Wave Goodbye to Extra Arm Skin After Weight Loss

Losing a lot of excess weight can be a life-changing experience that leaves you feeling healthier and more confident in your appearance. However, if your weight loss also leaves you with loose skin on your upper arms, you may not feel as proud or comfortable as you imagined you would after such a notable accomplishment.

Getting an arm lift after weight loss has become a popular option for removing excess skin that can otherwise diminish your confidence. In 2019, nearly 20,000 people had arm lift surgery — a more than 20% increase compared to just four years before.

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What Is Arm Lift Surgery?

Carrying excess weight can cause your skin to stretch, damaging collagen and elastin fibers. That’s why, even after losing weight, the skin around your arms may not spring back. Another issue is that, as we age, we can lose a lot of elasticity in our skin, causing looser skin on the upper arms. When you have excess skin that isn’t going anywhere on its own, surgery may be the best solution.

The technical name for arm lift surgery is brachioplasty. This cosmetic procedure aims to improve the appearance of the upper arms by removing excess, sagging skin from the section between the shoulder and the elbow. Brachioplasty can also be an arm skin and fat removal surgery, involving liposuction as well as excisional surgery. Your surgeon can determine the best method for giving you the results you desire for your arms.

How Does the Procedure Work?

To remove excess skin, a cosmetic surgeon will first draw lines on your arms as a guide. After putting you under general anesthesia or using sedation and local anesthesia, the doctor will make an incision where it will be least noticeable — typically on the inside or back of the arms. If you only have excess skin high up on your underarm, you may only need a limited-incision brachioplasty, also called a modified brachioplasty, which involves a smaller incision in the armpit area.

Once the doctor has made the incision, they will resculpt the shape of your arm, removing any excess, hanging skin. They’ll close the incision with stitches, which will remain concealed inside your arm and will eventually dissolve. The whole procedure usually takes about three hours to complete.

Typically, it’s wise to wait a while after weight loss to get an arm lift or any other surgery to recontour your body. If your weight has been relatively stable for about six months, and you’re not pleased with the way your arms look, it’s a good idea to talk to a plastic surgeon about getting an arm lift. This surgery can help you make the most of your weight loss and gain more confidence.

Arm Lift Surgery Benefits

Getting an arm lift after weight loss comes with some valuable benefits. Here are some reasons to consider having this procedure.

1. Improved Appearance

People undergo arm lift surgery because it can considerably improve the appearance of their arms. You don’t want to go through weight loss surgery or a rigorous diet and exercise plan, only to dislike your appearance in the end.

If you don’t like the way your arms look, an arm lift may be the best solution. Plastic surgeons experienced in brachioplasty can reshape your arms, so they appear more contoured and no longer include sagging skin. Your arms will look toned and more youthful.

2. Consistent Proportions

One of the things that tends to bother people about excess arm skin is that it doesn’t match the rest of their post-weight loss body. In cases of significant weight loss, you may need several surgeries to remove excess skin from various parts of your body. Some people may feel good about how the rest of their bodies look, except their arms.

If your arms seem disproportionate to the rest of your body, an arm lift can help you achieve those more balanced proportions that make you feel more comfortable in your new body.

3. Visible Muscle Tone

When you’ve worked hard to improve your health and achieve more muscle tone, it can be disheartening to see no change in your arms. You may very well be building your arm muscles through exercises like weightlifting or strength training, but the excess skin on your arms will keep you from seeing the results.

With the excess skin removed through an arm lift procedure, you can begin to see your workouts pay off more noticeably. You may also enjoy a more comfortable range of motion without that extra skin dragging you down.

4. Expanded Clothing Options

If you have excess arm skin, you may be used to choosing clothing that will help conceal your arms. This problem can be especially frustrating in the summertime when you want to wear sleeveless shirts or swimwear. You may also have to purchase shirts or dresses a size up from what you would otherwise wear to accommodate your arms.

With an arm lift, you can start choosing clothes because they’re most comfortable or because you love the way they look, rather than because they help you cover your arms. Plus, you can find out what shirt or dress size fits you best.

5. Greater Confidence

Ultimately, having an arm lift can give you something that is difficult to put a price tag on: confidence. You don’t want to go through life feeling self-conscious. Maybe you try to keep your arms at your sides because you don’t like to feel your skin flapping as you wave or use other arm gestures. Or, perhaps you can’t fully appreciate your slimmer body and restored health because you’re preoccupied with your arms.

An arm lift surgery can help you feel more comfortable and confident in your body. You can wear that sleeveless dress, wave enthusiastically and finally love what you see in the mirror.

Arm Lift Recovery

If you’re considering getting arm lift surgery, you probably want to know what the recovery looks like. Brachioplasty is an outpatient surgery, so you’ll be able to return home the same day, but you’ll need someone to drive you, since you will be groggy from being under anesthesia.

After your surgery, you will need to wear a compression garment for a while to keep swelling down. Some swelling is unavoidable, so it may be a month or so before you accurately see the results of your surgery. You will need to rest up for a few days, but after that, you can start to ease back into more activity. You can typically resume more strenuous exercise after a few weeks, but be sure to consult your doctor.

You will have some scarring from the surgery, though your surgeon will be strategic about where they position this scar, so it won’t be too noticeable. For most people, especially if you are in good health and a non-smoker, brachioplasty scars will fade over time. Protecting your scars from sun exposure will help them lighten even more.

Arm Lift Surgery at Southern Plastic & Reconstructive Surgical Institute

If you live near Franklin, Tenn., and you are considering having an arm lift done, you should schedule a consultation with Dr. Brought. As a board-certified plastic surgeon and a leading brachioplasty surgeon in the area, he can help you improve the way your arms look and feel. At Southern Plastic & Reconstructive Surgical Institute, our goal is to help our clients enjoy a rejuvenated appearance and enhanced self-confidence. It’s time to wave goodbye to your extra arm skin and say hello to a more confident you!

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