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Not Sure if I Am Supposed to Get Arm Lipo or an Arm Lift? Pictures Included.

asked 11 months ago by kristyab in Alberta
Latest answer by Laurie Casas, MD
Question viewed 585 times
Tags: female, candidate, options

I am 30 yrs old,124 pds/size 2-4 but my arms seem super flabby and out of proportion with my body. I was obese when I was a child and ever since it seems I have carried excess weight on my arms. I was a size 6-8 until a few months ago and thought that was the problem but now I am starting to believe it is excess skin. I am making an appointment for an augmentation after I have a baby (I am not yet pregnant) and wanted to fix this problem as well but was curious which procedure is needed? Thanks!

22 answers to Not Sure if I Am Supposed to Get Arm Lipo or an Arm Lift? Pictures Included.

+1

Arm lift and upper arm liposuction are very different operations..

Arm lift surgery and arm liposuction are very different surgeries and are performed for different reasons. Arm liposuction can be done if you have arm skin with good elasticity so that after your fat is removed your skin will shrink around your remaining tissues. If you have poor elasticity then your skin will hang more after fat is removed. Your pictures are definitely not conclusive. You will need to be examined by a Board certified Plastic Surgeon who has experience in body contouring... more
Laurie Casas, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift

Thank you for the picture. It appears that you have loose skin and liposuction would worsen your sagging. An arm lift would be the correct procedure and you have to weigh result against the scarring. This is a personal choice. If you are planning children, the weigh gain and loss from pregnancy could affect the arms so you may want to consider deferring this surgery until afterwards.
Robert L. Kraft, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift vs. arm lipo

Based on the photos, the best solution is an arm lift procedure. Liposuction could make the problem worse by creating more loose skin. Please seek consultation by a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and look at pictures so that you are comfortable with the location and the visibility of the scar! Good luck!
Shahin Fazilat, MD

Mountain View Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm Lipo vs. Arm Lift

Improving arm contours and aesthetics is a common concern of patients. Often there is a question of whether liposuction or brachioplasty (arm lift) will be the best choice. Of course, the best way to determine the procedure that will provide the result you are hoping to achieve is through a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. With the world wide web, patients are now frequently seeking opinions and consultations from surgeons from different areas of the... more
Sean A. Simon, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift or liposuction?

Obviously, a photo is not a great substitute for a consultation in person, however, judging by your pictures, I would suggest that you are a better candidate for an arm lift procedure. Liposuction, even with newer techniques such as SmartLipo or SlimLipo, is somewhat limited in tightening the skin. If you have a lot of loose hanging skin and you do liposuction alone then you will just end up with more loose hanging skin. An arm lift results in a scar that runs from armpit... more
Edwin C. Pound, III, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm Lift vs Arm Liposuction in Atlanta

Arm lift vs arm liposuction. This is a very common question in my practice. Most of our patients are happy after liposuction only. It is a great idea to have SmartLipo before arm lift especially if you are not sure which one works for you. After liposuction, your skin may retract if you are young and have good quality skin. Arm lift will remove all the extra sagging skin, but you will have a visible scar. Arm lift is also more expensive than arm liposuction. Consult with a board certified... more
Stanley Okoro, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

www.georgiaplastic.com

+1

Arm Lipo vs Arm Lift

Hello Kristy: As best I can tell from your photos I suspect you would do best with an arm lift; you can get a nice shape and I usually find that shape will trump the scar for most people. But by all means, seek expert opinion from consults with board - certified plastic surgeons familiar with this surgery. In recent years, I have become a bigger fan of brachioplasty and not found the scarring to be as bad as most patients anticipate, particularly with good placement of the... more
Jerry Lugger, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lifting

Armlifting surgery would be indicated in your case. Liposuction surgery alone will leave you with loose skin. Congratulations on your successful weight loss. Your next challenge should be planning a well-trained/experienced plastic surgeon for good advice. Best wishes.
Tom J. Pousti, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

Excess skin may need to be removed surgically

Without examination, it is difficult to say whether a simple liposuction or surgical removal of excess skin (brachioplasty) is necessary. If your skin tone is great, you can expect to have a reasonable improvement after liposuction alone. Your history of childhood obesity has probably left you with poor skin tone which would mean poor skin contracture after liposuction with resultant excess hanging or wrinkled skin. A brachioplasty would leave you with a scar... more
Joseph N. Togba, MD

Oakland Plastic Surgeon
+1

Liposuction can't get rid of extra skin.

Liposuction is very effective at getting rid of excess fat, however it does address the issue of excess skin. Looking at your pictures, I feel that liposuction would just leave you with loose, hanging skin. If you are OK with the scar, a brachioplasty, or arm lift, would give the best contour and result. I would suggest you see a board certified plastic surgeon in your area for a full consultation.
M. Keith Hanna, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift or liposuction?

I agree with my coleagues, given your history of significant weight loss and your photos, you will need to consider an arm lift, or brachioplasty. Liposuction alone will only make the loose and sagging skin worse.
Vincent D. Lepore, MD

San Jose Plastic Surgeon
+1

Another vote for an arm lift

When the problem is excess skin, all you can do is either lots of tricep muscle exercise to add bulk to the muscle and drape the skin better or have an arm lift with its necessary scar. No liposuction will help you when you have excess skin.
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty vs liposuction

Based on your photos, I think you will require a brachioplasty to get the result you are likely expecting. Bummer, huh? Because brachioplasty leaves a long scar. As with many body controuring procedures, the contour takes priority over the scar. There is a procedure called CAST liposuction of the arm can can help some patients with a little laxity and a lot of extra fat. You don't look like you have much extra fat, if any. I would be very, very... more
Lisa L. Sowder, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Skin excess on arms requires skin excision

Liposuction of arms will only remove fullness of arms. However excess skin will need arm lift for its removal. However a permanent arm scar, which only worsens with time is a price to pay for armlift. If you are willing to accept this trade off, do an arm lift. If scar is not acceptable, then have a liposuction for some but not all improvement.
Vasdev Rai, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift will correct sagging skin.

Hi. In borderline cases, liposuction of the arms can help. But you are young and have a lot of loose skin. Only an arm lift will do it. Patients accept the scar if it is well positioned.
George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Lipo Alone Can Worsen Arm Deformity

It appears that you have a good bit of excess skin in you arms which is probably due to your previous weight excess. The skin in this area does not typically possess good elasticity and I fear that liposuction without any skin excision will worsen your deformity. You will obtain your best result with a combination procedure.
John Whitt, MD

Louisville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Do I need an arm Lift or just arm Liposuction?

This is a very frequent question from patients and a good one to ask. There is quite a big difference between the two procedures and the right procedure for you could be a combination of the two. Without seeing you in person and taking some measurements, it is a bit difficult to say for sure. From the photos and your background history, I would suggest having aggressive upper arm liposuction (with or without laser lipolysis depending on availability in your area) at... more
Erez Sternberg, MD

Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift versus arm liposuction

This is a really common question we get from patients regularly, and each of these procedures have advantages and disadvantages. When we do just liposuction of the arms, we're relying on the skin to tighten up on its own-- if there is too much skin or if the quality of the skin isn't ideal, then usually this results in waviness or lumpiness of the skin. The arm lift or brachiaplasty removes excess skin as well, but the downside is a long scar that can take months to heal... more
Shahram Salemy, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift or Brachioplastyis needed

Your surgeon can best advise you, but from your pictures it appears you will need an arm lift (Brachioplasty). Developing somegood upper body musculature will also help. Congratulations on the weight loss!
William H. Gorman, MD

Austin Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift vs Arm Liposuction

Arm liposuction will only worsen your problem. It will empty the 'skin bag' leaving you with looser skin hanging off your arms. An arm lift will remove excess skin and fat and tighten your arm. It will look great but form a certain angle (depending on how it's done) you will have a linear scar. You should look at some before and after pictures to determine if you think the scar is worth it.
Martin Jugenburg, MD

Toronto Plastic Surgeon
+1

It's all about expectations and tradeoffs

Kristy With your history of weight loss and by the photos it appears that you may truly have excess skin, especially if you are down to 124 lbs. It is impossible to tell without a physical exam the amount of persistent fat present along the underside and back of the arm. Because of your age, I will often recommend an ultrasonic (VASER) liposculpting of the upper arm to try to avoid the permanent scar of a brachioplasty (lift). Sometimes the combinations of the USlipo... more
Jeffrey Ptak, MD

Phoenix Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift

Hi there, The appearance you have looks inherited.. Your skin looks pretty good on the pictures, but the amount of excess upper arm skin you have will almost certainly need to be treated by a brachioplasty. I say almost because without actually examining you it's hard to be completely certain. A brachioplasty removes skin and fat and leaves a neat scar along the inner aspect of your arm from the armpit down towards the elbow. I know this seems like it would be confronting, but a very... more
Howard Webster, MBBS, MBA

Melbourne Plastic Surgeon

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