as patients maintain a good physical condition and a stable weight.
Doctor’s Remarks
I often receive in my office women concerned by skin laxity in the arms due to ageing, as well as patients of both sexes that have the same problem due to significant weight loss. In this case we carefully study each case and, depending on the extend of the sagging we choose different techniques, like injectable therapies for skin firming, deep skin radio frequencies emitting machines – Morpeus 8, Bodytite – or arm lift surgery with carefully placed incisions depending on each patient’s needs. Incisions are hidden in the inner part of the arms and, if patients want to, they can always be smoothed with the i Pixel laser method in order to become almost invisible.