Tired of tuckshop arms? Over bat wings? Done with loose hammocks? We don’t blame you. As a result of fatty tissue and excess sagging skin in the upper arm, many women can experience embarrassment and lose their confidence. You shouldn’t have to feel ashamed and hide your body. Sometimes, no matter how much dieting and exercise we do, our arms simply don’t want cooperate with us. Instead, considering women have less supporting muscle tone, they tend to store fat resulting in a drooping appearance.
So what can I do besides covering up my arms to fix it? This is a question we are frequently asked, and while strength exercises can help tighten and grow muscles in the arm and thus improve appearance, stretched and sagging skin cannot be undone through exercise alone. Brachioplasty, more commonly known as an arm lift, is a cosmetic procedure where excess sagging skin is removed via an inner upper arm incision. The surgery is performed to improve upper arm contour and in some cases is preferred in comparison to conventional liposculpture.
So who qualifies for an arm lift? Here are some of the ideal candidate characteristics:
Weight Loss
One of the main reasons a person may consider an arm lift is when they have experienced significant weight loss. Patients who have been on a weight loss journey are often left with sagging skin caused by a major reduction of fat. Once the skin is stretched, it may never retract to its original state, no matter how hard we try to rectify the situation through strict diet and exercise. This can be traumatic for the patient and undermine the sense of achievement from their weight loss.
But this doesn’t have to be the case. If you’ve worked tirelessly to shed an extreme amount of body fat, you shouldn’t be left with a sore reminder everyday of your previous lifestyle. You’ve put in the hard work and now you should be able to flaunt your fabulous new body. So if you’ve undergone dramatic weight loss and are looking to take the final step towards your new self, an arm lift might be the next logical phase for you.
Natural Ageing
Another main reason a person may seek out surgeries such as Brachioplasty for sagging skin is because of ageing. As we grow older, the arm tissue relaxes and descends, resulting in a saggy appearance. As the skin begins to lose its elasticity and the quality of connective muscles degrade, this “flabbiness” begins to appear.
After the age of 30, people often experience an increase in body fat and a decrease in muscle mass due to hormonal changes causing our metabolic rate, the rate at which our bodies process food, to slow down, which means we burn fewer calories throughout the day. Coupled with the fact that as we age we tend to become less physically active, this can result in drooping skin especially on the upper arm. As a result, undergoing an arm lift might become a viable option for those wanting to look and feel their best.
Genetics
While weight fluctuations and ageing are the two most common reasons to undergo an arm lift, it can also come down to basic genetics. Family history can play a large role in our skin’s durability. For example, hereditary characteristics of body frame and instances of obesity can increase fatty tissue and excess skin and be a main motivator for Brachioplasty.
Genetics, muscle tone, fat between the skin and muscles and general skin tone will also determine how the skin retracts after being stretched as well.
If you are experiencing one or more of these characteristics, you may qualify for an arm lift. At Timeless Cosmetics, we want to help our patients to feel comfortable in their skin – or lack thereof. For more information on our Brachioplasty procedures, contact us today.
