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After Upper Arm Lipo 3 Yrs Ago the Fat Now Feels Soft and Jiggly. Is Brachioplasty Right?

asked 1 year ago by 96701 in Honolulu, HI
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 730 times
Tags: female

I had liposuction done 3 years ago. My upper arms were big but firm. Now they are softer and jiggly. I regret doing it. Especially since they are still big and when my arms are down they look soft and dimply like cellulite thighs but upper arms. And now the skin droops and almost looks fatter over my elbow. I'm not sure if a Brachioplasty is right because it's not just the skin that is loose, there is a lot of soft fat in there too. What would you recommend?

19 answers to After Upper Arm Lipo 3 Yrs Ago the Fat Now Feels Soft and Jiggly. Is Brachioplasty Right?

+1

Arm lifting and liposuction

You may be a candidate for arm lifting and liposuction surgery. However, you should be well informed regarding the scars associated with this procedure- they do tend to spread or experience pigment change. Scar revision surgery is often necessary/helpful. Planning of the excision is critical- the resulting scar should be as hidden as possible. Personally, I think this scar is least visible when it ends up on the inferior (bottom) of the arm as opposed to the... more
Tom J. Pousti, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

Is an arm lift the best procedure for me?

Upper arm fat and excess skin are treated with liposuction and brachioplasty, respectively.  Liposuction treats excess fat and skin excision (brachioplasty) treats excess skin.  It sounds as if you likely had a bit of excess skin before liposuction that is now empty.  Brachioplasty is likely the procedure of choice for you at this point, possibly with a little liposuction for contouring. see video
York Jay Yates, MD

Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon
+1

Liposuction and arm lift

It sounds like you have redundant skin as well as persistent fat. An arm lift will correct the loose skin, possibly the dimpling and remove the fat directly in the area of skin excision. You may require further liposuction in the area outside of the skin resection.
Irvin M. Wiesman, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift needed for soft, lax, droopy upper arm skin

Without providing pictures (and of course examination), the recommendations made are only conjecture. Nevertheless, it sounds like you have lax skin with decreased skin tone. The treatment of this would be for an arm lift (also known as a brachioplasty) which involves a longitudinal incision down your upper arm allowing for circumferential tightening. There is usually a transverse incision as well - situated in your arm pit area. You should see a board certified plastic surgeon in your... more
Steven Turkeltaub, MD

Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm Lift and Liposuction in Atlanta

Based on your description, it sound like you will benefit from redo liposuction and removal of the excess skin. This is a common procedure in my practice. I routinely combine liposuction with Brachioplasty (arm lift). The best advise for you is to see a board certified Plastic surgeon. Do your research well. Anyone can claim to be a cosmetic surgeon without surgical training.
Stanley Okoro, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

www.georgiaplastic.com

+1

Brachioplasty or arm lipo

It sounds like you have a combination of both fat and loose skin in the arm.  This is quite common.  I'd recommend a combination treatment - circumferential liposuction of the arm with a skin-only brachioplasty.  This would both tighten the skin and reshape the arm contours.   All the best,
Thomas Fiala, MD

Altamonte Springs Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift may need both liposuction and brachioplasty

   Arms can be difficult.  Liposuction is often quite successful in good candidates .  If skin is in substantial excess then brachioplasty must be considered.   Brachioplasty can be combined with Vaser Ultrasonic Liposuction which can help in skin adaptation.  The best suggestion would be to visit a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  There is nothing like hands on examination.  Many plastic surgeons do not... more
George Commons, MD

Palo Alto Plastic Surgeon
+1

Yes brachioplasty would be best

The best way to tighten the skin a d improve your arm contour further a this point is through arm lift or brachioplasty. Sometimes this can be performed with a relatively short scar in the armpit only, but often a longer scar down the arm is needed to achieve maximal improvement.
David J. Levens, MD

Coral Springs Plastic Surgeon
+1

Treatment of loose skin after liposuction

Arm reduction surgery involves removing excess loose skin eith with a smaller incision in the arm pit or more commonly an incision along the arn to or past the elbow.  All decisions are based on how much skin there is so photos would be necessary.  Be sure you really can deal with the incision to the elbow before proceeding especially if your goal is to wear short sleeved shirts because of the visible scar.
Terrence Murphy, MD

Englewood Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift and liposuction

You may get some more detailed recommendations if a set of pictures was available. Since you have loose skin and some fat also, a combination of arm lift and liposuction may help. Both of these can be done together as an outpatient procedure. The scars from an arm lift are obvious and take a while before they improve so you should have a good discussion with a Board Certified plastic surgeon before you consider more surgery.
Karol A. Gutowski, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty

Brachioplasty is necessary to remove excess and inelastic skin follwowing liposuction.  Unfortunately, the scar can be very visible, talk to a board plastic surgeon.
Christopher K. Livingston, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm evaluation

An arm lift is performed for loosw hanging skin and also to remove soem fat. After lipo of your aarms it sound slike the skin did not redraped as much as you would have liked.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Excess skin laxity in upper arms

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.  Remember, to achieve that much better arm contour, you will need to accept a scar.   Talk to your board certified plastic surgeon to learn more about your options 
C. Bob Basu, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty (upper arm lift, nip and tuck) after arm liposuction

A brachioplasty may be an excellent procedure but you must be willing to accept the lengthy and visible.scar. The last thing you want to say is:" I was happy with the loose joggly fat and now I have this horrible scar" Be informed, consult with several surgeons and look at good and bad photos so you are prepared for the best and worst.
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty

You are describing excess fat and loose skin(Because of previous liposuction). You probably have fat all around the arm. May be you need another liposuction to the arm cicumferentially. Once heales then do the brachioplasty.
Samir Shureih, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty after liposuction

Brachioplasty after lipo usually gives a wonderful result.  The one question I ask every patient is "are you willing to accept a scar?"  The scars usually heal well over time but count on a year to see the final result.  Speak to your plastic surgeon about brachioplasty and if you are not satisfied go on several consultations before making a final decision.  I do circumferential lipo when I do the arms as I feel this helps the skin retract, but I reserve it for... more
Steven Schuster, MD

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lipo vs brachioplasty

I personally never do arm lipo because of your experience.  The skin is thin and poorly elastic in most patients so the potential for a result like yours is high even with the "new fangled" treatments like laser lipo which doesn't do any better as far as shrinkage despite the hard sell for that. The problem with brachioplasty is the scar and no short scar technique works great especially if you have issues around the elbows leaving the full length scar as the only... more
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty after Liposuction

Thank you for your question. It is difficult to say if you are a candidate for a Brachioplasty without seeing pictures of the area in question. A brachioplasty addresses loose skin and from what you describe it sounds as if you may have a combination of excess fat deposits and loose skin. Performing a brachioplasty on an arm that has a thick layer of fat is not optimal for wound healing or for achieving the best cosmetic result. Again without seeing any photos of the area it is difficult to... more
Bernard Shuster, MD

Hollywood Plastic Surgeon
+1

Loose arm skin = Brachioplasty

Hello, Upper arm lipo does not tighten anything. If you have loose arm skin that you feel needs tightening, you are looking towards brachioplasty. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD
John P. Di Saia, MD

Orange Plastic Surgeon

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