Arm Lift

What is an arm lift?

An arm lift or brachioplasty is a cosmetic body contouring operation to remove excess skin hanging from the upper arms—especially after weight loss surgery. There are a number of surgical methods I can use to perform an arm lift. The one that’s right for you will depend on your desires—and your willingness to accept a scar.

How big of a scar does an arm lift involve?

That depends on how much excess skin needs to be removed. Sometimes I can do an arm lift with a scar only in the armpit, or a short scar down the arm—but often the scar has to extend down the inner arm to the area inside of the elbow. The length of the scar is determined by what you want to accomplish with the surgery.”

One patient recently remarked that the scar will only be seen sometimes, but this flabby skin is showing all the time.

Dr. Sterry offers an array of body contouring procedures

While an arm lift can involve a long scar, it is typically hidden from the rest of the world unless your arm is raised up and rotated outward. One patient recently remarked that the scar will only be seen sometimes, but this flabby skin is showing all the time.

Is an arm lift a new plastic surgery procedure?

No. This operation was introduced many years ago, but lost popularity when liposuction became widely available.

Wouldn’t liposuction be a better choice?

No. Liposuction alone is typically a bad choice for people with massive weight loss. Why? Because the problem is excess skin, not really excess fat. Liposuction is designed to remove fat, not skin—so it tends to make the problem worse for most weight-loss patients.