Will Tightening Arm Skin Leave Severe Scars?

Despite the efforts of generations of surgeons- the scars for arm-lift procedures tend to be some of the poorest quality scars we put on our patients- the inner arm skin is very thin and inelastic- its constantly moving- since its cylindrical, there is always tension on the scar- my experience has been that women with 'skinny' arms with lots of loose skin tend to have more acceptable scars. All of the arm lift revisions I have done for my own patients have been on women with fatty/heavy arms AND loose skin. I stage these patients- lipo first, and then arm lift 3 months later. The short scar arm-lift procedure is only appropriate for patient with laxity limited to the upper 1/3 of the arm.

Thank you for your question and photo.  Your expectations will dictate the best procedure(s) for you.  I suggest a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to go over the options that best address your goals.  Best of luck!
Dr Dhaval Patel
Double Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon
Chicago
Hoffman Estates 
Oakbrook 
Orland Park

Best suggestion is to see a board certified plastic surgeon to evaluate your laxity and give you a good ideas of results you may expect. Photos online unfortunately do not reveal enough to provide an accurate specific recommendation. In regards to scarring, one way to research which plastic surgeons to consult with in your area would be to see what photos of arm lifts they have available on their own websites or here on realself. Scarring has to do with a number of factors including your own skin care regime, your genetics, and to some extent the skill of the surgeon.

Thank you for your question. you may be a good candidate for arm lifting surgery.  This  procedure will  improve the shape of the arms;  the scar will be located under the armpit but after the surgery I advice my patients to use scar removing gel for min 3 months to see the scar improvement. 
I advice you to visit an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon for consultation

Kat,Hi, congrats on the weight loss of 100lbs! If you think of it as butter, that is 400 sticks of butter that you lost off your body! Unfortunately, the skin still remains. Every surgery creates a scar. And each person’s individual body heals differently to create different types of scars. If you make big thick scars, then chances are you will on your arms. The degree of depends on the tension or pulling of the scar. Based on your photos, you have very loose skin that can be tightened and should not cause significant tension or pulling.If you have the surgery and start to notice that the scars are getting big, then you and your surgeon can always utilize silicone gel, scar massage, and/or steroid injections. I hope that helps. Best of luck!

Thank you for your question regarding arm lifts or brachioplasties.  First of all, congratulations on your massive weight loss. Great job! Based on your history and photo, you would benefit most from a longitudinal arm lift. During this procedure, upper arm skin is excised and fat is removed with liposuction. The incision and resulting scar extend from the armpit to the elbow. I believe you are asking about the “arm pit tuck”, which is called a crescent brachioplasty. This surgery removes skin and fat only from the armpit and upper arm. It does not remove the skin and fat you are holding in the middle one third of the arm. Based on your history and pictures, a crescent or even modified T brachioplasty or arm lift, will not give the results you are seeking. All arm scars fade with time. Most of my patients are very happy with their arm lift results. I believe post-operative arm compression, silicone cream, and silicone strips are very important to final arm scar results. Usually, the longer the scar, the better the results because more skin and fat can be removed. If you cannot tolerate the arm scar, do not have the surgery. Good luck with your quest for skinnier arms. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen Dr.Katzen.  (Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Cosmetic  Academy, and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.)

This often depends on the patients ability to scar and the techniques used.  I prefer to place the arm lift scar on the medial aspect of the arm. This typically heals quite well. If I worry about thicker scarring, I have the patients start with silicone sheeting.  If patients have a lot of subcutaneous fat in the arm as well as skin, I prefer to do liposuction first and then the skin excision to follow.  This prevents would separation and allows for a nicer, thinner scar in most patients. 

Unattractive scars are definitely a risk following arm lift surgery.  An experienced arm lift surgeon could give you their best estimate of your risk of thick scarring.  The surgeon could also advise you on limited incision techniques as well as options for locating the scars.

                  It’s
not unusual for massive weight loss patients to develop redundant upper arm
tissue. When this occurs it can represent a significant aesthetic deformity
that can adversely impact self-esteem and self- image. When sag of this
magnitude is present the majority of patients require a full brachioplasty.

                  This
procedure involves making an incision that extends from the axilla to the
elbow. This approach removes excess skin in the vertical and transverse
dimensions. Unfortunately, it’s virtually impossible to hide scars in this
location. For this reason, brachioplasty patients are often dependent upon
their wound healing characteristics for a good result. In other words, when
wounds heal nicely, scars can be imperceptible, conversely some patients will
have noticeable scars.

                  The
vast majority of patients tend to heal these incisions nicely and the aesthetic
results are excellent. Unfortunately, some patients form exuberant scar tissue
which can be very noticeable. When this situation occurs, these scars represent
a significant aesthetic deformity which is difficult to hide. Under these
circumstances scar revision and long sleeve shirts may be the only options
available for patients.

                  In
the post-operative period, various maneuvers can minimize scarring. These include
massage, topical creams and silastic. If you’re considering this procedure it’s
important to understand the potential for scarring and its irreversible
nature. The majority of patients have excellent results, but occasionally
patients are unhappy with scarring and request scar revision. 

Depending on the type of scars that you have and depending on your genetics, a scar can heal quite nicely. It does take about a year to see the final result.

I tell my patients to expect that their arm scars may be somewhat thicker and wider than scars elsewhere on the body.  I also show prospective arm lift patients photos of my patients who have undergone this operation so they can appreciate what their scars will likely look like. 

After a year or so these arm lift scars have faded quite a bit, and patients are very happy with the results.  

The trade-off for a nice arm lift result in a patient with a lot of excess skin resulting from major weight loss is a long scar.  However, not having all of that excess skin and fitting more comfortably into clothes is a huge benefit that seems to outweigh the scar appearance!

Oftentimes the incision has to be extended onto the lateral chest wall in order to remove excess "arm pit" skin as well. 

Best of luck to you!