Arm Lift

Do you feel as if you have too much loose or saggy skin on the lower side of your arms? Does this make you dislike the appearance of your arms, make you feel self-conscious or just make you feel older than you are? An arm lift may be the right solution for you.

An arm lift – medically known as a brachioplasty – is a body contouring surgery which removes excess skin and fat from the underside of the arm. As a result of ageing, this skin becomes droopy, and sometimes cannot be improved with exercise. This sagging skin can cause confidence and body image issues, as your arms are such a noticeable feature of the body.

You may also be interested in having liposuction on your arms to remove excess fat.

When we get older and lose muscle tone, we may not like what we see in the mirror. If you extend your arm, you may notice a flap of skin that hangs down.

In an ideal world, diet and exercise could correct this. But for some people, that is not enough. An arm lift or brachioplasty can improve the beauty and appearance of the arm.

An arm lift is also known as a brachioplasty. During a brachioplasty, the surgeon makes an incision in the arm. Excess skin is removed, and extra fat may be removed as well. Afterwards, there will be pain and swelling, which can take several weeks to go away. There will also be a scar. Generally, the scar will run down the underside of the upper arm. Sometimes, a surgeon will do a mini arm lift. This procedure leaves a scar in the armpit where it less likely to be noticed.

Risks that you are exposed to include infection, fluid accumulation, haematoma, skin necrosis, poor scar healing, and blood clotting. Your surgeon will also discuss with you the chances of revisional surgery, which is different from post-surgery follow-ups and future surgery. In the period leading up to the brachioplasty procedure, you will be asked to give up smoking if you are a smoker. Aspirin can act as a blood thinner and you will be asked to stay off it.

A good candidate for arm lift cosmetic surgery is generally a person who is in good health and is also of normal weight. Surgeons also look for someone who has been unsuccessful with using diet and exercise to improve the tone of the arm.

You may experience saggy arms for various reasons, such as weight loss or simply ageing. This can cause you to feel self-conscious, particularly when wearing shorter clothes. While exercise helps to keep the muscles tight, skin and fat can be stubborn and remain droopy.

An arm lift will remove this excess skin and fat, while also tightening the tissues, giving the arm a smoother, more youthful appearance.

The arm lift procedure involves undergoing liposuction to remove any excess fat. Next, the excess skin is removed and sutured shut.

After the arm lift, you will have a scar which will run down the underarm. While this scar will be more noticeable after surgery, it will fade with time. If you do not want a scar, you may wish to do a mini arm lift, as the scar will be limited to under the armpit, so it will not be as noticeable.

To help the healing process, you will be asked to avoid smoking. You will also have to avoid blood thinning medications.

Risks

Risks that can occur with this surgical procedure include:

• Infection
• Fluid accumulation
• Haematoma
• Poor scar healing
• Skin necrosis
• Blood clotting

Prior to undergoing any procedure, make sure you know about the heightened risks of travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery.

An arm lift is performed as an outpatient surgery, so you will be able to return home the same day as your surgery was completed.

After the procedure, you will have bandages applied to the incision area. The bandages and stitches will be removed two weeks after the surgery.

You will notice some bruising and swelling, which is a completely normal side effect after an arm lift. This should fade after approximately 20 days.

You will have to avoid any excessive physical activity and heavy lifting for at least two weeks. You will be able to return to work after one week, however, you will still have to avoid any physical labour.