Has ageing, heredity, excessive weight loss given you undesirable grandma arms? Are those loose pockets of fat in your arm region bothering you to no end? In most cases, exercise and diet fail to come to the rescue. It is imperative for you to go for a reconstructive surgery if you desire those svelte, fat-free, youthful arms. Your problem of loose, sagging, unattractive arms can be effectively done away with.
An Arm Lift can tone your arms and remove the excess droopy fat or skin.
Arm lift is a surgical procedure that addresses sagging, droopy arms caused by factors such as ageing, weight loss, and heredity and gives a rejuvenated appearance. It is carried out by removing excess fat through incisions made after administering anesthesia. The incisions are usually made in the interior of the armpit in such a way that the scar may be unnoticeable after the process.
Healthy Individuals who do not have any medical conditions that might inhibit fast healing such as high BP, High Cholesterol, Diabetes etc, and those who do not have a weak immune system.
Adults who have significant loose skin folds over the arm.
Adults who show relative stability in weight and are not very obese. This is why the procedure is not performed on children as they show fluctuations in weight during growth.
People who are ready to maintain the skin tone and amount of fat under the skin after the surgery by a continuous exercise regimen, as not doing so might lead to unwanted fat deposits in other places.
There are 2 kinds of Arm Lifts, depending upon the amount of fat and skin to be removed.
Mini Arm Lift: This is also known as a Partial or Minimal Incision Arm Lift. In this, a small incision is made in the armpit of the patient and the excess fat over the arms is gradually removed through Liposuction to sculpt the arm to a desirable shape. Excess skin may also be excised. Then, the skin is carefully wrapped and left to heal. This is ideal for people who have lost a moderate amount of weight or have lost substantial muscle tissue due to aging.
Upper Arm Lift: This is also known as Brachioplasty. In this, a cut from elbow to the body, under the arm is made, through which excess fat is successfully sucked out. The excess skin is trimmed, secured in place and left for healing. This method is ideal for people who have undergone a drastic reduction in weight.
Both these methods leave the skin looking beautiful and natural.
The surgeon/doctor will examine the patient during consultation.
Depending upon the amount of contour needed by the patient, the surgeon will discuss the optimum method for treatment.
If the patient has conditions like High BP, it needs to be controlled through proper diet and medication.
Smokers need to stop smoking for a prescribed amount of time before surgery to prevent delay in recovery time. It is generally six weeks prior to surgery.
The plastic surgeon will study the patient’s medical history and will then device a treatment that is surgically feasible.
General anesthesia will be administered before surgery and some local numbing medicine will be given to the patient prior to the procedure in order to control pain during the stages of healing.
The patients will have to wear compressive dressing for about 2 days. The surgeons can either use convenient dissolvable sutures which do not require to be opened or the ‘anchor’ sutures every 2-3 inches that can be opened in about 10 days. After the surgery and the after care, it takes the patient 4 to 6 weeks to feel ‘100% normal’ again. The scar tends to disappear in about 6 months.
Doctors recommend no heavy lifting to be done for about half a month to a whole month after the surgery.
There should be no driving for at least half a month during the recovery stages.
The use of bandage or dressing is very essential until the surgeon says otherwise to prevent serious complications like hematoma and seroma, wherein an inflammatory fluid accumulates.
If the patient has a desk-job he/she must not return to it at least for a week as your arms will be sore and numb and too much movement could re-open wounds.
The patient must strictly follow a balanced diet having low fat and carbohydrates, high fibres, raw greens and fruits.
The sutures in the arm will allow only limited movement. Such decreased activity can promote constipation. Hence raw fruits, bread, cereals and a diet containing lot of fibres must be included.
The pain medication prescribed should be taken consciously. Aspirin should be avoided as it has a tendency to cause gastric ulcers.
Alcohol should be avoided for at least 3 weeks after surgery as: It could interact with pain medication to cause complications. It causes fluid retention.
Smoking must not resume until the scars have healed off completely as nicotine in blood slows down healing and can increase risk of complications.
Although an arm lift causes your arm to look more proportional with the other body parts and helps increasing your self confidence, some of its after effects should be expected and taken into consideration if you’re contemplating on whether to go for an arm lift.
There is a long scar that is formed between the arm pit and the elbow that can be reduced with incision taping devices. Though the extent to which you take care of the affected area contributes greatly to the visibility of the scar, there are chances that it might be visible till atleast 5-8 weeks of the surgery.
Sagging of the under arm might still be a issue after the surgery if all the area needing a lift is not clearly identified, and you will need to undergo another procedure to tighten the skin.
The scars can have an irregular look which is completely dependent on the surgery and the nature of your skin.
If the arm’s skin has become saggy and droopy, it is advisable for the patient to undergo an arm lift procedure rather than liposuction as an arm lift helps in tightening of the skin.
A benefit of arm lift is that it yields fast and substantial results.
The procedure removes excess skin from the arms and giving you the desired look of the arms.
As there is removal of the skin around the arms, the arms feel lighter and more firmer giving a youthful look to the body.
Accumulation of fat due to various reasons such as heredity problem, lack of exercise, unsuccessful diet results can be treated with the cosmetic procedure.
The arm lift procedure gives the body a toned appearance which may have a positive impact on the state of mind of the patient.
Visible scars will be seen along the insides of your arms, extending from the armpit to the elbow. With technological advancements in the procedures these scars can be reduced.
Swelling is a side effect of the surgery. This can be minimised by using supportive wraps after the surgery.
Postoperative care becomes very important for the patient as there might be risks of development of blood clots, if the patient does not walk on a frequent basis.
The surgery can be posed with various risks such as scarring, bruising etc, which the patient can avoid by following the preoperative and postoperative instructions advised by the doctors.
There are certain candidates who should not undergo this procedure, these are:
Individuals with tight skin of the upper arm are not always suited as the procedure requires stretching the skin.
Individuals who are overweight (30 pounds above the ideal weight according to BMI) are not ideal as future weight loss can cause loose skin again.
If the individual can reduce arm size through natural weight loss, they should avoid surgery.
Individuals who have a tendency to scar or recover slowly from an injury. The scars can take a while to fade.
Individuals allergic to anesthesia, which will be administered during the procedure.
Individuals who are chronic smokers and drinkers and cannot quit smoking for at least 2 weeks before the surgery. Nicotine and alcohol slows recovery and leads to avoidable bleeding.
Individuals with serious medical conditions such as anemia. It can hamper the healing process and might cause further complications.
Arm lift is a surgical procedure that aims to reshape a person’s arm by Liposuction and Skin Tightening surgery in order to make the arms more attractive. It has a few alternatives.
Almost all of the scar disappears at the end of 6 months as already mentioned, but, not completely.
The scars, either ways are just noticeable when bared into view. These days, surgeons use state-of-the-art sutures and incision taping devices that minimize scarring as much as possible. Also, these scars can be easily covered by a little make-up.
The side effects of this procedure are:
There are some more severe complications associated with an arm lift procedure. They are:
These risks can easily be avoided if you choose the right surgeon. In case they do occur, get in touch with your doctor immediately.
When it comes to choosing surgeons for a cosmetic surgery procedure,ensuring that your doctor’s certification is from a renowned board in plastic surgery is a good way to begin. For example, the Plastic Surgery Association, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the International Confederation for Plastic are known for their rigorous and safe training methods. This implies that your doctor is not only well qualified to perform the surgery, but is also one of the best in the world. Since you’re getting treated abroad, such a certification can help you distinguish between the good surgeons and the best surgeons. Moreover, check for the doctor’s prior experience in performing an arm lift and managing incisions.
You should also evaluate the hospital’s care on a qualitative basis. This includes checking for decent infrastructure, the hygiene of the equipment used in the procedure, how updated the technological devices are, and so on.
