The Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons
Desire for improvement of loose upper arm skin—often called “bat wings”—is common, especially in Florida where sleeveless styles are worn year-round. Age, weight changes, and reduced muscle tone all contribute. If you’ve noticed sagging or flapping skin when you move your arms, a brachioplasty (arm lift) may be the solution to restore a more toned, youthful contour.
Manuel (Manny) Pena, MD
Brachioplasty removes the excess skin and fat from the arms and armpit and tightens up the skin envelope around the muscles of the arm and tightens the armpit skin. Fat can be removed directly during the procedure or by using liposuction. Most brachioplasties are only on the upper arm and stop before or at the elbow. However, if the loose skin goes down further towards the hand, your surgeon can discuss the option to go further down the forearm. The is extra armpit skin is often removed to get rid of that skin as well. Think of it as tailoring a suit in two directions. Two major recent improvements have been improving the location of the scar and using special absorbable barbed sutures, making brachioplasty even more popular in the last few years.
You are an ideal candidate if you have extra skin and fat on the upper arm and sometimes the part of the lower arm in the armpit. You should be in good health and have a fairly stable weight. Ideally, the muscles of the arm are toned. This can be improved with modest exercise or other devices to increase muscle mass. Detailed discussion with your board-certified FSPS surgeon will make sure that the procedures chosen can achieve your desired goals and make sure that they will be able to achieve your reasonable expectations.
Your board-certified plastic surgeon will evaluate your concerns review your anatomy and listen to your concerns and explained the procedure including the placement of the scars as well as the timeframe of healing and possible complications.
The procedure is typically performed under sedation or general anesthesia. The skin and fat are removed according to plan. Stitches (sutures) will be used to close the incisions. Usually a combination of dissolving sutures are used with a few sutures to be removed later.
You will be monitored in the recovery area and go home with compression wrappings around the arms to reduce swelling and discomfort. You will be encouraged to keep your arms propped on pillows at the level above your heart.
Initial downtime ranges from 1 to 2 weeks with light activity encouraged as you heal. Most patients return to normal routines within 4 to 6 weeks. Swelling will gradually subside and often compression sleeves are recommended to reduce the swelling more quickly. Carefully following instructions and using the recommended garments are keys to healing.
After the initial swelling resolves there is always a little bit of relaxation of the arm. Muscle toning exercises or devices may be recommended to improve this further. Sometimes other techniques may be used to improve that skin quality before, during, or after surgery (see “Alternatives” above). The scar begins to fade in the early months after the surgery and is best at about a year. Often scar management techniques are recommended from gels to silicone strips. Sometimes the scar can be lasered to improve it further. The ideal outcome is a toned appearance of the arms with scars that are imperceptible in daily life!
As with any surgery brachioplasty carries risk of bleeding, infection, and prolonged scarring. Choosing a board-certified FSPS member surgeon ensures that you are an expert hands with safety protocols and personalized care which will minimize complications.
Certain exercises designed to increase your biceps and triceps could offer improvement if the skin laxity is minimal. If there is a modest loss of elasticity, using radiofrequency or other energy device such as ultrasound can be used to heat the skin either with a minimally invasive system (from underneath with an anesthetic) or a noninvasive system (from the outside). These two options are often combined with small amounts of liposuction. These other options have little or no scar. Talk with your board-certified FSPS surgeon to see if these alternatives are right for you.
Costs vary based on the region and complexity of your problem. Schedule a consultation for personalized estimate.
Yes. The results are long-lasting and as long as you maintain a stable weight you will always maintain improvement. Natural aging can affect the long-term results and should be discussed in the long-term results discussion with your surgeon. Your surgeon may recommend some maintenance treatments to keep the skin supple.
What Should I Do Next?
Schedule a consultation with a board-certified FSPS member surgeon today to discover how Arm lift surgery can enhance your confidence and appearance.