What can I use as an excuse for arm lift scars?

Question

I'm embarrassed by the fact that I'll be having an arm lift and am trying to think of an excuse I can use to explain the scars. Can anyone think of any other kind of surgery that would cause such scars or another way of explaining them?

Dallas Buchanan, MD · Answer

This is an interesting question and I do not often see ones such as this on RealSelf. I think the other doctors have given some good suggestions, but let me offer perhaps another angle.....I do not think you need any sort of "excuse" for arm lift scars. You should not need an "excuse" for seeking surgical correction for something about your body that bothers you. Some people want to pierce their ears and some people want to get tattoos, and others want to have slimmer arms. Whatever the issue, every person has a right to do to his or her body what they want to make themselves feel better. I would suggest that if you have friends that you need an excuse to explain the scars, then they are not very good friends. And if someone you do not know asks you about the scars, first off, that is a rude thing to ask, and second, you don't have to tell them anything but "it's none of your business."Be proud of who you are and don't feel the need to explain anything to anyone.Hope this helps!

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding what you can use as an excuse for arm lift scars.  This is an interesting request.  Ways to explain your arm lift, arm reduction, or brachioplasty incisions include having had fractures of the humerus bone requiring orthopedic surgery with insertion and placement of plates and pins.  Another excuse you could provide would be that you had the incisions placed to remove tattoos.  Alternatively, suggest to others that you had a muscle tear in your biceps and triceps requiring surgery. 
However, arm lift or brachioplasty incisions usually heal well if you care for the scar.  Your arm lift scar care includes the application of daily silicone cream and silicone strips for six months.  You must also protect your arm scars from the sun for about one year.  
Plastic surgeons can offer different modalities to treat thick or hypertrophic arm lift scars, including scar improvement.  This could include injection of Kenalog, 5-FU,  micro-needling, and applying Morpheus-8.  You could consider undergoing arm scar revision if these do not significantly improve the brachioplasty scar.  These scar treatments are usually unnecessary, but may be a better way to cope than making up stories regarding your arm reduction scars.  Good luck. 
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 get in touch with an arm lift expert.  Since a brachioplasty or arm lift surgery is difficult, 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. Please carefully review their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf.   Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.  (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.)

Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.  (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, and International College of Surgery, and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

I think I would just tell them the truth but use words that they are not likely to understand. For example, "I had a Z#brachioplasty for cutis laxa (something " wrong with my skin") .

Keith S. Berman, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

There is no procedure yet that will make a scar disappear completely. However, there are treatments to make a scar less noticeable. These include: 	Surgical Scar Revision: This is a method of removing a scar and rejoining the normal skin. Wide scars can often be made thinner. Long scars can be made shorter. Using broken-line incisions can make scars harder to notice. Sometimes, a surgeon can hide a scar by redirecting it into a wrinkle or a hairline.	Dermabrasion: A surgeon uses an electrical dermabrasion machine to remove the top layers of skin. This process gives the skin a smoother surface. Dermabrasion is used for treating acne scars, pockmarks, some surgical scars, or minor irregularities.	Laser Scar Revision: Another method of improving scars is laser scar revision. High-energy light is used to treat damaged skin. Different lasers are available for treating a variety of scars. For example, a pulsed dye laser uses yellow light to remove scar redness and to flatten raised scars (hypertrophic scars or keloids). Hope this help's!!!!

James Fernau, MD, FACS - Account Suspended · Answer

No one should be embarrassed to have cosmetic surgery.  Brachioplasty surgery is one of the most popular surgeries in the United States. Currently, it is one of the most common surgeries performed especially in the era of weight-loss surgery. There is nothing to be embarrassed about to have the surgery performed. In fact, there are some congenital deformities or conditions.leading to excess skin which require the skin to be removed surgically due to irritation, itching and pain. Unfortunately, insurance does not cover some of these debilitating conditions.  Brachioplasty may require a full incision on the arm or a small incision in the axilla or alternatively a newer technique called SmartLipo which requires no incision and uses a laser to remove fat and most importantly to tighten the skin with no incision is a very popular and effective technique with new technology. I have found this to be extremely effective in my patients which would have otherwise would have had an unsightly incision on their arm.  Best of luck in your endeavors.

Ronald V. DeMars, MD (Retired) · Answer

That's a good question. I don't think I have heard that one before. In most cases, other people are not sophisticated enough to know exactly what the scars are and will probably believe anything you tell them. So it could be from vascular surgery for a "Plugged vein" or it could be neurological surgery for "trapped nerves that were making your hands fall asleep".

What can I use as an excuse for arm lift scars?

Answers (6)

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