Significant weight loss, bariatric surgery, pregnancy, and aging can leave loose skin behind in various areas of the body, especially the arms. If you find that muscle toning exercises and diets don’t work to address this aesthetic concern, you could consider brachioplasty or arm lift surgery. The safe procedure can remove loose skin and tissue under the upper arms and provide you with toned, shapely arms. NYC plastic surgeons perform the procedure using advanced, minimally invasive BodyTite technology. Scarless arm lift surgery in NYC can help you improve arm contour without long incisions or extended downtime.
If you are considering this cosmetic surgical procedure to get rid of loose skin under your upper arms, there are some things you need to know:
- What the procedure does: The treatment focuses on removing excess, sagging skin and fat that builds up in the area between the elbow and armpit.
- Needs anesthesia: While traditional arm lift surgery requires general anesthesia, a scarless arm lift is performed using local anesthesia.
- Arm lift and liposuction: Liposuction can remove excess fat, but some sagging skin may remain. So, an arm lift is the best option to fix saggy arms, not liposuction. Your plastic surgeon may recommend an arm lift in combination with liposuction if you have excess skin as well as a lot of underlying fat.
- Surgical vs. nonsurgical skin tightening: The conventional approach involves making an incision along the inner side of the upper arm extending from the armpit to the elbow. If there is a lot of excess skin, the surgeon will remove some from the uppermost part of the arm, the armpit area and even the chest. The procedure may take 2 to 3 hours and require hospital stay. On the other hand, the less BodyTite™ procedure involves only tiny incisions. It uses radiofrequency energy to tighten loose tissues and encourage collagen production for improved skin texture. BodyTite liquefies the excess, allowing it to be removed using a small cannula and provides superior skin-tightening effects. As NYC plastic surgeons perform BodyTite as an outpatient procedure, patients usually return home the same day.
- Recovery: Recovery time is shorter for scarless arm lift surgery. However, regardless of the technique used, wearing a compression garment can help reduce the swelling. Patients can expect to get back to light activity within a few days, but strenuous activity will have to be put on hold for 3-4 weeks or till recovery is complete.
Scarless arm lift surgery in NYC provides specific benefits over the conventional approach –
- No visible scars
- Needs only local anesthesia
- Outpatient procedure
- Stimulates collagen production and tightens the skin
- Minimal bruising, swelling and pain
- Short downtime and faster recovery
- Initial results visible immediately after the procedure
As with any cosmetic surgical procedure, having your arm lift performed by an experienced plastic surgeon is crucial for the best results. Importantly, you should have realistic expectations. If you are considering an arm lift, schedule a consultation with an expert to understand which technique will work best for you. It is also important that you are aware of the potential complications and discuss them with your surgeon. A reliable surgeon will perform a thorough evaluation of the extent of excess fat and skin and its location to determine the best approach – liposuction, nonsurgical scarless Armlift surgery, excess skin removal only, or a combination of liposuction and excision.