Excess skin gathers on the upper arms as a combination of ageing which increases skin laxity and weight loss after being overweight.
Women are most usually affected by this problem and may be self-conscious about their appearance in armless tops and dresses or in swimwear. It may also be difficult to fit into the arms of blouses or jackets.
Arm Lift (Brachioplasty) reshapes the upper arms by selectively removing the excess skin and restoring a slimmer contour to the upper arm. The skin is carefully assessed and measured prior to the surgery in order to achieve this.
Usually, a longitudinal section of skin is removed from the underside of the upper arm. Sometimes this may be extended past the elbow to the forearm or past the arm-pit onto the side of the chest.
Some patients may be able to reduce the arms simply with liposuction but this relies on the skin being able to recoil once fat is removed by liposuction – i.e, if you already have very loose or soft skin your arms will be much less suitable for liposuction only.
Do I need to lose weight before having arm lift?
Arm lift is best for patients with ‘redundant’ skin and typically these will be people who have been heavy and then lost weight but been left with loose skin. If the skin on your arms is quite ‘tight’ and ‘well-filled’ with fat then Arm-lift is not likely to be appropriate.
