An Arm Lift will Get Rid of Your Bat Wings

Aging and sagging go together like Henny Youngman and the Catskills, like the Dolphins and Don Shula. As our skin loses some collagen and as the underlying support tissues slacken, sagging is inevitable. 

Who would have thought it would affect the upper arms, though? This is especially true if you’ve gained and then lost a fair amount of weight. Now the underside of your upper arms is loose and, in many cases, even prone to flapping back and forth with arm movement. There is an unflattering colloquial term for this — bat wings. 

And no matter how many triceps dips you do, that skin will never tighten back up. Bogus. 

But you can come see our talented board-certified plastic surgeons at Miami Plastic Surgery® and they can perform an arm lift and you can get your younger upper arms back. 

What is an arm lift? 

An arm lift reduces excess skin and underlying fat between your underarm and your elbow. This reshapes the arm into a slimmer, smoother, younger contour. It can be a very satisfying procedure, particularly if you like to wear sleeveless fashions during our balmy year-round South Florida weather. 

How is an arm lift done? 

Depending on the degree of sagging, your Miami Plastic Surgery® surgeon will make an incision on the bottom or inside of your upper arm. This can stretch from the armpit all the way to the elbow, or it may be shorter if you have less pronounced sagging. If you have fat pockets that need to be removed, liposuction will be used. The support tissues and muscles will be tightened as needed, and the skin will be smoothed over your slimmer contoured arm. Excess skin is trimmed away, and the incision is closed. 

Will an arm lift leave a scar? 

Any incision in the skin will leave a scar, and this is no different with the lengthy incision used in an arm lift. However, the incision is placed on the inside or the bottom of the arm, so it is not as noticeable as you could think. Plus, over time the scarring will fade. 

How long will I enjoy the results of my arm lift?

These are permanent changes made to your upper arms by our surgeons. The former looseness and movement of the skin will be gone for good, as we have removed excess, loose skin and tightened underlying muscles as needed. Of course, you will have some degree of new sagging moving forward, but as long as you don’t gain a large amount of weight it will never be anywhere near the condition that made you want to have this surgery. Bottom line? You’ll enjoy your new slimmer, tighter upper arms for the rest of your life. 

Want to do something about your loose upper arms? Call the team at Miami Plastic Surgery, 305.595.2969, and schedule a consultation for an arm lift.