Lift Your Arms to Look Your Summer Best

Now that spring is finally upon us, it’s time to start planning for summer! Summer brings warm weather, sunshine, and vacations. It also bring short sleeve T-shirts, tank tops, and spaghetti strap dresses, which can be a source of insecurity for people unhappy with the appearance of their arms. The upper arm especially can be a problem area for stubborn fat pockets and skin that lacks muscle tone. Instead of being embarrassed about your arms this summer, how about showing them off? An arm lift, also known as a brachioplasty, is a type of contouring surgery that can give you the confidence to leave your arms bare when the sun is out.

Contouring Surgery

All lift surgeries vary from patient to patient, but they do share a few common elements. In a lift procedure, the surgeon is able to remove excess fat deposits, repair muscles, and then trim away excess skin. After doing all the necessary internal and external corrections, the surgeon then lifts and sutures the remaining skin back into place.

In an arm lift, the incisions can be made from elbow to armpit on the back or underside of the arm to keep the scars hidden. The placement and extent of the incision will depend on the amount of work required for the patient. Liposuction removes the excess fat before the excess skin is removed. If needed, the surgeon can use internal sutures to repair, tighten, or reshape the support tissue in the arms. External sutures are used to close up the incisions once the surgeon lifts and smoothes out the remaining skin.

Arm lift surgery is an outpatient procedure and is performed under general anesthesia. It takes about three hours to lift both arms, though this time can be shorter or longer depending on the extent of work needed. You’ll be able to take your new arms home the same day as your surgery!

Recovery from arm lift surgery takes about six weeks, with most patients returning to work after seven to 10 days. Your incisions will be healed after two to three weeks, but your arms will still be recovering internally, so you’ll have to be careful with raising your arms and lifting heavy objects to keep your sutures intact. Your arms will also be a little swollen and possibly bruised at first. You can help with the discomfort by keeping your arms elevated and avoid excessive movement for your first week or so of recovery.

Arm Lift Surgery at Weniger Plastic Surgery

To be considered for an arm lift, you need to be in good overall health with a sufficient amount of excess tissue to justify the surgery. Most arm lift patients are individuals who have recently experienced a significant weight loss and want to have a little more contouring to their arms.

If you would like to discuss arm lift surgery with a plastic surgeon, Dr. Fred Weniger is an excellent choice. Dr. Weniger runs a state-of-the-art plastic surgery facility in the Bluffton area of South Carolina and has been a practicing surgeon for over 16 years. He is a favorite among his patients and is known for his expertise in a variety of procedures for the face and body. To schedule an initial patient consultation with Dr. Weniger, you can call his office at (843) 757-0123 or send him an email using his patient contact page.