What is All the Fuss about Arm Lifts?

Posted on 21. Oct, 2009 by Valerie in Surgical Procedures

It is something that almost everyone faces. For most people it comes along at an older age. For others, it is the result of a profound weight loss. Whether you fall into the former or latter, you know what it is. It is that extremely unattractive flap of skin that sags under the upper arms.

There are plenty of pet names for the arm skin, one of the less savory being bingo wings, most likely referring to elderly ladies playing the game and throwing their arms in the air when they yell “Bingo!” Whatever you may call it, many people face the problem.

How does the skin get so loose, you may wonder. Basically, four things are working against your arms. The first is gravity. Over time, as gravity weighs down, things begin to sag. The second and third have to do with your skin. As you age, your skin does not bounce back as well, and it does not stick to under layer tissues as well either.

Finally, with age, your bones and muscles begin to thin, meaning there is excess skin with nothing filling it out.

Thankfully, there is help for people who suffer from severe loose skin under the arms. A surgery, called brachioplasty or arm lift, can correct the problem quite simply. An arm lift is a way to repair the sagging and loose skin under the arm.

When the arm lift procedure is done, the patient is placed under general anesthesia. Then, the surgeon cuts the excess skin from the under arm, usually, running from the armpit to the elbow. The skin is removed and then, the two edges are pulled taught and stitched together. The whole surgery will take about two to three hours.

Recovery is relatively straightforward. The patient may experience a good deal of pain, but the surgeon or doctor can prescribe medication that will keep it under control. The outer stitches will have to be removed at a later appointment, and a drain is usually in place to keep excess fluid from building up.

It will take a few weeks to completely recover. However, after the swelling goes down, patients will have the smooth and tight arms that they could not have otherwise known. Keep in mind that the arm will be affected with age along with the rest of the body; however, the results of the arm lift are very long lasting.