Surgery for removing excess fat and tissue has improved the lives of millions of Americans by improving their appearance and increasing confidence levels. If you have sagging and excessive skin underneath your upper arms, you might be a perfect candidate for what is known as a brachioplasty, or arm lift. The excessive tissue on this area of the arms can make people seem out of shape, even though they might not be. There are varied reasons why excessive tissue might develop on this area of the body. Some people are genetically predisposed to it and have had this issue since their early youth.
Have You Lost Weight Recently?
If you have lost weight recently, you might still have pockets of fat and excessive tissue underneath your upper arms. Sometimes this can occur without having lost weight, simply as a side effect of growing older, for many women. This part of the body is hard to target and, even though you might be otherwise healthy and fit, the fatty tissue and excess skin can remain. There are various exercises that have been designed to target this area of the body. However, they are not always as effective as desired. This is when it might be necessary to have an arm lift to reduce the excessive fat and skin tissue.
How Is an Arm Lift Performed?
Arm lift surgery is performed by directly cutting and removing the excessive skin underneath the arms. Some of our patients have plenty of skin underneath their arms, but not much fat. In these cases, liposuction is not necessary. The remaining skin is then carefully placed back in a position that suits the contour of the upper arms, closed and allowed to heal.
What You Need to Know
We ask that our patients prepare for this procedure by making sure that they have someone they trust to drive them home afterwards. Not only will you still be under the influence of the anesthesia afterwards, your arms will not be in any shape to perform the necessary tasks involved in driving a car successfully.
Some medications can increase bleeding, and that’s the last thing you or our physicians need during surgery. Avoid taking over-the-counter medications like aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal nutritional supplements. We also ask our patients who smoke to quit smoking before the surgery. Smoking reduces the flow of blood in the skin and can interfere with surgery and the healing process. It’s important not to smoke until significant healing has occurred after the surgery. It takes at least two weeks for initial healing to take place for most of our patients. Why not start the process immediately? Visit Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO to get started. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!
