If you’re having a big or saggy upper arm, that can be caused by excess loose skin, excess fat or both. Now if the saggy upper arm is caused by excess fat, then the best approach would be arm liposuction. But if there’s also excess skin, then you would probably need to have arm lift surgery.
Sometimes, weight loss might be able to reduce the excess fat in your upper arm that causes abnormal contours, but now always. The stubborn fat deposits in your upper arm can leave a bulky looking arm which can look out of proportion compared to the rest of your body.
For younger patients, with not too many excess fat, liposuction can be the solution. But this “no scar arm lift” procedure is unfortunately not suitable for patients that have saggy skin which is too lax and stretched. Fat removal will only make the skin sag more.
Excess loose skin on your upper arm is typically a result of weight loss and it doesn’t go away on its own. The result is saggy skin around your upper arm or so-called bingo wings or tuck shop arms. Luckily with arm lift surgery, this can be corrected and the scar will be hidden on the underside of the arm.
What is the cause of saggy arm skin?
As we age, the levels of Elastin and Collagen, two very important proteins from our skin, reduce. This causes the skin to lose its elasticity and firmness which leads to saggy skin. However, these aren’t the only factor that can cause this. Saggy skin on your upper arm can also be caused by:
- Poor nutrition
- Alcohol and cigarettes
- Too much exposure to UV light
- Sudden weight loss
- Various medical conditions
What causes fat accumulation in your upper arms?
The most common cause for fat accumulation around your upper arm is weight gain – when you intake more calories than you burn or if your diet is poor, you have a sedentary lifestyle or if you’re under too much stress.
Two best ways to get rid of this saggy skin is through arm lift surgery or arm liposuction.
Arm liposuction or Scarless Arm lift
Arm liposuction is known as a minimally invasive surgical procedure which sucks out the stubborn fat from your upper arms. The result is a much more contoured upper arm.
Now even though liposuction can help remove excess fat, it won’t get rid of the saggy skin. And when you remove excess fat, chances are that there will be even more saggy skin than before. So arm liposuction is best recommended if you have mild or moderate amounts of excess fat. To see if arm liposuction is an option for you, contact Dr. Kotoske and schedule a consult.
Arm Lift Surgery or Brachioplasty
Brachioplasty or upper Arm Lift Surgery is a cosmetic surgical procedure used to reduce and tighten the excess, saggy and wobbly skin in your upper arm. This is an ideal solution if the saggy skin was caused by weight fluctuation, loss of skin laxity, low level of Collagen or Elastin etc. The cosmetic surgeon will create an incision from the armpit to the elbow, remove the excess skin and tighten the skin to provide good contours.
The best results however, can be achieved with a combination of both arm lift surgery and arm liposuction. This can provide the best results, although some patients decide to undergo arm lift surgery only after liposuction.
Who is the ideal candidate for arm lift surgery and arm liposuction?
No matter which surgical procedure you decided to go with, you be in a healthy weight range, not have any chronic illnesses and to have realistic expectations about your end results.
Arm liposuction is recommended for people that don’t have too big fat deposits in their upper arms. This type of arm fat is particularly resistant to traditional methods of weight loss (diet and exercise). So people to are looking to undergo fat removal rather than skin tightening should consider this option.
Arm lift surgery, on the other hand, is recommended for people who have excess skin because of loss of laxity, aging and lower levels of Collagen and Elastin. Arm lift surgery will improve the contour of their arms and help them with their self-confidence.
If you’re having trouble with saggy skin in your upper arm, and you’re considering of having arm lift surgery or arm liposuction, contact Dr. Kotoske today and see which procedure would be most beneficial for you.
