Reshaping the upper arm when skin excess cannot be corrected by volume reduction alone.
Loose upper-arm skin may follow major weight loss, ageing or individual tissue characteristics. When the principal problem is excess skin, an arm lift—or brachioplasty—removes and redrapes that tissue to create a more proportionate contour.
The extent of surgery is determined by where the excess lies and how far it extends towards the axilla or chest.
Three features determine the extent of brachioplasty.
The amount and quality of redundant skin determine whether excision is required and how much tissue needs to be removed.
Residual soft-tissue fullness may contribute to arm size and can sometimes be reduced selectively as part of the operation.
Skin excess may be confined to the upper arm or continue through the axilla towards the lateral chest, which changes the required excision.
A meaningful arm lift requires a longitudinal scar. Its exact position is planned to balance access to the excess tissue, contour control and visibility in normal arm positions.
I would not shorten the scar at the expense of leaving obvious residual skin excess.
When laxity is genuinely limited to the uppermost arm, a shorter excision may sometimes be appropriate.
It is not a substitute for a full brachioplasty when skin excess extends substantially down the arm; in that situation a short scar usually means an incomplete correction.
Liposuction may be useful when residual fat contributes to upper-arm volume or when selective contouring helps the transition around an excision.
Its role depends on skin quality. Removing volume from an arm with significant laxity can make loose skin more apparent rather than solve the underlying problem.
For that reason, liposuction and skin excision are planned as complementary tools rather than interchangeable procedures.
The trade-off between contour improvement and scar is particularly important in arm surgery.
Patients with substantial laxity are often very comfortable making that trade because clothing, movement and the visible hanging skin are significant concerns. With mild laxity, the benefit may be less compelling.
Weight stability, smoking, medical fitness, previous surgery and healing risk are also considered before proceeding.
Recovery depends on the length of the excision and whether surgery extends towards the lateral chest.
Swelling, bruising and tightness are expected. Arm elevation and postoperative compression may be used during the early healing period.
Everyday movement increases progressively while heavy lifting, strenuous exercise and activities that place tension across the incisions remain restricted.
Swelling settles and scars mature over many months. Scar appearance changes considerably during this period and is not judged in the early postoperative phase.
The risks relevant to the proposed operation and individual patient are discussed during consultation and informed consent.
Consultation allows us to assess how much of the arm contour is due to skin excess and how much is due to underlying volume, how far the laxity extends, and whether the likely improvement justifies the scar required to achieve it.
Arrange a consultation →Written and reviewed by Dr Constant van Schalkwyk, Specialist Plastic Surgeon ·
