Hello, and thank you for your question regarding how long does it take for an arm wound to close after an arm lift with lipo. Thank you for your question and your history. It is impossible to predict how long it will take for your underarm wound to close after an arm lift (brachioplasty) with lipo. Every patient is different. The difficulty with the arm lift or arm reduction is that in the axillary (armpit) region, there are many unique anatomic entities. There are sweat glands, hair follicles, and lymph nodes. Additionally, the armpit is an area of high mobility; whenever you move your shoulder or upper arm, your armpit also moves. All these factors contribute to the armpit having a high frequency of breakdown. However, most wounds progress toward normal healing. Typically, open wounds are yellow and then, as the yellow sloughs, the wounds become red with granulation tissue. After the red granulation tissue develops, the wound heals and quickly skins over. In most patients, this process takes 2 to 3 weeks. Most plastic surgeons would not recommend Neosporin. Instead, most plastic surgeons would recommend products like bacitracin, mupirocin, or venelex for the treatment of a dry, clean wound that has mostly red granulation tissue. Of course, these are generalizations. You must follow up with your selected plastic surgeon regarding your specific wounds. Every plastic surgeon has their own recipe to help wounds heal. Follow your selected plastic surgeon’s guidelines. I hope this helps answer the question about how long it usually takes for underarm wounds to heal after an arm lift with liposuction. 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, contact an experienced plastic surgeon. 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, MD, MBA. (Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric 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, RealSelf Hall of Fame, and RealSelf Doctor Advisory Board for Medical Review and Consumer Panel.)
