Is There a Procedure for Getting Rid of Underarm "Wrinkles" or Excess Skin and Would You Recommend It?

                It would be helpful to see pictures or examine you, but, if you have loose skin, an arm lift to remove that excess skin is usually a good alternative.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of body contouring procedures each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Thank you for your question about getting rid of underarm wrinkles and excess skin. Since you have excess skin and not fat, the solution is skin excision, not liposuction. Liposuction removes fat; liposuction does not remove the skin. The only way to remove arm skin is with an incision. Without pictures or a physical examination, making an accurate proposal for surgery is a little tricky. However, I imagine you would benefit significantly from an incision performed from your armpit to your elbow. This is called an arm lift, arm reduction, or brachioplasty. The incision is placed on the biceps or triceps, so the scar is hidden when your arm is down by your side. This procedure should remove underarm wrinkles. It should help to smooth this area. This procedure is often done for patients in the sun with a lot of sun damage and wrinkles on their arms. Thank you for your question about getting rid of underarm wrinkles and excess skin.
I specialize in arm lifts. I hope that I have answered your questions regarding the arm reduction. If you have any more questions regarding the arm lift, arm reduction, brachioplasty or arm crease fat grafting, please contact my office. Since a brachioplasty or arm lift surgery is a difficult procedure, please seek an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing these types of arm lifts. Do your research. Make sure your chosen plastic surgeon has performed at least 100 arm lifts. Make sure they have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf.  Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, International College of Surgery, and American Board of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and ​member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

A large variety of treatment options are available to treat excess skin and wrinkles of the upper arm. Unfortunately, without a physical examination or pictures, it's virtually impossible to make a specific recommendation in your case. The appropriate treatment of this problem might be something relatively simple such as the application of topical agents. It might also be something more complex such as a surgical procedure known as a brachioplasty.For these reasons, it's appropriate to consult a board certified plastic surgeon with experience in this area. Your surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plan that addresses your anatomic findings and achieves your aesthetic goals.

Without photos a definitive answer can't be given. However several options exist.

1)standard brachioplasty- removes skin, fat with an incision from armpit to near elbow

2) mini brachioplasty - usually performed with liposuction and skin resected only near armpit with scar limited to armpit area.

3) minimal scar brachioplasty- liposuction proceeded by Radio Frequency (RF)  (Thermage  an example)

These are the options I give my patients asked on their desires and physical exam.

Make a appointment with a reputable, expirenced board certified plastic surgeon.

It is hard to give you a meaningful answer without pictures.  My recommendation would be for you to consult a board certified plastic surgeon for treatments that are specific to your concerns.

Almost impossible to answer this question without an examination and photographs.  If you have redundant skin under the arms then an excision of this skin is possible.