An arm lift, also known as a brachioplasty, reduces excess skin and fat between the underarm and the elbow, reshapes the arm for smoother skin and contours, and results in a more toned and proportionate appearance.
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. Brachioplasty can address those issues.
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. When you come in to Edina Plastic Surgery for a free consult with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons they will discuss your options with you.
An arm lift will accomplish the following:
- 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.
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 can be dramatically improved both in appearance and feel. The results of arm lift surgery will be long-lasting, provided that you maintain a stable weight and general fitness. As your body ages, it is natural to lose some firmness, but most of your improvement should be relatively permanent.
In order to achieve your improved image, there will be a scar on the inside of your upper arm. Your surgeon can discuss this with you in detail and show you before and after photos of other patients.
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 more limited. Then, underlying supportive tissue is tightened and reshaped with internal sutures. Finally, the skin is smoothed over the new contour of your arm.
