For many people, the look and feel of their upper arms are a major source of distress. As people age, they may be more likely to have loose, saggy upper arms, often referred to as “bat wings.” With weight fluctuations as well as aging serving as a factor, the effects of gravity can take their toll. Women, in particular, may change the way they dress and feel less confidence in their appearance – they may stop wearing tank tops, swimsuits and bikinis or sleeveless dresses. You may feel as if you can’t live life to the fullest because you are concerned about covering up your arms.
This kind of drapey skin can appear much wider than the rest of the arm and out of proportion to your overall body size. Even slender women or those who have significant weight loss often have drooping skin in the area. There is a solution, however, that can help you to change this uncomfortable appearance. Brachioplasty or an arm lift can address excess fat or skin in the area below the upper arm. With a brachioplasty, you can remove these unsightly bulges and sags, allowing you to feel comfortable once more wearing body-conscious clothing or summer wear. Dr. Glasberg is a double board-certified plastic surgeon who has performed numerous brachioplasties with stunning results that look natural and restore his patient’s body confidence and pride. After a brachioplasty, you may feel more comfortable in clothing and confident in your appearance.
Good Candidates for Brachioplasty
Brachioplasty is recommended for adults who have seen the appearance of their upper arms due to the effects of age, weight gain or loss or other changes to the body over the year. The sagging, loose skin that develops over time cannot be removed through diet and exercise, but an arm lift procedure can make a much-desired change in the appearance of the area. Dr. Glasberg can assess your unique situation to ensure that an arm lift procedure is the right choice to help you achieve the aesthetic results you desire.
An arm lift can also be combined with liposuction. This combination procedure can target persistent fat deposits while tightening loose and sagging skin at the same time. While the brachioplasty will surgically remove the excess skin responsible for the appearance of “bat wings,” liposuction can target stubborn areas of fat.
When preparing for a brachioplasty, it is important to stop smoking; smoking can interfere with your body’s natural ability to recover and heal after the procedure. An arm lift is not an alternative to weight loss; this procedure is best-suited to people who are already at their desired weight. If people gain or lose weight, the results of the surgery could be affected, so if you are on a weight loss journey, a brachioplasty can be a great choice after you have achieved your results.
After you have a brachioplasty, there may be moderate scarring in the upper arm area. However, you can feel comfortable in swimsuits and sleeveless dresses; these scars are often only apparent if the arm is extensively listed. For those who only need a moderate reduction in their loose arm skin, the incision for a lift can be located mostly inside the armpit, further reducing the visible appearance of scarring.
Your Brachioplasty Consultation
When you visit Dr. Glasberg for information about an NYC brachioplasty, he will listen in detail to your visions and ideas about what you want to achieve for your appearance. As an arm lift specialist, he will work with your unique desires to present a detailed recommendation for a procedure that can produce the results you desire.
He will review the types of procedures that can help you accomplish natural-looking, beautiful results that can help you enjoy your life to the fullest. By examining the size and shape of your upper arms, he can determine the best type of procedure to suit your body.
Dr. Glasberg will present realistic outcomes that reflect your goals, including using computer imaging and your own photos to show you the possibilities that await. In addition, he will review the procedure itself, the necessary recovery period and the risks involved.
The Arm Lift Procedure
During the procedure, a patient will receive intravenous sedation or general anesthesia, according to Dr. Glasberg’s recommendations. The procedure itself takes approximately two hours from start to finish. In addition, Dr. Glasberg will recommend the type of incision and procedure that is best suited to achieve the results you desire. His exceptional technical skill and long record of success can help to make sure that your brachioplasty is a stunning success.
In most cases, Dr. Glasberg will make an incision on the inside or the back of the arm. This incision will begin in the area beneath the armpit and can extend to various lengths, depending on your specific needs. It can reach down to the space above the elbow. The incision can be enlarged or reduced depending on the plan for your procedure; before the brachioplasty, Dr. Glasberg will provide you with extensive details about the options that are available and how they can help you achieve your vision.
Excess fat can be removed directly or by use of a liposuction cannula after the incision has been made. Dr. Glasberg will then shape and tighten the supportive tissue beneath the skin in order to provide a tighter, more toned appearance before he replaces the skin, smoothing it in place for an accurate placement. Following your brachioplasty, a surgical dressing will be applied to your arm along with an elastic bandage to help support your recovery.
Recovery After Brachioplasty
Dr. Glasberg will provide you with details about the length of your recovery and what you can expect during that time. You will learn how you can best care for your arm as it recovers. In general, no sutures will need to be removed after the procedure is completed. Your suturing will be internal and will dissolve itself over time. However, for up to three weeks after your procedure, your arm will bruise and swell. During this time, you may experience some discomfort or pain as you heal.
In the first four weeks after your brachioplasty, you should avoid intense exercise and other forms of heavy lifting with your arms. When you feel comfortable, you can go back to light activities. If you work in an office-type environment, you can go back to work around a week after the brachioplasty. If your work involves heavy lifting, you will need to consult with Dr. Glasberg about when you can return to work.
Your results will be visible immediately after the brachioplasty procedure, but to enjoy the full effect of your results, wait six months to a year to see the final effect. While you are healing and after, make sure that you use sunscreen and protect the incision area from the sun in order to reduce scarring and promote fading.
Plan Your Arm Lift Consultation
As an NYC brachioplasty surgeon, Dr. Glasberg provides private consultations and performs procedures each day for patients in his Manhattan office. Clients come to him from across the country and around the world. We invite you to phone our office for a consultation with Dr. Glasberg and plan your arm lift.