Can I Get a Mini Arm Lift? (photo)

Thank you for your question about getting a mini arm lift after losing 100 lbs. Congratulations on your weight loss! You can undergo a mini arm lift. A mini arm lift is also called a crescent arm lift. During a crescent or a mini arm lift, a crescent area of skin is removed from the armpit region. This tightens the arm and allows for the scar to be moderately hidden. It gives a mild to modest at best arm lift. It removes approximately 2-6 centimeters of skin in the axilla. Another modality could be VASER Hi-Def liposuction. Using this technique, fat can be withdrawn. The VASER would be optimal because it would help the skin to retract. Given your age and your pictures,, this arm could respond well to VASER liposuction and avoid the need for arm scars altogether. Therefore, I would suggest you consider VASER Hi-Def liposuction before considering a mini lift.
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.)

Thank you for your question.  An examination is needed to answer your question to evaluate the degree of skin laxity.  If you have proximal arm laxity, then a mini would be an option. If you have laxity throughout the entire upper arm then a full brachioplasty is the best option.  With your history of weight loss, a full brachioplasty is probably going to be your best option.  Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon.  Best wishes. 

It's not unusual for patients to develop loose saggy skin after massive weight loss. This can affect almost any area of the body including the upper arms. When this problem is encountered , a variety of treatment options are available. The specific procedure chosen will depend upon the patient's anatomic deformity and aesthetic goals.Although your pictures are helpful, it's virtually impossible to make a specific recommendation without a physical examination. Despite this, your pictures suggest that you might be a candidate for a mini arm lift procedure.This procedure would involve a transverse incision in the armpit which is well hidden. The procedure would not address excess skin in the transverse dimension. Liposuction might also be an option, but this procedure has the potential to increase skin sag.Under these circumstances, it's appropriate to consult a board certified plastic surgeon who can perform an examination. This surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plan based upon your anatomic findings.

Hello and thanks for your post. I don't believe mini arm lift or liposuction work very well for patients who lose close to or more than 100 pounds. I'm sure there are exceptions, but the vast majority of weight loss patients have too much elasticity in the skin once the weight is gone. Seek a board certified plastic surgeon and consider your options after a consultation. Best wishes, Dr. Aldo.

You have had so much weight loss that skin elasticity is not going to allow liposuction alone. A mini type arm lift may give you a mini type result. For maximal improvement your best bet is a full arm lift. The scars are usually worth the contour improvement. Good luck!

Mini-brachioplasty would not be effective in your case. There is too much fat and skin. A standard brachioplasty is required for a full correction. The scars are usually inconspicuous once they have matured. Liposuction would help....a bit.

           An axillary arm lift will likely give results that would be suboptimal with your anatomy.  An exam would yield better information.  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

Thanks for the question.  The answer depends on what you are willing to go through and what you would consider a reasonable result.  Liposuction alone will remove the excess fat.  The results depends on how elastic you skin is.  You do have youth on your side.  Your surgeon can exam you and get a reasonable idea of your skin quality.

The next option is the mini arm lift.  It involves removing skin in the armpit and pulling the  skin towards the armpit.  the effect becomes less as you move towards the elbow.

The full arm lift allows the surgeon to fully contour you arm.  It gives the best shape, but you are right - you will get a scar from your elbow into your armpit.  This scar is in the inside and usually isn't easily visible, but will certainly be seen if you are actively moving around and wear short sleeves or a swimsuit.

I think it would be worth your time to visit a plastic surgeon and discuss these choices,  Then you can make an informed decision of a mini lift will give you what you want.  Best of luck to you.

Lifts on this famously wobbly part of the human anatomy—known familiarly as “Hi Janes” or “Bingo” arms—are particularly popular. Heavy and even moderately droopy arms can be recountoured very effectively with liposuction. Liposuction modifies volume by sucking out fat and because liposuction stimulates the skin to tighten, good elasticity provides a smooth contour after fat is removed. The procedure takes about an hour, the recovery takes just a couple of days, and there's virtually no scarring. I use several innovative forms of liposuction, including SmartLipo, in order to contour and resculpture the area while providing the most beautiful results with minimal scarring. SmartLipo, used in combination with other forms of liposuction or alone, is a procedure that uses laser light to liquefy fat and tighten the surrounding skin. Liposuction as an outpatient procedure under I.V. sedation can easily reduce the bulge that some people have in their abdomens.

Even with the poorly exposed posted photos I recomme n against a mini arm lift. In my opinion only a full brachioplasty will improve with lipo.