What is this crease in my upper arm and how can it be fixed? (Photos)

Question

I am a 22 year old female. I have been overweight since I was an adolescent and at my heaviest I weighed 220lb. Now I am 180lb. However, I didn’t always have this crease, it wasn’t until I was around 15/16 that I noticed it. Im wondering what could’ve happened. I do have PCOS and Ehlers Danlos. Also what procedures could correct this?

Yasemin Aydinli, MD · Answer

Thank you for the detailed history, and congratulations on going from 220 to 180 lb. A crease or banding across the upper arm that develops after significant weight changes is usually related to how the skin, fat and underlying fascia redistribute. As the skin envelope loses elasticity it can form folds, and your connective-tissue history is very relevant here: Ehlers-Danlos affects collagen and skin elasticity, and PCOS can influence fat distribution &mdash; both of which can contribute to a crease appearing in adolescence and persisting.
Without examining you it's hard to say whether what you see is primarily loose skin, a fat pocket, a fascial band, or a combination, and that distinction determines treatment. In someone with Ehlers-Danlos this matters even more, because EDS affects wound healing and scarring and changes the risk profile of any surgery.
Depending on the findings, options range from non-surgical skin-tightening for mild laxity, to liposuction if there is a localized fat pocket, to an arm lift (brachioplasty) when there is true excess skin &mdash; though in EDS a lift is approached cautiously, with careful scar planning and counseling about healing. I'd strongly recommend an in-person evaluation, ideally coordinated with awareness of your EDS, so we can identify exactly what is causing the crease and choose the safest, most effective approach for you.

What is this crease in my upper arm and how can it be fixed? (Photos)

Answers (1)

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