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Arm lift

Arm lift: the procedure

Excess skin on the underside of the upper arms and on the inside of the upper legs is often the result of a pregnancy, an extreme weight loss or aging. An arm lift, also known as brachioplasty, and respectively a thigh lift can be the solution for a loss of skin elasticity or excess skin.

The arm lift is a standard surgical procedure mainly performed for aesthetic reasons. This surgery takes two hours and is done under general anaesthesia.
An arm lift procedure involves excess skin removal, mostly on the inside of the upper arm, making the skin tighter again. An arm lift is often combined with a liposculpture , a procedure where subcutaneous fatty tissue is taken away.

Arm lift: post-operative cares

After the surgery, the plastic surgeon applies a bandage. Two weeks after the arm lift, the bandage will be removed and the stitches will be taken out. During four weeks after the arm lift heavy efforts should be avoided.

To make the scar as least noticeable as possible, excess skin is removed on the inside of the upper arm. So the scar usually goes from the armpit to the elbow and it can be reddish and knobby during the first few months. A year after the arm lift the scars will fade and become smoother. Till then, the scar needs to be protected against the sun.