Arm Lift: Q&A

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Arm Lift Recovery

I'm thinking about an arm lift and just wondering what to expect. What's the recovery like after the arm lift? What can I expect in terms of downtime and scarring?

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21 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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Armlift Recovery Variable

Thank you for your question. Some patients with upper arm skin and fat laxity benefit from laser liposuction with non-ablative skin tightening procedures. This recovery is perhaps the shortest with 1 week of mild downtime, 3-4 weeks of mild to moderate swelling and small scars. Middle of the road patients with just skin excess benefit from a traditional brachioplasty with a low-anterior incision. The downtime is 1-2 weeks, 3-6 weeks of mild to moderate swelling and long... more

Arm lift recovery and scars

Recovery During the post-op recovery period you'll likely be given specific written insutructions depending on your specific case but arm lift surgery is generally well tolerated. You'll need someone to drive you home after surgery and someone to stay with you for the first 48 hours. You'll be fairly sore for the first few days and will need bed rest with your arms elevated, avoiding movement as much as possible for the first 10 to 14 days following surgery. Your plastic... more

Arm Lift Recovery

This is a very satifying surgery and has a short recovery for the gains you get. Most of my patients need about 2-3 days of recovery and are back at work as long as it is a desk job at about 3-5 days. Arm movement at the shoulder is restricted for the first 4 weeks. After that there are no restrictions. Good luck.

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Optimum recovery after an Arm Lift

The recovery time after a full arm lift in my typical patient is quite short. Usually there is only mild discomfort for 2-3 days. My patients usually are able to drive a car and can return to office work after 5-7 days. The major restriction is avoiding a full range of motion of the arms for about one month, but the patients are able to start certain exercises after about 10 days.

Arm Lift Recovery

What I tell my patients always is if you follow the indications properly especially the first week everything should go smoothly from there. The indications I recommend to my patients to follow are , to limit yourself to minimal activities at least for 10 days and no lifting heavy object for a month. As for driving approximately 10 days also. The use of the bandages or garment is very important this is to prevent serious complications like hematomas, seromas inflammatory liquid... more

Typical Arm Lift Recovery

Following surgery, the arms are wrapped in a compression sleeve to reduce swelling. During the first 10-14 days, the swelling will reduce as a sign of the initial healing. Patients should avoid lifting arms overhead after the procedure. Swelling and bruising will gradually fade during the 3 to 4 weeks following surgery. After 6 weeks there are no activity restrictions for my patients but always ask your surgeon for his recommendations. The scars on the inner side of... more

Arm Lifting Surgery Recovery?

Thank you for the question. The arm lifting procedure is a great procedure to remove excess skin and adipose tissue of the upper arms. However, this procedure carries a major drawback: difficult scarring that may require scar revision (more so, in my experience, then other procedures). I have tried placement of the resulting scars in the bicipital groove (between the biceps and triceps muscles) as well as a long the inferior–lower aspect of the upper arm. I have... more

What to expect after an arm lift...

Arm lift surgery reduces or removes loose sagging skin from the upper arm to create a more toned apperance. After an arm lift, patients must wear a compression garment for about 6 weeks after surgery, which allows the skin to tighten and supports the incision. The incision, while noticeable at first, should gradually fade to a thin line. You most likely will have swelling and bruising, and both will disappear after a few weeks. Most patients may... more

Arm lift recovery (post-brachioplasty recovery)

Right after your arm lift procedure, you will be groggy from the anesthesia and pain medications. Patients typically wear bandages in the days following surger. As with any surgery involving anesthesia, you should have someone else drive you to your day-after follow-up appointment. Swelling and bruising continually improve over the months following surgery, but are most noticeable in the first 1-2 weeks. Endermologie can help reduce post-operative swelling and bruising... more

Recovery After Arm Lift Surgery

A brachioplasty is essentially an upper arm lift. In this procedure, the excess hanging skin and fat in the upper arm is removed. Its the procedure used to correct the common "bat wing" of skin that manifests in patients who have lost a significant amount of weight. Most of my patients are able to get back to a desk job 5-7 days after surgery. However, I recommend no heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 3-4 weeks. If an upper trunk lift is involved, I may... more

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These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.