Arm Lift: Q&A
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Will Tightening Arm Skin Leave Severe Scars?
I have lost about 100 lbs and I have super loose arms and arm-pit skin to the point that I look like an 80 year old woman and I am only 23.
I really want to get rid of it but am weighing the cost of having a major scar down my arm verses the extra loose skin. Is the scar as bad as people make it out to be? Is there something called and arm pit tuck to tighten the skin between the chest and arm pit?
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29 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
kat1775
in california
+4
Brachioplasty scars are frequently bad, BUT. . .
For loose upper arm skin, whether by weight loss or age and genetics, there is no exercise, laser treatment, RF (radio frequency, like Thermage), or other alternative that can remove or successfully tighten this loose skin without scars. These scars usually run from armpit to elbow, occasionally further down the arm, and the skin thickness and innate healing in this area of the body yields scars that are all-too-often thick (hypertrophic), wide, contracted (like a burn scar), or otherwise...
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+3
An Arm Lift is right for you when the idea of the scar is more attractive to you than the loose skin you have
A scar will, ideally, fade over time. A scar can be carefully camouflaged with makeup, if needed. But that loose skin can only be hidden by wearing long loose sleeves. The time to have the arm lift surgery is when the idea of the scar is more attractive to you than continuing to hide the loose hanging skin. And, yes, there are methods to remove the extra skin near the armpit as well.
+3
Scars from a brachioplasty
The scars from a brachioplasty are not great looking narrow scars because the skin in that area is very thin and has poor elasticity. Therefore thy tend to spread wider than other scars. Nevertheless, if you have enough extra skin that it really hangs down the scar will be a good trade off in the opinion of most patients. If your deformity is only moderate or mild, the scar might be worse than the skin excess.
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A lot of years ago I had lost over 100 pounds, and after coming into some money I decided...
+2
Arm lift scars
The benefits of an arm lift overcome the unappealing contour of sagging arm skin. However, the choice to undergo surgery with well-hidden scars is a personal choice. I would recommend choosing a surgeon who understands your individual desire to minimize scars.
+2
Brachioplasty scars
Hello kat 1775.
I would agree with previous posts regarding the quality of brachioplasty scars. I find that these are some of the poorest quality scars. This must be well understood prior to surgery.
There are a few tricks to help get the best scar possible
Avoid closure under excess tension (up to your surgeon)
Layered closure taking the tension off of the skin (up to your surgeon)
Avoiding significant use for a period of time (6 weeks)
Early...
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+2
Brachioplasty patients are generally delighted
Brachioplasty incisions are generally placed on the inner aspect of the upper arms from the axilla to elbow. People with very minimal loose skin, may achieve improvement with an axillary incisionan incision brachioplasty. While the incision is red and visible at first, it fades in time to a thin white line. Most patients find the scars highly desireable to living with loose skin. Brachioplasty often gives patients confidence to wear...
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Encino Plastic Surgeon
+2
Arm lift is a trade for improved arm appearance with a scar
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...
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+2
Scarring after brachioplasty
If you have a large amount of loose, hanging skin in the arms, the only way to really tighten it is to undergo a brachioplasty procedure. The scars are long and typically do not heal as nicely as scars elsewhere. They are placed on the under surface of the arm so they are not visible when your arms are down by your side. It is definitely a trade off -- scars for better arm contour. I would advise you to look at lots of pictures of brachioplasty scars so that you can judge for yourself.
Not...
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+2
Mini vs Full Brachyplasty
First of all yes the scar down the inside of the arm always tends to be bad. Often it is widened or red or both but occasionally it can be a good scar. In addition to this incision usually an incision in the armpit is also done. What I have done in the past is take out as much skin as I could with the armpit incision only then gone back later and repeated the procedure. This gives almost as good an improvement as the long inside arm incision. Just an idea.
+2
Brachioplasty or arm lift
I encourage you to review some of the photos I have on my website, feplasticsurgery.com. The scars are apparent but they are placed on the inner aspect of the arm and not visible with the arms at your side. You can even wear and evening gown and not have the scars visible. Everyone heals differently and it is difficult that say how the scars will be with you, but they are visible and will always be there. It is a trade off, you are tightening your arm and getting rid of the looseness for a...
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+2
Weight loss and loose arm skin
Congratulations on your weight loss! "Brachioplasty" is the name of tightening of the arm skin surgically and there are different techniques based on how much loose skin and the elasticity of the skin and it's location. The scars secondary to a brachioplasty tend not to heal as well as scars elsewhere in the body. The surgeon tries to place them toward the inside of the arm so they are not seen when your arms are by your side. The scars are a trade off for the reduction in the...
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+1
Armlift Scars Improve Significantly With Time
Thank you for your question. Many weight loss patients are bothered by the excess skin of the upper arms after significant weight loss. Non-surgical options alone are often in-effective in addressing the excess skin associated with weight loss. Minimally invasive options like liposuction combined with a short armpit scar only works in a small subset of patients with minimal laxity. The best option for weight loss patients is often an armlift with adjunctive...
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+1
Arm Lifts and Scarring
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...
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+1
Reducing Armplasty Scars
Reducing Scars Armlifts
We have a series of 83 patients ,being prepared for publication, who had small tube lipo,done in the deep plane and superficial plane .Normally ,they would have required an incision.However ,after this lipo and wearing support ,they did not require the skin excision as it contracted .You should seriously consider this.
I hope that this helps
Cap Lesesne,MD
+1
Arm Lift Scar
Brachioplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure that tightens and firms the upper arms by removing the loose, flabby skin and fat (i.e. bat wings) that plagues many patients, particularly older patients or those who have lost significant amounts of weight. The arm lift scar is generally placed on the inner aspect of the upper arm, but may extend into an armpit crease. Depending on the patient, doctor and healing process determaines how the scar may heal.
+1
Scarring after arm lift surgery.
The scars after brachioplasty (arm lift surgery) are typically noticeable when you lift your arm up to wave. We hide them on the inside of the armpit (axilla) and along the inside of the upper arm. Scars heal best and tend to "disappear" when the scar can heal without a lot of moment. Unfortunately we use our arms all the time so the scars tend to widen more than we would like. With time and scar therapy, armlift scars typically fade very nicely.
+1
Arm Lifting Scars?
Thank you for the question.
Congratulations on your successful weight loss.
Based on your picture you may be a good candidate for arm lifting surgery. This is an excellent procedure to improve the contour of the arms; the downside is a relatively high rate of unsatisfactory scarring and the need for revisionary surgery.
It would behoove you to seek consultation with well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons.
I hope this helps.
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+1
Brachioplasty scar
Yes - this is the classic trade-off: we can remove the loose skin, but it will leave a scar. Brachioplasty scars can be quite hypertrophic and sometimes ugly, despite everything we try to do. The arm area just doesn't scar favorably.
So you have to ask yourself: "Which would bother you more - the loose skin, or a red & ropey scar?" It's a tough decision. I usually draw the scar location with a felt pen on my patients, so they...
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+1
Scars are the tradeoff in the arms
While brachioplasty is a common procedure I perform for patients who have had massive weight loss, it is the one in which we have longer discussions about the scars that may arise. Because the arms are round and exposed when wearing most clothes, the scars are the biggest tradeoff for the reduction in the excess skin.
+1
Scar vs confidence
Brachioplasty procedures involve a trade of scar for contour. Have your surgeon draw on you where he intends to place your scar and look at before and after pictures before proceeding.
+1
Arm scar vs not surgery
This is the trade off that I always discuss with massive weigth loss patients. You have a trade off : better contour vs more scarring.
+1
Scars after Arm Lift
Scars are inevitable with body contouring surgical procedures. The trade off of a scar compared to the hanging, worn-out skin is almost always for the better.
For my patients, I place my scars in the most inconspicuous location I can to achieve the best possible outcome. For an arm lift, this is usually in the inside of the upper arm, in the natural groove between the bicep and tricep muscles.
+1
Brachioplasty scars are usually worse than scars in other parts of the body.
Brachioplasty scars are long and occasionally unattractive. Higher in the arm, near the axilla, the scars tend to spread. Lower down they tend to be thick and ropy. Most patients get good scars over time but this is never a promise so patients have to be certain they know of potential unwanted collateral.
+1
Clothing Fit vs. Scar Appearance
The most difficult decision for many patients who consider Body Lift Surgery Following Weight Loss, including Brachioplasty, is the length and the appearance of the Surgical Scars. It is important to view many before and after photos of Brachioplasty patients on line as well as those of the Plastic Surgeon that you have chosen to perform your surgery. For a Full Brachioplasty, there are two (2) positions for scar placement:
1. Inner Arm Scar (Medial)
2. Bottom Arm Scar...
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+1
Brachioplasty scars
The scars of brachioplasty are in the arm pit and down from the arm pit to the elbow on the inside of the arm. The scars can widen because the skin has lost its elasticity, not good collagen and elastic fibers.
The trade off is the scar, you have to decide if the trade off is worth it for you.
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1
Arm Lift scar is long and will be visible
Yes, an Arm Lift (Brachioplasty) scar, by the sheer fact that it is a LONG scar (which spans from the elbow to the arm pit), will be visible and early on be noticeable.
If the scar rises like a speed bump (becomes hypertrophic) it will be what you called a "bad" scar and this is a definite possibility. For this reason, I would not recommend an Arm Lift unless the skin looseness is permanent (more than 6-8 months) after weight loss is stable and it bothers you MORE than would an...
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+1
Addressing underarm skin
Surgery for underarm skin, or brachioplasty, can leave you with scars from your elbow to your armpit. However, there really is no other good way to remove this skin. If it's only fat that's a problem, liposuction may do the trick. A tuck only under the armpit may not fully adress all of the exces skin that you're concerned with. Talk with other patients and look at their scars to see how the scars can turn out. They may not be as bad as you think!
+1
It is a choice.
The scars tend to be long and MAY be bad, or not bad. No way to tell for sure. In any event, we try to place the scar where it will be hidden. In any event, you should go into the procedure planning for the worst and therefore anything better you will be happy with. You may view my website, and you should view a lot of others sites to see what you might expect.
Overall, my patients who have the procedure and accept the scar ahead of time, are very happy.
sek
+1
Brachioplasty for massive weight loss
Brachioplasty does not always leave an unsightly scar but it does have that potential. The problem is that a bad scar on the arm is visible and difficult to hide whereas n unfavorable tummy tuck sar can easily be hidden. Therefore, we always prepare our patients to accept the possibility of an unacceptable cosmetic scar.
Short scar brachioplasty (the arm pit tuck) generally is inadequate to correct the significant skin laxity that results from massive weight loss.
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My dermatologist n surgeon feels the scars healed very nicely... But it's a scar. I feel uncomfortable wearing tank tops as the scar extends out abit on right arm. I wouldn't change having the surgery but know that you will have scar- scars heal better the younger n healthier you are.. And of course how you treat the healing process).
I am currently looking into laser treatment to minimize the scar- palamor laser 1540.
But research the surgeons first and ask questions n look at pictures if available.
Good luck!