Can an incision be made for skin removal in the armpit? (Photo)

Question

I had liposuction done in my armpits and upper back but now I have hanging skin that sticks out of my bra! What is someway to rid that fat there? Can there be an incision made in your armpit and just take out the extra skin??

Vaishali B. Doolabh, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi Maxxi2009, yes an incision in the armpit is a reasonable choice if the excess skin is still present when you hold your arm straight up in the air.  If you don't have excess in that position, then the skin laxity is the issue and this can be improved with Renuvion RF helium plasma technology.  The tissue contraction occurs at multiple levels-the fibrous connective tissue, the collagen around fat cells and the undersurface of the skin.  Liposuction allowed fat removal and about 30% skin deflation-the rest is likely laxity. Your in-person consultation is important to determine if you have tissue laxity or tissue excess.   Good luck!-Dr. Doolabh

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

An axillary (or armpit) incision can be used to remove a small ellipse of tissue. This arm lift is best utilized for patients who have loose skin confined to the arm pit area or uppermost aspect of the arm. The procedure can be combined with upper arm liposuction in the right patient to produce a dramatic improvement in upper arm contour. The scar remains hidden within the armpit.
If your laxity extends all the way to the elbow, the extended arm lift allows more fat and skin to be removed, and it can produce a much better contour. I can put the scar anywhere the patient desires (inside of arm, back of arm). It is my belief that the incision in the bicipital groove is the most appropriate in most patients as most people during casual observation do not expose the medial aspect of their arms. The posterior scar is more visible in walking in short sleeve tops.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

you have loose skin on the arms and armpit, you can do small scar lift in the armpit but it will be very little improvement as opposed to barchioplasty with extension into the armpit. come see us.

my whole practice is doing lipoabdominoplasty, or at least liposuction with internal heating (which is not the gold standard for skin tightening with body contouring).

the smaller you are before liposuction the more contouring you can get from the procedure. most of my liposuction patients get pre and post surgical optimization with hormonal therapy (see link to help boost their weight loss before surgery and help them heal after).

You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

Can an incision be made for skin removal in the armpit? (Photo)

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Can an incision be made for skin removal in the armpit? (Photo)

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