What is the best location for an arm lift incision?

Thank you for your question regarding arm lift incision location.
To achieve optimal results, plastic surgeon should always try to hide their scars. I believe the arm lift or brachioplasty scar should be placed in the inner arm in the crease between the biceps and the triceps muscle. This leads to a much more concealed scar. Most of the time, people hold their arms down by their sides. In this position, the arm lift scar is usually well hidden. Though technically easier, I do not place my incision on the back of the arm because it is too visible. Good luck with your quest for skinnier arms.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely, Dr. Katzen

Thank you for your question. With age and/or weight changes, the upper arms can hold a lot of excess fatty tissue and develop skin laxity. An arm lift procedure helps to contour the upper arms by reducing excess skin and fat. The incisions can be hidden in the armpit for those with a moderate degree of laxity or along the vertical length of the upper and inner arm for those with more skin excess. The results are extremely satisfying. I would recommend that you visit with a board certified plastic surgeon in your area to discuss your options in more detail.

                  When
patients undergo brachioplasty surgery, an incision is made from the elbow to
the axilla. Through this incision excess skin and fat can be removed in both
the transverse and vertical dimensions of the upper arm. The exact placement of
the incision is dependent upon several variables.

                  In
the majority of cases, the incision is placed on the inner arm between the
biceps and triceps muscles. In this position the scars are well hidden when the
arms are at the patient’s side. When patients raise their arms, the scars
become more noticeable.

                  Occasionally,
patients prefer scars that are more posteriorly located. In this position,
scars don’t tend to spread as much, because the skin is thicker in this
location. When a posterior approach is utilized, the incision location is
determined by the patient’s unique anatomy.

                  It’s
important to understand that scarring is inevitable with this procedure,
irregardless of the incision placement. The most important variable in scar
formation is the patients wound healing biology. This varies from patient to
patient and for this reason incision placement needs to be individualized.

                  If
you’re considering brachioplasty, it’s important to
discuss these issues with a board certified plastic surgeon before proceeding.
This surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plant that addresses these
issues.

Procedure Description
Incisions are placed in a inside location on the underside of the arms (the part of the arm that is against the body with the arms hanging at their side), between the armpit and the elbow.  General anesthesia is usually used for this procedure.  The length and location of the scar is dependent on the location of the unwanted and excess soft tissue. The unwanted skin is removed to reveal the arm’s natural shape.  In many cases, liposuction is used to remove excess fat to enhance the natural contour of the arm.

If there is limited fat and loose skin close to the arm pit then a short scar technique leaving the final scar in the arm pit may be possible.

Typically the incision placement depends on the type of arm lift that you are having.   Limited arm lift incisions will be placed within the arm pit.  For extended arm lift, the incision is placed at the inner surface or back surface, or sometimes in between the inner and back surface.  The latter is the one that I most prefer personally.  You can get more information about this on my website with many before and after pictures.

I perform many arm lift procedures and have not found one particular method that fits every size and shape of the arm.  Specifically, I have a patient extend and drop down their arms to locate the precise longitudinal plane in which to place all the surgical incisions.  This minimizes scarring after surgery. 

While an arm lift (brachioplasty) can be an excellent procedure to recontour the arm and remove those unwanted "bat wings" it certainly does not come without a price....a scar. Only very few patients are candidates for simply liposuction only.  The scars for an arm lift are best located on the inner aspect of the arm, just below the biceps muscle groove. This is performed in this location so that it is concealed when you have your arms to your sides.  Incisions placed on the back of the arm are visible at all times and should be avoided.  Be sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon.

For a long-scar arm lift, I place the scar in the groove just beneath the biceps muscle on the inside of the arm. Its hidden during most body positions. Scar on the back of the arm look terrible and are always visible. View the photos on our website for more detail.

Most patients and doctors will prefer the inner aspect of the arm. But there are several varieties of this procedure that may be able to shorten the scar length by combining the vertical scar with a horizontal component in the armpit. Discuss with your surgeon if you area candidate for this.

The best location for the brachioplasty incision is on the inner aspect of the arm. This keeps it hidden in most day to day movement. The rational for placing the incision along the back of the arm is this allows the doctor to remove the excess skin and fat which hangs off the bottom of the arm. If this skin is still too full of fat, trying to wrap this around the arm and anchor it to the inner arm can result in recurrence of the arm droop and widening scars. This can be prevented by liposuctioning the back of the arm so the weight is removed and then placing the scar along where it is best camouflaged.