Often called “bat wings,” flabby upper arms are common in older adults and people who are overweight. As we age, the muscle tone in our arms can diminish and lead to this unwanted appearance. If you’ve tried other things to tighten your upper arms with little or no success, then you may be a candidate for an arm lift.
Read on to learn more about this procedure, also called a bracioplasty.
- If you have loose, hanging skin on your upper arms, you are a good candidate for an arm lift. Patients are in good general health and have a positive outlook and realistic expectations for the outcome of surgery.
- This procedure does involve a lengthy incision that runs on the upperside of the upper arm from the underarm to the elbow. Through this incision, Dr. Wiener uses liposuction to remove unwanted fat pockets. Underlying muscle tissue is then repositioned and tightened, trimming away excess skin before closing the incision.
- Arm lift is an outpatient surgery that takes up to three hours, depending on the amount of loose skin and fat that needs to be removed. Some patients may need a minimal incision arm lift with only a few small incisions if they don’t have extensive loose skin.
- Incisions are closed using a medical-grade adhesive, which avoids stitch marks and improves the quality of the resulting scar.
- Your scar will be red at first but fade and become less visible over time. with proper care. It’s important to limit sun exposure on the scar so that your scar can fade in color over time. Too much sun exposure can cause the scar to darken in color.
- Patients can expect to be sore after surgery and have bruising and swelling that can be reduced by wearing a tight compression garment.
- Patients usually return to work within a week after surgery and can return to strenuous activities after 4-6 weeks.
If you are interested in learning more about whether you are a candidate for an arm lift or other plastic surgery procedures, please call (773) 763-3990 today to schedule your consultation.
