If you have gained and lost considerable weight over the years, chances are your upper arms do not have the firm, trimmed appearance they once did. This skin can be seen to stretch and droop taking a certain amount of fat with it, creating the sagging upper arms sometimes called “bat wings” or “bingo wings”.
Dedicated workouts can help underarm flabbiness, but at a certain point, no amount of exercise can reduce the elongated skin and pooled fat that has accumulated in the tricep area.
An arm lift, medically known as a brachioplasty, reshapes the upper arm by removing the excess skin and fat that creates the drooping “bat wing” appearance when the arm is lifted away from the body.
Thousands of people each year choose to undergo arm lift surgery, giving them the confidence to once again wear short sleeves, tank tops, and swimsuits without worrying about the appearance of their upper arms.
When to Think About Getting an Arm Lift
- Age has left your upper arms flabby and sagging
- You’ve lost a considerable amount of weight and are left with excess, hanging skin and fat on your upper arms.* Your weight is normal, but your upper arms have lost all tone and you have been unable to return them to normal through exercise.
The Arm Lift Procedure
First, you will have a full consultation about what to expect from the surgery. Any top plastic surgeon will show you before and after pictures of surgeries they have performed in the past. This will give you a good idea of their experience and ability as well as what improvements you can expect from the procedure.
On the Day of Your Arm Lift Procedure
* Your plastic surgeon will place markings on your arms delineating the location, length, and direction of the incisions to be made.* The anesthesiologist will give you the appropriate intravenous anesthesia and sedation.* Your plastic surgeon will make incisions down the inside of the arm and remove excess skin and fat.
* Next, the skin is smoothed over the new contour of your arm, and the incisions are carefully closed. The sutures (stitches) may be placed beneath the skin where they will be absorbed into the body.* A sterile dressing and compression sleeve will be applied. You will be given home-care instructions upon leaving the surgery center.
All surgical procedures come with risks. Fortunately, complications associated with arm lifts are rare and this procedure has been for years, the “gold standard” of arm rejuvenation.
If you are thinking about tightening your upper arms and removing the “bat wing” appearance, you should give us a call here at the Columbus Institute of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Shah will be happy to discuss all your options with you and tell you about the entire process from preparing for surgery to full recovery.