What is the best treatment for upper arms that are saggy but not fat?

Thank you for your question. There is a surgical procedure for tightening the upper arms,it is called brachioplasty (arm lift). It removes excess skin (and fat) from the upper arms. The incision can be well hidden at the inside of your arms. The procedure can be combined with liposuction to further improve your results. I recommend you being seen and examined in consultation by a board certified Plastic Surgeon to develop a treatment plan specific for you. 
Best wishes, 
Franziska Huettner, MD PhD FACS

Hi Judysandiego, Thank you for your question regarding surgical treatment for your upper arms. This is a difficult question to answer without a physical examination or pictures. However, there are several surgical procedures which can aid with excess arm skin.  Since you specifically mentioned that you do not have upper arm fat, I do not believe arm liposuction will help. Therefore, I believe an arm lift or brachioplasty would be your best treatment. There are several types of surgical arm lifts including the a crescent arm lift, mini-arm lift, limited T incision, L arm lift, J arm lift, and an arm lift which extends from the arm pit to your wrist. Most on the arm lift surgeries involve arm liposuction and removal and excision of arm skin.  The arm incision pattern depends on your unique arm anatomy and areas of concern. Arm lift surgery is performed general anesthesia. Arm lift surgery takes approximately two to three hours to complete.  Please visit for consultation with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon who has performed hundreds of arm lifts. I hope that I have answered your questions regarding arm lift surgery. If you have any more questions regarding arm lift surgery, please contact my office. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.

Hello and thank you for the information provided! In this case the best procedure for you is a brachioplasty (arm lift). Here we remove the excess skin and then tighten the remaining skin. The length of the scar depends on the amount of skin to be removed.

Best of luck!

 

Hello thanks for sharing your query. A saggy arms with minimal fat is ideal for a arm lift or brachioplasty where the excess skin and fat is removed and arm contoured. The final scar depends on your preference and could be either inferior/ posterior or along the medial side of arm. Consult a board certified plastic surgeon.

Excision of excess skin, leaving a scar along the bicipital groove is your best option.  The scar heals well but needs several months for optimal appearance. 

When patients use the word "saggy" usually they have excess skin on physical examination.  Unfortunately frank skin excess is not treated with topicals and does not respond well to skin tightening technologies such as radiofrequency.  The excess simply needs to be excised, and you should know that there are a number of different designs and approaches to brachioplasty.  Consider a formal consultation with a BCPS with an interest in body contouring.  Good luck!

Without a consultation, it’s impossible to tell what the
best treatment option would be for you. We recommend scheduling an appointment
with a local plastic surgeon to further discuss your goals post surgery and any
questions you may have.

Thank you for the question.  The best treatment for loose skin to the upper arm is an Arm Lift (Brachioplasty).  Schedule a consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to further discuss your concerns.  Best Wishes.

If your problem is loose sagging skin of the upper arms without significant excess fat the best treatment would be a brachioplasty. Brachioplasty or arm lift surgery is one of the most frequently requested body contouring procedures performed today. The demand for this procedure has increased more than 800% since 1997. This is the greatest percent change of any of the commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedures Much of the increase in popularity is due to the growing number of patients who undergo massive weight loss. In performing this procedure an incision is made on the inside of the arm extending from the elbow into the armpit. Sometimes it is necessary to extend the incision further into the armpit and sometimes past it. Utilizing this incision excess skin is removed and the wound is closed. It is very important to position the scar properly so that it is concealed as much as possible. A well-placed incision should result in a scar that is only visible when the arms are raised. This operation is normally performed as an outpatient. It is very important for the surgeon to discuss the resultant scar thoroughly with the patient preoperatively. Very commonly this scar takes longer to undergo full healing and maturation than incisions on other parts of the body. Maturation refers to the process whereby the scar becomes less apparent. Brachioplasty scars commonly take up to 2 years to fully mature. Immediately after the operation compressive Ace wraps are placed from the fingers up to the armpit. These can normally be removed within 24-48 hours postoperatively and replaced by elastic compression sleeves commonly worn by athletes. These can be purchased relatively inexpensively at any sporting good store. Most patients wear these for up for up to 4 weeks postoperatively. No vigorous activity or strenuous activity is recommended for 3 weeks postoperatively. Complications following a well planned and well executed brachioplasty are uncommon. They may include however wound infection or wound breakdown. Is very important to follow the directions of your surgeon postoperatively to ensure the best result. Good luck

Its hard to assess your options for surgery without reviewing any photographs or more importantly an in person review.  The best approach for improving sagging skin on the upper arms is with an arm lift.  Unfortunately non surgical treatments will not tighten sagging skin.