Arm Lift

Arm Lift

You have successfully lost the weight, but your arms don’t look like they used to. After massive weight loss or other life changes, you can be left with arm skin that does not rebound to its old size and shape due to loss of elasticity. An arm lift can help put the finishing touches on your hard work.

An arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a procedure that tightens loose skin on the arms. It can also remove some excess fat on the arms. Drastic weight loss, aging, and genetics can all play a role in excess arm skin and fat. Despite diet and exercise, many patients find that they cannot tighten the appearance of their arms.

Sometimes patients want an even more sculpted look and will combine liposuction with an arm lift. This can depend on whether a patient has more fat, skin laxity, or both. If excess fat is a more prominent concern, liposuction may be a good option.

An arm lift can take up to three hours for Dr. Rankin to complete. Before your brachioplasty, an anesthesiologist will use general anesthesia to ensure you are comfortable and Dr. Rankin can perform the procedure safely. He will then make an incision that will start at your armpit and stop just before  your elbow. For patients with less laxity, a short scar option exists as well. The short scar arm lift hides the incision in your armpit. 

During the surgery, Dr. Rankin will remove the excess fat and skin. He will determine how much needs to be removed to best tighten the appearance of your arms and ensure that you have enough skin to close the incision.

After your arm lift, you can go home the same day.Down time is typically 1 week though, full recovery can take up to six weeks after your surgery. 

You will be able to use your arms and perform daily activities, though you should minimize extreme stretching or heavy lifting while you recover. We recommend you do not put your arms above your shoulders for about four weeks after the brachioplasty. Dr. Rankin will wrap your arms in a compression bandage or sleeve to help enable your healing. If he uses bandages at first, you must keep them on for the first two days. Afterward, you will wear the compression sleeves or compressive shirt  for about a month. 

Dr. Rankin may also use drains in order to accelerate the healing process and remove fluid that may accumulate while you are swollen. He generally removes these drains about a week after your procedure. After a couple of weeks, your dissolvable stitches will reabsorb into your body. 

During your recovery, we recommend that you do not perform cardio for 2 weeks, and heavy lifting for 4 weeks.  

You will visibly notice your results after your procedure. The full results will take some time to show, about one to two months, as swelling decreases. Maintaining your body weight after surgery will maximize your results. Your results can last over a decade with  a consistent diet and exercise routine.

We consider patients with an excess of skin on the upper arms to be good candidates for an arm lift. Ideal candidates should be at a healthy and stable weight, are nonsmokers, and have no medical conditions that can pose a risk during surgery.

How much an arm lift costs can vary. Several factors can be considered, including your surgeon’s experience, surgical center fees, and anesthesiology fees. The average cost, not including these factors, is $4,861. During your consultation at NorCal Plastic Surgery, we will go over the full cost of your arm lift.

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Before & After Gallery

You can view NorCal Plastic Surgery’s before and after photo gallery to see the remarkable results achieved by Dr. Rankin and our team of skin care experts and aestheticians. Click to see more real patient photos.

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Before and After
*Individual results may vary

Take the Next Step

Want to learn more about how an Arm lift can help you gain more confidence in your appearance? Schedule your consultation with a NorCal Plastic Surgery provider by calling (925) 856-4800 or filling out the consultation request form below. We look forward to helping you achieve your aesthetic goals.

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