Goodbye to Flabby Arms

Yoyo Weight Fluctuations

If your weight goes up and down like a yoyo, you're not as young as you used to be, and the women in your family have droopy arms, you might be experiencing some sagging in this area, as well. Exercise can help by strengthening the muscles in the upper arm, but a workout can't do much about excess skin that is no longer elastic, not to mention weakened tissue and fat deposits. If any of this sounds like you, an arm lift may be the way for you to go.

An arm lift serves three purposes:

Removes excess skin and fat deposits in the area between the underarm and the elbow.

Reshapes your arm for better contour and smoother skin.

Results in a toned appearance due to more balanced proportions.

An arm lift, or brachioplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure that changes the appearance of the underside of your upper arm. After surgery, there will be a scar in this area. The surgery aims to reduce local pockets of fat in this area as well as excess skin that hangs below the arm, while tightening and smoothing the supportive tissues that give definition to your upper arm.

The incisions for brachioplasty are on the inside or back of the arm and may extend from the underarm to just above the elbow, depending on your doctor's preference. It's possible to have a smaller incision according to your surgeon's judgment. If fat is to be removed from this area, the procedure will include liposuction.

The next step is to tighten the supportive tissues that underlie this area. After tightening, these tissues are reshaped with internal sutures.

The final step is smoothing over the new contours of your arm.

The surgeon will close the incisions with dissolving stitches, or stitches that are removed from between 1-2 weeks following the surgery.

Immediate Improvement

There will be an almost immediate improvement in the appearance of your upper arm following the procedure and your arm will have smoother tighter contours. There will be some swelling and bruising, but it should be possible to see a dramatic improvement in the way your arm looks and feels.

After the surgery, your arms may be dressed with gauze or wrapped in elastic bandages or compression garments to minimize swelling. There may be a small tube placed under the skin to aid in draining off excess blood or fluid that can collect in this area post-surgery.