Not Sure if I Am Supposed to Get Arm Lipo or an Arm Lift? Pictures Included.

I would suggest trying liposuction first and see how much elasticity you have. In my experience you will have some improvement reducing the weight of the fat. Non invasive skin tightening such as RF (Velashape 3) may be of further benefit. If not satisfied you could then consider an arm lift.

You may need one or both of those procedures depending on your skin laxity, and if the part of your arm that hangs down in these photos is primarily fat or skin. Although photos can be helpful, the best thing to do would be to meet with a board certified plastic surgeon for a consult.

                   It’s
not unusual for patients who have undergone massive weight loss to develop
loose saggy upper arm skin. When this occurs treatment varies from patient to
patient and depends on a variety of factors. Under these circumstances the vast
majority of patients require brachioplasty to correct their problem.

                  Your
pictures suggest that you would benefit from brachioplasty, but without a
physical examination it’s hard to make a recommendation. In patients with good
skin tone, liposuction might also represent a treatment option, but this is
unusual in massive weight loss patients.

                  Consultation
with a board certified plastic surgeon is appropriate. This surgeon should be
able to guide you in the right direction. 

Dear Kristy:

Based on your pictures, I would suggest liposuction and an arm lift to be performed at the same time.  You have excess skin and fat that goes down to the elbow and I do not think that liposuction alone would give you arms that you would be proud of.  I would therefore suggest you undergo a brachioplasty.

Thank you,
J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS

Arm lift surgery and arm liposuction are very different surgeries and are performed for different reasons. Arm liposuction can be done if you have arm skin with good elasticity so that after your fat is removed your skin will shrink around your remaining tissues. If you have poor elasticity then your skin will hang more after fat is removed. Your pictures are definitely not conclusive. You will need to be examined by a Board certified Plastic Surgeon who has experience in body contouring surgeries. In the meantime keep your biceps, triceps and deltoid muscles toned.

Based on the photos, the best solution is an arm lift procedure.  Liposuction could make the problem worse by creating more loose skin.  Please seek consultation by a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and look at pictures so that you are comfortable with the location and the visibility of the scar!

Good luck!

Obviously, a photo is not a great substitute for a consultation in person, however, judging by your pictures, I would suggest that you are a better candidate for an arm lift procedure.  Liposuction, even with newer techniques such as SmartLipo or SlimLipo, is somewhat limited in tightening the skin.  If you have a lot of loose hanging skin and you do liposuction alone then you will just end up with more loose hanging skin.  An arm lift results in a scar that runs from armpit to elbow, but would probably give you the best answer to your loose arm skin.  The question you have to ask is this:  Would you rather have loose hanging skin or a scar?

Arm lift vs arm liposuction. This is a very common question in my practice. Most of our patients are happy after liposuction only. It is a great idea to have SmartLipo before arm lift especially if you are not sure which one works for you. After liposuction, your skin may retract if you are young and have good quality skin. Arm lift will remove all the extra sagging skin, but you will have a visible scar. Arm lift is also more expensive than arm liposuction. Consult with a board certified Plastic Surgeon to help you determine which option is better for you.

This is a really common question we get from patients regularly, and each of these procedures have advantages and disadvantages.  When we do just liposuction of the arms, we're relying on the skin to tighten up on its own-- if there is too much skin or if the quality of the skin isn't ideal, then usually this results in waviness or lumpiness of the skin.  The arm lift or brachiaplasty removes excess skin as well, but the downside is a long scar that can take months to heal fully.  In your case, I think the best choice would be the arm lift-- your photos seem to show some excess skin that would probably not do well with liposuction alone. The best way to know for sure is to be seen an examined by a plastic surgeon, but I think this would be the best option.

Arm liposuction will only worsen your problem.  It will empty the 'skin bag' leaving you with looser skin hanging off your arms.  An arm lift will remove excess skin and fat and tighten your arm.  It will look great but form a certain angle (depending on how it's done) you will have a linear scar.  You should look at some before and after pictures to determine if you think the scar is worth it.