Spring is just a few weeks away. Are you ready to wear sleeveless fashions—or are you unhappy with your upper arms?

There are two basic types of upper-arm problems:

• Too much thickness
• Hanging skin

Cosmetic surgery offers two solutions: an arm lift or brachioplasty, and liposuction.

If you have loose, hanging skin, an arm lift, sometimes in combination with liposuction, can remove excess skin and fat and decrease the width of your upper arms.

If your only problem is a bit too much fat in the upper arms, liposuction alone may be the answer. Successful liposuction results depend on having good skin elasticity, which Dr. Parungao can largely determine before surgery.

You should be aware that an arm lift often involves visible scarring on the inside of your upper arms.

‘Now I can wear short sleeves!’

Thanks to everyone who attended the Feb. 20 Oak Park Library event.

Remember Carmen, the woman who lost 75 pounds after gastric bypass surgery? She was very happy after a panniculectomy flattened her tummy—but still had loose, hanging skin on her arms.

“I never wore short sleeves,” she recalls. “I was always trying to hide the excess skin on my upper arms.”

Carmen underwent an arm lift and was back at work 10 days later.

“I'm very happy!” she says. “My old blouses fit very big in the arms, so I'm down a blouse size.

“Now I'm looking forward to wearing short
sleeves this summer!”

If you have hanging skin from the elbow to the armpit—such as after weight loss surgery—you may need an incision that runs the length of the upper arm. The scar will be visible only when raising your arms. On the other hand, if you have excess skin only in the top 1/3 of your upper arms, Dr. Parungao can perform an arm lift with just a small incision in the armpit.

Is an arm lift right for you? Visit our web site, call our office at 630.794.0700 or e-mail us at info@parungao.com.

How do I know if I need just liposuction or an arm lift?

If you have loose, hanging skin or poor skin elasticity, liposuction will make the problem worse by removing fat from the area. An arm lift removes the excess hanging skin and tightens the upper arms to make your upper arms slimmer and more shapely.

How long will I have to be off work after an arm lift?

Most patients can go back to desk work about a week after arm lift surgery. You will need to wear a compression garmet for about four weeks.

I've had a mastectomy. Is an arm lift right for me?

Arm lift surgery is not appropriate if you have had a mastectomy. The drainage of lymphatic fluid from your arm may already be impaired, and arm lift surgery could lead to persistent swelling.