• Do you wear long sleeves—even in July—because you don't want anyone to see the loose, hanging skin on your upper arms?
• Have you lost 50 pounds or more through weight-loss surgery?
• Are you wearing a larger blouse or shirt size just to accommodate your upper arms' excess hanging skin?
• Over the years, has the skin on your upper arms developed a “crepe-y” look?

An arm lift can reshape your upper arms

Many people—especially those who have had massive weight loss—are plagued with excess skin hanging from their upper arms. Even with exercise, your skin simply can't shrink enough to fit your new, slimmer body.

If you're suffering from loose skin on your upper arms—often called a bat-wing deformity—an arm lift may be right for you.

There are 2 basic types of upper-arm problems

• Too much thickness
• Hanging skin

Cosmetic surgery offers two solutions: an arm lift 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. To get successful liposuction results, you need good skin elasticity, which Dr. Parungao can largely determine before surgery.

What is an arm lift?

An arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a plastic surgery procedure to remove loose skin and excess fat deposits in the upper arm.

Arm lift surgery can leave a visible scar

It is important to realize that arm lift surgery leaves a noticeable scar. 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 your upper arm. The scar will be visible only when raising your arms, however. And like all scars, the redness will fade
with time.

On the other hand, if you have excess skin only in the top one-third of your upper arms, Dr. Parungao can perform an arm lift with just a small, inconspicuous incision in the armpit.

Are you a good candidate for arm lift surgery?

Arm lift surgery may be right for you if:

• You've lost 50 pounds or more and have loose skin hanging from your upper arms.
• The skin on your upper arms has developed a "crepe-y" look over the years.
• Even after exercising to firm up your arms, you're still left with a lot of loose skin.
• Excess upper-arm skin is making it difficult to find blouses or shirts to fit you properly.

Who should not have arm lift surgery?

An arm lift is not appropriate if you:

• Have had a mastectomy. The drainage of lymphatic fluid from the arm may already be impaired, and arm lift surgery could lead to persistent swelling.
• Suffer from repeated infections in the armpit.
• Have excess sweat formation, a condition known as axillary hidradenitis

Newsletters related to “Arm lift surgery, brachioplasty, skin reduction, Chicago, IL”

February 2007
Arm lift surgery for upper arms by Dr. Parungao - February 2007