Upper Arm Lift Surgery (Brachioplasty) in Dallas, TX

One of the most difficult aspects of losing weight or getting older is the appearance of loose skin. At Elevate Medical Spa and Cosmetic Surgery in Dallas, TX, we offer arm lift surgery, also known as brachioplasty, for anyone who cannot seem to tone and tighten this section of the arm with exercise and diet. Loose skin from the elbow to the upper arm is very common, especially for women and men who are advancing in age or have lost weight. Our Elevate team, led by board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Thornwell Parker, is very skilled in skin tightening and fat removal surgical techniques, and they provide private consultations for surgical arm lifts. If you would like to learn more about how an upper arm lift can alter the contour of your arms, please schedule a consultation at Elevate Medical Spa today.

An arm lift is an aesthetic surgery, employing innovative techniques to contour the arm and remove extra skin and fat to tone the loose appearance. If you avoid sleeveless clothes because of your flabby arms and want them to look trim and taut again, you are an ideal candidate for arm lift surgery. You should be in good overall health so that the skin will heal well. Some of the top concerns for Elevate patients who want an arm lift are excess, hanging skin on the upper arms and increased fat deposits under the skin. It is recommended that you be at or near your goal weight prior to your procedure. In addition to brachioplasty, there are other less invasive or nonsurgical options to consider when arm contour is suffering from excess fat but not excess skin. Younger patients with healthy elastic skin could be considered for alternate techniques, like liposuction or CoolSculpting.

Typically, your upper arm lift surgery will take place in an outpatient setting unless you are undergoing other plastic surgery procedures scheduled to be performed at the same time. An arm lift can be added to other procedures (usually performed in an inpatient setting for monitoring), like a mommy makeover, tummy tuck, or thigh lift — if our Elevate team decides it is safe. Arm lift surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia if done with other procedures and may take several hours to complete. When performed alone, brachioplasty can be performed under IV sedation or local anesthesia with oral medication.  

• Horizontal Technique – A limited incision is hidden only in the armpit area, removing a wedge of skin to pull the upper arm tight. This technique only works well for minimal laxity and can be combined with liposuction.

• Vertical Technique – A longer incision is made along the length of the arm, from the armpit toward the elbow. The length of the scar is dependent on where the sagging skin ends. The incision will be placed to be as concealed as possible, but it will leave a visible scar. Fat is usually directly removed with the removal of the skin, but sometimes, liposuction may be used as well.

Once the skin is tightened, it will be sutured in place. You will need to keep the incisions sanitized, covered, and in compression garments.

Your recovery period will last around two weeks with lots of arm elevation, rest, and permitting yourself time to heal. You use your arms for everything so patients are encouraged to ease their way back into their usual routine. An appointment to remove sutures will be made around 7 - 10 days after surgery. Compression garments should be worn until you are released from this treatment. For at least 4 - 5 weeks, all strenuous activity must be avoided.

Whatever you call your "bat wings" or droopy skin on your arms, our Elevate team considers it an opportunity to give you a boost with a great plastic surgery procedure. If you are at or near a healthy weight and still cannot eliminate the flab and skin that hang from your upper arms, please call and schedule a private consultation with our team at Elevate Medical Spa. Feel younger and fitter with arm lift surgery.