QuickLinks
Whether you’re dealing with sagging, loose skin on your arms due to genetics, age, skin elasticity changes, or significant weight loss, an arm lift at Dr. Andrews Plastic Surgery may be able to benefit you. This procedure can tighten and reshape the tissues to give you the sculpted arms you’ve always wanted.
What is an Arm Lift?
As you gain weight, your skin slowly stretches over time, often leading to extra skin that might not have enough elasticity to spring back after weight loss. Brachioplasty, more commonly called an arm lift, can make your upper arm look smoother and smaller to boost your confidence. This is a surgical procedure that reshapes the upper arm by reducing excess skin and fatty tissue and tightening and smoothing the underlying tissues. Removing this extra tissues can also remove stretch marks to help the upper arm look smoother in texture and overall contour.
Who is a Good Candidate For an Arm Lift?
An arm lift is a type of body contouring surgery that can be especially beneficial for patients affected by skin folds and sagging as a result of natural aging, or those who have lost a lot of weight. If you’re dealing with unwanted pockets of fat in your upper arms, extra skin folds, sagging or drooping skin (often called “bat wings”) hanging from your arms when you raise them, or changes in skin elasticity in that area, an arm lift may be right for you.
Other qualifications necessary to be a candidate for an arm lift include:
- Being a nonsmoker or committed to quit smoking
- At a stable weight and committed to maintain a healthy lifestyle
- In generally good health
- Not having certain medical conditions that could increase the risk of complications
- Having realistic expectations
The Arm Lift Surgery
Brachioplasty is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia to ensure your comfort. From there, Dr. Andrews will make an incision on the inside or back of the arm. How big the incision is depends on how extensive the surgery is, but it may span from the shoulder to your elbow on the back of your arm. He will then remove excess skin and fat, and use sutures to tighten and reshape the underlying supportive tissues. The remaining skin is pulled and the incisions are closed. He may also place a small thin tube underneath your skin to drain fluid; this drain will be removed a few days after surgery.
The whole arm lift procedure takes about three hours in total, although, it may take longer if you combine your arm lift with other procedures. Full body contouring is often done after weight loss to address other areas like the upper thighs and lower stomach, providing a more dramatic transformation to highlight your weight loss efforts.
Recovery
As you begin your recovery, Dr. Andrews will give you post-op instructions on how to take care of your incisions and the steps to take to ensure proper healing. This will include things like elevating your arms on pillows, getting plenty of rest, and avoiding strenuous activities and heavy lifting.
Dressings or bandages may be applied to your incisions, and your arms will be wrapped in a compression garment to help with swelling. You may need to wear this garment for several weeks. You’ll also be prescribed pain medications for your comfort and antibiotics to prevent infection.
You’ll see some improvement in the look of your arms immediately, but as the swelling goes down in the weeks and months after your arm lift, you’ll see more noticeable results. It is important to maintain a stable weight after surgery to ensure long-lasting results.
DR. KAHLIL ANDREWS
Dr. Kahlil Andrews is a board-certified plastic surgeon from Los Angeles specializing in plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
At his location in Coralville, Iowa, Dr. Andrews’ academic and technical achievements are only exceeded by his commitment to patient care. Whether they are seeking reconstructive breast surgery, outpatient injectable treatment, or a full-blown mommy makeover, Dr. Andrews gives his full attention and focus on achieving excellent patient outcomes.
MEET DR. ANDREWSTestimonials
“
Schedule a Consultation
Loose, sagging skin on the arms can affect your confidence and self-esteem. With an arm lift, you can get rid of extra skin and fatty tissue, and day hello to firmer, contoured arms. Take the first step and schedule a consultation with Dr. Andrews today. He will build a customized arm lift treatment plan to help you reach your aesthetic goals.
To schedule a consultation at our Coralville, IA office, call us at (319) 800-6877 or use our online scheduling form.
