Remember as a teenager looking at your Mom in her sleeveless shirts and there was this excess skin waving in the air!  Silently, you say to yourself, I’ll never have that happen to me… well, girl look again!!  With all the media attention on Michelle Obama’s great looking arms, the nagging question is “how can my arms look like that?”

If you have concentrated on firming up the triceps in your upper arms by diligently using hand weights, you may improve the appearance and give definition to the arms.  However, if you have unsightly sagging skin on the upper arms due to aging, genetics or weightloss, you may be a candidate for Brachioplasty, also known as an “arm lift” which is designed to reduce or eliminate excess skin from the upper arms.

The procedure is performed under general anesthesia.  In order to remove excess skin, an incision is made that will run from above the elbow to the armpit.  The incision is placed in the most inconspicuous location but some scarring will always be visible which is an important consideration for patients.

The underlying supportive tissue is tightened and reshaped with internal sutures.  Finally, the skin is smoothed over the new contour of your arm.  Your incision will be closed with absorbable sutures and/or sutures that will be need to be removed within 1 to 2 weeks following your arm lift.

Following the procedure, you will be bandaged and your arms may be wrapped in an elastic bandage or compression garment to minimize swelling.  You may also have a small thin tube temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect.  Incision length and pattern depend on the amount and location of excess skin to be removed.  This will be decided during your consultation with Dr. Herrold.

The smoother, tighter contours that result from brachioplasty are visible almost immediately following your procedure, although initial results will be somewhat obscured by swelling and bruising.  Your new, shapely and toned upper arms are dramatically improved both in appearance and feel.  The results of arm lift surgery will be long-lasting, providing you maintain a stable weight and general fitness.

The popularity of this procedure has increased along with the growing number of people who have lost massive amounts of weight either through dieting or bariatric surgery or lap banding.

Dr. Herrold may also suggest having Vaser®Liposuction in conjunction with the brachioplasty procedure to remove any excess fat in the area, before removing the excess skin.  This can be discussed during your consultation.  Give us a call and see if brachioplasty is the procedure for you!

Posted: October 29th, 2009 under Upper Arm Lift/Brachioplasty.
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