Due to aging or a major weight loss, people may be confronted with excess skin on their arms. Unfortunately, physical exercise is only efficient in restoring the muscle definition, but they cannot greatly reduce the sagging of the skin. In these cases, the arms lift – the brachioplasty – can eliminate the excess skin, thereby making the treated area appear more youthful.
The brachioplasty is only necessary if the patient’s skin quality is below average, or a lot of surplus skin needs to be removed. In some cases, the sagging is minor and the patient is young and with a good skin elasticity, liposuction can be enough to improve the aspect of the arms.
More about the brachioplasty
When the patient’s main problem is excess skin, not fatty tissue, the procedure targets the inner side of the arms. An incision will go from the underarms toward the elbow. This will leave a scar that is visible with every arm movement, which is understandably difficult to accept for patients. With the right operative technique and aftercare, the scarring may be diminished to a great extent.
The two methods for reshaping the arms (liposuction and skin excision) can achieve superior results, especially for patients who have lost a lot of weight.
The brachioplasty requires general anesthetic. Furthermore, the patient will be required to wear compressive sleeves to limit the formation of the edema and help the skin’s retraction to the body’s new contours.
The incisions usually heal within two to three weeks. There is usually no need to remove the sutures because they should be absorbable. The patient should avoid physical effort involving their arms for at least a month after the surgery. However, regular activities can be resumed without any issues a few days from the surgery.
The need for a brachioplasty
Aging modifies the skin of the arms, as well as other parts of the body. After 40 year mark, the firmness of the skin decreases. The sagging skin effect typically occurs on the upper part of the arms. The brachioplasty can eliminate the excess skin and adipose tissue in the arms. After the procedure, the arms will appear more youthful.
Am I a good candidate for the arms lift procedure?
The brachioplasty can be conducted on a vast majority of patients, including patients of an average weight who need only a minor remodeling of their skin. However, most patients who request this procedure used to be overweight, but they have managed to lose that weight before the procedure.
Prior to the brachioplasty surgery, the potential patients complain that their arms look like bat wings. Sagging skin on the arms typically occur for women after 40, and people who lost a drastic amount of weight in a short period of time.
How is brachioplasty performed?
For patients with only minimal excess of tissue mostly caused by a fat deposit, liposuction can be a solution.
If the excess skin is positioned closer to the axilla, then the incision will be made near the axilla. The surgeon will use the incision to remove the excess tissue.
Excessive, low quality skin may require skin excision along the entirety of the arms by creating a longitudinal incision going from the elbow to the axilla.
What are the pre-operative recommendations?
It is recommended for smokers to stop smoking at least a few weeks before and after the procedure. Smoking can significantly impact the body’s healing capacity. Certain medications increase the risk of bleeding, such as aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medication. The taking of vitamin E or other naturist treatments need to be stopped before the surgical intervention.
What are the post-operative indications?
Anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers will be prescribed by your plastic surgeon. An elastic girdle will be necessary to prevent deformations in the targeted area, as well as other complications such as bleeding, seroma and hematoma. Massages are recommended once the incisions have healed, but patients should never have massages during the first week following the surgery.
The scarring after the skin removal needs to be treated with a rigorous hygiene routine. After the first two weeks, special gels and silicone sheets will be applied to help with the cicatrization process, ensuring the nicest scar as possible.
What are the side effects after brachioplasty?
The scar will initially be red and it will be in this inflammatory state for a few weeks or even months. The scar’s maturation can take up to one year.
Shortly after the procedure, some patients may feel tension at the upper part of the arms. This is caused by the edema that occurs after the intervention. Patients can feel a tingling sensation in their arms. All these side effects usually disappear within a few weeks after the surgery.
Conclusion
The brachioplasty intervention is a safe and efficient procedure to achieve beautiful and youthful arms. It is very important to avoid pressuring the scarred area through frequent arm movement as it can lead to a widening of the scars. Lifting your arms above 45 degree angle should be avoided until one month after the surgery.