Women and men all over the world struggle with excess fat on their upper arms. Having excess underarm fat can give you many problems. You’ll find that you can’t feel good in dresses and sleeveless clothes because your arms are on display. This can lower your self-esteem and confidence levels.
You can try to cover up your upper arms by wearing full sleeves and baggy clothes, but the fact of the matter remains that it will always bother you. Sticking to a diet and going to the gym regularly doesn’t always help you lose weight in the places you want to the most. It also can’t do anything to address loose hanging skin.
If you’ve tried everything to tone your upper arms and you’re still not getting any results, it’s time to consider arm-lift surgery. This procedure offers excellent results and a quick recovery period.
What Causes Excess Upper-Arm Fat and Skin?
Your excess upper-arm tissue can be caused by a number of things, including aging, lifestyle factors, fluctuations in your weight, and even hereditary reasons. Most of the time, the excess tissue remains even after you’ve tried exercising and dieting to get rid of it.
As you age, your skin loses elasticity, its ability to shrink back to its original position when stretched. When you gain weight, your skin expands to accommodate the increase in volume. When you go through rapid weight loss, the volume decreases, but skin without a great deal of elasticity will have trouble shrinking back down to its original size. Instead, it sags and hangs, creating the appearance of “bat wings.”
The Arm-Lift Procedure
The arm lift, also known as brachioplasty surgery, can help you get rid of your excess arm fat and drooping skin for good through surgical removal. It smoothes and tightens the tissues to give you shapelier upper arms.
This procedure, like many surgical procedures, begins with the administration of anesthesia to the patient. Local anesthesia may be used to numb the area, and this may be paired with sedation to keep the patient relaxed throughout the procedure. Another option, general anesthesia, keeps the patient unconscious for the duration of the procedure and feeling no pain. The right anesthesia option for you will be chosen during your consultation.
Once this step is complete, incisions will be made in the upper arms, typically from the elbow to the armpit. The amount of excess tissue to be removed and its location will determine the exact size of the incisions.
Excess skin can then be trimmed away using a scalpel. Excess fat can be taken out of the upper arms through liposuction, which involves the use of a cannula (a thin tube with a sharp end) to suction out fatty tissue. The remaining tissues will be tightened, and then the incisions will be closed using medical sutures.
Find Out More About the Arm Lift
Find out more about what an arm lift can do for you – contact our office and set up a helpful consultation. At Northwestern Specialists in Plastic Surgery, we pride ourselves on our high degree of medical skill and the comfortable and caring environment we create.