Arm Reduction / Lift

Beauty for Life: enhancing your appearance with an arm lift

Fluctuations in weight, growing older and even heredity can cause your upper arms to have a drooping, sagging appearance. Exercise may strengthen and improve the underlying muscle tone of the upper arm, but it cannot address excess skin that has lost elasticity or underlying weakened tissues and localized fat deposits.

If the underside of your upper arms are sagging or appear loose and full due to excess skin and fat, an arm lift may be right for you. An arm lift:

• Reduces excess skin and fat between the underarm and the elbow
• Reshapes your arm to result in smoother skin and contours
• Results in a more toned and proportionate appearance

A special note: in order to achieve your improved image, there will be a scar on the inside of your upper arm.

What is an arm lift?

An arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a surgical procedure that reshapes the under portion of the upper arm, from the underarm region to the elbow.

The procedure is performed to:

• Reduce excess sagging skin that droops downward
• Tighten and smooth the underlying supportive tissue that defines the shape of the upper arm
• Reduce localized pockets of fat in the upper arm region

Is it right for me?

In general, candidates for an arm lift include:

• Adults with significant upper arm skin laxity
• Adults of any age whose weight is relatively stable and who are not significantly overweight
• Healthy individuals who not have medical conditions that can impair healing of increase risk of surgery
• Non-smokers
• Individuals with a positive outlook and realistic expectations

Procedural steps

Step1 – anesthesia

Medications are administred for your comfort during the surgical procedures. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recomment the best choice for you.

Step 2 – the incision
Incision length and pattern depend on the amount and location of excess skin to be removed, as well as the best judgment of your plastic surgeon. Incisions are generally placed on the inside of the arm or on the back of the arm, depending on the surgeon’s preference and may extend from the underarm (axilla) to just above the elbow. If fat is to be reduced during your arm lift, it will be excised or treated with liposuction.

Depending on your specific conditions, incisions may be ore limited. Then, underlying supportive tissue is tightened and reshaped with internal sutures. Finally, the skin is smoothed over the contour of your arm.

Step 3 closing the incisions
Your incisions will be closed with absorbable sutures, or stitches that will be removed within 1-2 weeks following your arm lift.

Step 4 – see the results
The smoother, tighter contours that result from brachioplasty are apparent almost immediately following your procedure, although initial results will be somewhat obscured by swelling and bruising. Your new shapely and toned upper arm is dramatically improved both in appearance and feel.

Recovery

Following your surgery, dressing or bandages may be applied to your incisions, and your arms may be wrapped in an elastic bandage or a compression garment to minimize swelling. A small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect.

Results

The results will be long-lasting. The results of a thigh lift are visible almost immediately. However, it may take several months for the final results to fully develop.

 Some visible scars will remain, but the overall results are long lasting, provided that you maintain a stable weight and general fitness. As your body ages, it is natural to lose some firmness, however, most of your initial improvement should be relatively permanent.