When tank top season arrives, do you cringe and suffer through it in silence? If you’ve been covering up your arms because you’re embarrassed by what’s commonly referred to as “bat wings,” you may be a candidate for arm lift surgery. This specialized surgical procedure was designed to treat loose, excess skin on the upper arms, leaving behind a slimmer and trimmer look. If you’re not sure if you’d make a good candidate for an arm lift, read on to learn who can really benefit from this surgery.
You’ve Recently Lost Weight
When weight gain occurs, the body will store fat in many different places. For many men and women, the upper arms become a store for excess fat and will increase in size. As this occurs, the skin is forced to stretch and accommodate this extra volume. You may have noticed stretch marks around the inside of the arm if this has happened to you.
When you lose that weight, your arms will likely thin as the muscle builds and the fat cells shrink. Unfortunately, much of the stretched skin around the arms has lost some of its elasticity and won’t be able to adjust to the new contour of your arms. The result is an effect called bat wings, where loose, inelastic skin hangs down from the arms. No matter how hard you work, diet and exercise won’t do anything to constrict this excess skin. Surgical removal through the arm lift procedure is your best bet for smooth, sleek arms that reflect all the hard work of your weight loss.
Your Family Has Loose, Saggy Arms
Sometimes, your heredity and genetics can play a large role in how your body will change as you age. If you’ve noticed that your mother and aunts all share a tendency for saggy skin around the arms, your chances of facing the same troubles are fairly high. While healthy lifestyle habits can lessen the damage, you might end up with those dreaded bat wings to a minor or moderate degree anyway. If you’ve started to sag or have been sagging for years, it’s time to visit a plastic surgeon and discuss your eligibility for arm lift surgery.
You’re Aging, Plain and Simple
If you’ve been a bodybuilder all your life and your arms are full of muscles, you probably aren’t noticing any sagging skin around those upper arms. If you’ve lived a fairly normal and healthy life, even without weight gain and genetic markers, you might have noticed some loose skin hanging from your upper arms. The breakdown of elasticity in the skin is an inevitable part of the aging process, one that may be evident around your midsection, neck, thighs, and elsewhere.
While arm lift surgery will not restore the lost elasticity to your skin, it will offer you a way to achieve a better, younger-looking contour on your upper arms. Your plastic surgeon will remove the excess skin, remove any unwanted fatty deposits, and lay the skin smoothly over the area. Your surgery is designed to leave your arms looking natural, with incisions placed in well-hidden creases of the arm. Talk about the specifics of your own arm lift surgery at a consultation to determine if it is the right procedure for you.
About The Author
Dr. Douglas Steinbrech is a board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in New York City and Los Angeles. He is a renowned expert in his specialty of body contouring procedures and has been selected as one of America’s Top Plastic Surgeons by the Consumers’ Research Council of America.
