Tips to Look Great Sleeveless

By Sheilah Lynch, MD

Sheilah A. Lynch, MD

. https://lynchplasticsurgery.com/

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Tips to Look Great Sleeveless

If you have been hiding your arms, you may be a candidate for a minimally invasive arm liposuction procedure to reduce the size of your upper arms. Small suction tubes (cannulas) are inserted through very small incisions placed in inconspicuous locations and excess fat is removed.

Liposuction is intended to produce a permanent improvement in the contour and proportion of the arms. A garment is worn for four weeks after liposuction to help guide the natural process of skin shrinkage.

If there is also excess skin, then an arm lift procedure may be required. With a traditional arm lift procedure called brachioplasty, a large portion of loose skin under the arm is surgically removed along with attached fat. This incision is usually extended from under the armpit towards the elbow and leaves a visible scar under the arm. For a heavier arm, liposuction may be used in conjunction with the arm lift to remove excess fat.

For massive weight loss patients an extended arm lift, extended brachioplasty, will also remove extra skin along the chest wall near the breasts. (See arrow in bottom left photo.)

Liposuction and arm lift are done on an outpatient basis. General anesthesia is usually used for safety and comfort. Tumescent fluid is injected into all areas before liposuction to minimize the amount of blood loss during the procedure.

In most cases, only one percent of what is removed is blood. This means less bruising and faster recovery. The recovery for liposuction is usually less than one week and up to two weeks for brachioplasty, depending on the type. The typical consultation to determine which procedure is best for you will take about 40 minutes. Consult a plastic surgeon today to see how you can get great arms.