- Have you lost weight in your upper body?
- Are you wondering what can be done to reduce the excess arm skin on your upper arms?
- Are you interested in reducing excess arm skin with an arm lift or Brachioplasty surgery? If you answered yes to any of these questions;
Download the Guide to Arm Skin Lift Surgery

A Surgical Solution for excess arm skin after weight loss
Read more about Brachioplasty Surgery
Learn more about arm skin surgery – known as an arm lift – with our Melbourne Plastic Surgeons, Dr Patrick Briggs or Dr Rebecca Wyten.
At a certain time of life, you may find yourself with wobbly upper arm skin along with your triceps. This can be the result of a multitude of reasons including laxity due to skin ageing or substantial weight loss.
Although this issue is not a major concern to some, but to others (more so in extreme cases) the skin laxity can begin to limit what you can comfortably wear while also impending on a day to day tasks that require constant arm motion such as exercising. In these cases, you may consider a Bilateral Brachioplasty. Commonly known as an Arm Lift, this procedure aims to contour the arm skin via surgical methods that help reduce the size and width of excess skin folds commonly known as ‘bingo wings’. The result of the operations aims to tighten and firm your upper arm appearance giving both a more pleasing appearance while increasing functionality of motion.
What’s involved with Arm Lift Surgery (Brachioplasty)?
Brachioplasty is a complex procedure that involves removing sections of skin from the inner arm that runs from the armpit to the elbow. Your surgeon will remove excess fat and skin from this area; liposuction is very common in conjunction with this procedure in order to contour the arm correctly. Then your surgeon will tighten underlying muscles and stitch the skin back together. Brachioplasty is often a bilateral procedure. This means the surgeon will do both arms in a single operation, therefore patients only have one recovery time not two for two separate operations.
One operation or two?
- Bilateral Brachioplasty procedures involve at least TWO unique surgeries, fully customised to suit each arm
- These can be done separately. However, most patients choose to have a bilateral procedure. In other words, TWO operations at the same time
- These procedures can involve 2 to 4 or more advanced surgical techniques to get a good result, such as skin reduction with liposculpting
What will the results look like given my arms are different sizes?
- Each arm has a different girth, as all bodies are asymmetrical and no two arms are alike
- While reducing asymmetry is possible, the main focus is on reducing arm girth to create a firmer, smoother or tighter appearance of your upper arms
- Do not expect identical symmetry but do expect improvement in girth and skin appearance (reduced skin drooping)
- Healing and scar formation can take several months
- You’ll have to accept that you’ll have a long scar. Although they will fade over time, it is still visible when your hands or arms are in certain positions
Is arm skin reduction worth it?
- Many patients report they feel much better having firmer arm skin (less self-conscious)
- In patient-to-patient forums, most patients report high satisfaction rates with these procedures
How to find out if Upper Arm Skin Surgery is right for you
Not every person with sagging triceps skin is a good candidate for plastic surgery.
Additionally, which Brachioplasty surgery techniques are best for you depends upon your specific skin condition and concerns.
Typically, the process of arm skin reduction surgery involves:
- A consultation and pre-op session to discuss your surgery requirements, costs, risks and aftercare
- Assessment of your overall health condition, Body Mass Index (Height and Weight) and skin laxity
- Discussion of the arm surgery techniques that will best suit your needs and PROS and CONS of different options
- We will take CLINICAL BEFORE SURGERY PHOTOS. We will also take AFTER surgery photos at your follow-up appointment
- Once you schedule surgery, you’ll receive specific pre-surgery instructions and post-op care guidelines
- During surgery, inner arm area excisions are made to reduce the skin
- These incisions often extend from your elbow area to your armpit area or back and upper torso
- Your surgeon may also use Liposuction and/or strategic incisions. This is to further reduce volume or girth, or shape the arms (tightening and contouring)
- Then they will readjust the skin suture incisions tightly.
- Once your surgery is complete your recovery begins.
- Before you go home you will discuss how to wear your compression garments and wound care.
- You’ll have follow up appointments shortly after surgery and then again at various time points
- Remember, you must wear compression garments for several weeks or months, depending on your pre-surgery condition and the amount of skin / dermal tissues removed during surgery
- We provide two compression garments but if you want additional sets, you can purchase these separately
Arm Skin Surgery Scars (Brachioplasty Scars)
Below is an example of a fresh arm lift scar. This will tend to fade in time.
- Notice the dramatic change in girth and ‘wobble reduction’.
- Clinic image (All Rights Reserved by Coco Ruby Plastic Surgery)
Before and After arm reduction and skin reduction surgery (Photos)
See more before and after video of a real arm lift surgery patient
How long is the Recovery period after Brachioplasty (Arm Skin Surgery)?
Recovery varies from person to person and how your surgery is performed (bilateral vs one arm only, liposuction or skin excision only).
- You will, however, need a few weeks away from work and other activities involving arm use.
- Allow several weeks of no driving and no heavy lifting for several months until your incision lines are fully healed.
- Compression garments must be worn as instructed, and allow about 12 to 16 weeks for most of the healing to occur.
- As your incision lines heal, your Surgeon will give you direct advice on when you can resume certain activities.
- For more on arm reduction surgery, get a downloadable PDF booklet that explains the process in more detail.
Download Our Excess Skin Reduction Guide

Benefits of Arm Reduction and Skin Reduction Plastic Surgery
- Smaller arm girth allows for more freedom of movement
- Less sweat/more comfort (reduced skin-to-skin contact and less skin volume)
- Easier to wear sleeved shirts or tops
- Reduction in flapping sounds when moving your arms
- Typically easier to exercise your upper body and arms (after fully recovering from surgery)
- More confidence wearing sleeveless clothing or swimwear
- Reduced skin infections caused by skin laxity or drooping arm skin (upper arms)
- Easier to see the results of upper arm strengths training (tricep and bicep strengthening)
That noted all surgery has risks and results can vary significantly from patient to patient.
Costs of Arm Skin Reduction Surgery (Bilateral Brachioplasty)
- The average price of Arm lift Surgery varies according to what you need adjusted in terms of excess skin and fat reduction.
- Average prices for bilateral brachioplasty surgery in Melbourne range from $17,000 to $23,000 when performed by an expert Plastic Surgeon who operates in Hospital settings.
Upper Arm Reduction Surgery Recovery and Risks
Risks to Consider when exploring Arm Lift (Bilateral Brachioplasty) Surgery
Like all surgical procedures, Brachioplasty, whether on its own or in combination with Liposculpture or Liposuction, does have some risk. Risks are covered in our Arm Lift/Brachioplasty procedure pages.
10 Surgery risks in general include:
- General Anaesthesia Risks
- Bleeding (Haematoma)
- Infection or Poor Scarring
- Delayed Wound Healing
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Fluid build-up (Seroma)
- Scar formation
- Numbness or other sensation changes after surgery
- Asymmetry or uneven girth (no two sides are ever identical, before OR after surgery)
- Other risks
All successful surgery outcomes are the result of realistic expectations of the patient, realistic surgical goals and the knowledge of possible risks and complications. Nothing is ever guaranteed in science and medicine. Risks are minimised through careful patient screening and planning, high standards of surgical training, meticulous surgical technique and vigilant post-operative care. Contact our Clinic to find out if you are a good candidate for upper arm reshaping surgery OR other body reshaping and body lift procedures in Melbourne or Berwick.
Combined Body Contouring after Weight Loss or Pregnancy
Dr Rebecca Wyten and Dr Patrick Briggs are our Clinic’s top Arm Skin Reduction Surgery experts for wobbly arm skin.
Dr Patrick Briggs also performs various body contouring and breast surgery for women after pregnancy and weight loss. Some patients want to sequence Upper Arm Surgery with other body reshaping, body contouring and body lift procedures.
Further Reading about Brachioplasty Surgery for Arm Reduction
- Find out more about Arm Lift Surgery Melbourne by Dr Patrick Briggs