Do you have excess skin in your upper arms?
Several factors can lead to this skin condition. Excess skin in the upper arms can result from ageing, significant weight loss, or pregnancy. Unfortunately, this condition cannot be addressed by diet and exercise alone. A procedure called Brachioplasty can be performed to remove excess upper arm skin.
Our blog “All about upper arm lift surgery” discusses bilateral brachioplasty procedures.
Arm Lift Surgery (Brachioplasty)
What is a Bilateral Brachioplasty?
A bilateral brachioplasty is upper arm skin & arm circumference reduction surgery. Bilateral means the surgery is performed on both arms. Some individuals concerned about only one side of their body might choose a unilateral brachioplasty. However, most patients have a bilateral procedure. This means the redundant (excess) skin folds and arm fat is reduced on both arms. The incision is usually but not always made on the inside of the arm between the armpit and elbow to help reduce the visibility of the arm surgery scar when the hands are by the sides.
Upper arm surgery to reduce excess arm skin is one of the body lift/body contouring and skin reduction surgeries available to men and women who have excess skin folds due to obesity, genetics, ageing, and body mass index changes (weight fluctuations) that resulted in stretched skin that expands larger than the underlying support structures.
Excess Upper Arm Skin and Arm Reduction
- Excess upper arm skin near the triceps area is a common skin condition.
- It often occurs in individuals who have either lost body weight or had a reduction in skin elasticity or muscle firmness due to:
- Ageing
- Menopause
- Skin atrophy
- It is particularly common in formerly obese individuals who have lost weight and are left with skin folds requiring skin reduction surgery.
- No amount of exercise will reduce skin, although having a high muscle-to-fat ratio can sometimes help.
- Redundant, descending skin and areas of arm fat that are exercise-resistant need a surgical solution to address them.
Brachioplasty for Excess Upper Arm Skin
Some individuals end up with quite a bit of excess, redundant skin. They try to exercise, but nothing seems to make a major difference. So, what’s the surgical solution?
- Brachioplasty surgery is one potential solution for patients with excess upper arm skin.
- It does leave a scar of less than 3 to 4 cm.
- However, the upper arm surgery scar is strategically placed to be less visible when the arms are by the sides.
- The surgery also uses upper arm liposuction as well as surgical excision (this can vary depending on the patient’s concerns).
All About Upper Arm Lift
- A brachioplasty procedure is a surgical reduction of skin and subcutaneous tissue (fatty tissue) from your upper arm area.
- The treated area usually extends from below your armpit to a variable distance towards the elbow.
- Most brachioplasty procedures also involve liposuction of the arm area prior to removing redundant (excess) skin.
- Your surgeon will strategically place the incision line to reduce scar visibility when the arms are by your side.
- Incision line scars can take 12 to 18 months to reach maturity (some patient’s scars mature earlier).
- There are also healing aids and scar management treatments that can minimise scars.
