Arm Lift

Brachioplasty

Loose Arm Skin

On this page, Dr. Loftus will explain how loose arm skin can be remedied, as well as the different procedures available and how you can tell which one is right for you.
Loose upper arm skin is most often related to weight loss. If you were ever overweight, you more than likely developed heavy upper arms. To accommodate the increased volume of the upper arms, your skin stretched. After weight loss, skin does not tighten, and so it sags. The only way to improve this problem is through an arm lift, also called brachioplasty. The before and after pictures below show the dramatic improvement that is possible.

Is Liposuction an Option?

If your arms have loose skin, lipo is unlikely to help. The only time lipo is a better choice is when there is a lot of fat and the skin is reasonably tight. When the skin is loose, brachioplasty surgery is usually the best choice. Scars are the greatest drawback of this operation. They will extend from the armpit to the elbow, along the inside of the arm. This operation exchanges one cosmetic problem (loose skin) for another (scars). In general, those with very loose saggy skin are most likely to find this exchange worthwhile. Those with a small amount of looseness will probably not want the scars.

Mini Arm Lift

If you have a small amount of extra skin, you may be a candidate for a mini brachioplasty. Below are images of a mini arm lift scar. The problem with this procedure is that very few women are truly good candidates for it because it only corrects a nominal amount of loose skin. And women with nominally loose skin don't usually consider it enough of a problem to seek surgical correction.

Full Arm Lift

If you have a moderate amount of extra skin, you need a full arm lift. The incision runs the length of the upper arm, but is positioned on the inner surface to hide it as much as possible. The images below show the scar location.


If your extra arm skin extends onto the side of your chest, an extended arm lift can remove arm skin, arm pit skin and chest skin. The images below demonstrate this:

Extended Arm Lift

If your loose skin extends to your forearm, you may be a candidate for an extended arm lift. This procedure involves removal of excess skin all the way down to your wrist.

Arm Lift: During and After Surgery

Anesthesia: General or sedation.
Location of operation: Office or hospital.
Length of surgery: 1-2 hours
Length of stay: Outpatient (home same day).
Discomfort: Mild to moderate. Anticipate 2-5 days of prescription pain medication.
Swelling: Improves over 1-2 weeks
Bruising: Is rare
Stitches: Will be absorbable. None to remove.
Back to work: 3-7 days
Exercise: May be resumed in 2 weeks.
Final result: Will be seen after the scars have matured, which will be about six months.

Tips and Traps of Arm Lift

• Realize that this operation involves the exchange of one cosmetic problem (loose skin) for another (scars). If you are unwilling to accept scars, you should not have this operation, as no surgeon can predict how the scars will heal on you.
• Arm lift is for loose skin. If your main problem is heavy arms due to excess fat, then lipo may be a better option, provided that the skin is not excessively loose.