What is an arm lift?
Arm lift, also known as brachioplasty, is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the upper arms, thus tightening skin and making muscle tone more visible. Once the excess tissue is gone, patients will enjoy sleeker, slimmer and more aesthetically pleasing upper arms.
About the Arm Lift Procedure
Arm Lift Recovery
Immediately following an arm lift, your surgeon will bandage surgical incisions and advise that you wear a compression garment to reduce swelling. Patients should be able to manage any pain and discomfort with prescribed medications, and most feel well enough to return to work within a week. Patients should expect some activity restrictions for several weeks following surgery, and should follow any special instructions the surgeon provides to allow for proper healing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they do. Arm lifts literally excise or cut away the loose skin, physically removing it. Not only do arm lifts work to eliminate loose skin on the arms, but they are the only reliable and effective way to do so. Exercise can build muscle beneath the skin, but it doesn’t target the loose skin itself.
An arm lift is the best way to correct sagging upper arms. If you have excess fat deposits in your arms, liposuction can remove them to resculpt and shape the area. Loose skin, however, cannot be corrected with liposuction. If it sounds like we’re pushing arm lifts pretty hard, it’s because they truly are the gold standard for getting rid of excess skin.
An arm lift is considered permanent because the skin that we remove isn’t coming back. Many patients enjoy their new upper arm shape for the rest of their lives. But your remaining upper arm skin could sag again if you lose a significant amount of weight, or if you gain weight and then lose it again. Weight gain forces the skin to stretch to accommodate the fat, and when it goes away, the skin sometimes sags. Maintaining a stable weight after surgery is crucial if you wish to make your arm lift results last.
Yes. Arm lift scars are located on the inner arms, extending down from the armpit. If you need a lot of skin removed, the scar could extend as far as your elbow. Scars do mature and fade with time, especially if you use silicone scar creams or similar products during your recovery. Your scar will fade and blend in with the surrounding skin, but it will never be invisible. Unfortunately, this scar is the tradeoff for getting rid of the loose skin. Many patients feel it’s a good trade for getting rid of their “bat wings,” but this is a very personal decision.
Not typically. If you have enough skin to cause ongoing infections, or if your arm lift will be part of a skin removal procedure after bariatric surgery, your insurance may help. But health insurance companies usually deem an arm lift as cosmetic or elective surgery and don’t pay for it. At Mia Aesthetics, we work with several financing partners to help make surgery as affordable as possible. They may be able to help you.
An arm lift can be combined with other procedures. As long as the procedures you want are safe to do together, we can create a customized surgical plan that gets you in and out once. Liposuction and arm lifts are often performed together to eliminate both excess fat and skin in the upper arm.
As much as we would like to, we can’t really give you a number here. We recommend that surgical candidates have a BMI of 34 or less to help ensure safe anesthesia usage. The most important thing is that you can maintain a stable weight for at least six to 12 months before surgery. You will also need to do so after surgery if you wish to maintain your arm lift results.
Sometimes, yes. There are a handful of non-surgical skin tightening treatments, such as the J-plasma that we offer. These treatments may not work for everyone, however, and are only effective when treating mild sagging. If you have a significant amount of loose skin, an arm lift will likely be your best option. That being said, we do encourage you to explore all of your options so you can make an informed treatment decision.
Frankly, no. You can target your arm muscles with exercise and beef them up a bit so they take up more space within the skin, and this can help a little. You can also do cardio to reduce fat overall. But there are no exercises that eliminate loose skin. Exercise just doesn’t do that. It is a great thing to do, but it won’t get rid of the extra skin on your arms.