Arm Lift
Conveniently located to serve the areas of Beverly Hills and Greater Los Angeles
An arm lift, also known as brachioplasty, is a procedure that corrects flabby skin that droops downward and gives your arms a “bat wing” appearance. In many cases, rigorous diet and exercise can help you lose weight, but they fail to eliminate persistent pockets of fat and hanging skin on your arms. Even if you are not overweight, this excess tissue can make you feel the need to hide your arms under long sleeves. For this reason, many men and women choose to undergo an arm lift as a means to improve the contours of their arms and restore feelings of body confidence.
If you feel that you are in this exact situation, look no further than the solutions offered by Dr. Michael Omidi. At his practice, you can expect premium quality care and assistance from his highly attentive staff as you begin your aesthetic journey. Dr. Omidi uses arm lift surgery to not only eliminate lax skin and other problem areas but also tighten the underlying supportive tissues to redefine and shape the upper arm region. A recognized expert in body contouring, he has performed countless arm lifts on satisfied patients in Beverly Hills and the Greater Los Angeles area. To see what surgical results he can perform for you, call his office at (310) 281-0155 or use his contact form to schedule your consultation today.
Contents
Before and After Photos
About Arm Laxity
The upper arms can exhibit significant laxity as a result of aging, sun exposure, pregnancy, or massive weight loss. Throughout the aging process, vital collagen and elastin proteins can begin to degrade as early as your mid-30s, leading to an overall weakening of the dermal layer of your skin. (1) Any fat, which is often very loosely packed, can begin to recede downward due to this degradation of skin quality. The weight lost from pregnancy and massive weight loss can leave the skin unable to retract due to the atrophy of fat cells and an overabundance of elastin fibers in the skin. Sun exposure, which usually leads to unwanted pigmented lesions like freckles and age spots or fine lines, can eventually lead to a condition called elastosis– characterized by deep wrinkles and folds from excess UV ray exposure. Hanging skin in the arm region can cause the development of a rash called intertrigo, skin infections, poor hygiene, and contribute to feelings of embarrassment which affect your overall quality of life. (2) There are many reasons you may be a qualified candidate for this procedure, and there is no reason you should feel the need to conceal this part of the body that is usually exposed to the world. Luckily, Dr. Omidi’s results will have you flaunting your new look and unashamedly showing off your rejuvenated, toned arms.
Candidates for an Arm Lift
The ideal arm lift candidate is one who has attained a stable and normal weight but wishes to rid himself or herself of excess underarm laxity. In order to perform the procedure in the safest manner possible, prospective patients should have a BMI under 30. (2) They should also be non-smokers or be willing to quit for the necessary amount of time and have no medical conditions that could slow down healing or possibly cause complications during recovery. In Dr. Omidi’s extensive experience performing this procedure, many patients elect to perform arm lifts together with liposuction to attain even more optimal contouring. Finally, candidates should have realistic expectations.
Personal Consultation
Scheduling a consultation with Dr. Omidi is a crucial first step in achieving your arm lift goals. During your meeting, he will carefully assess your needs and discuss your desired results. He will spend as much time as necessary in order to provide exceptional clarification of details about the procedure and determine which treatment options are best for you. You will also discuss prior medical conditions or drug allergies. To start taking steps toward feeling like the best version of yourself, consider booking your consultation today by calling Dr. Omidi’s office in Beverly Hills, CA at (310) 281-0155. You can also let us know more about yourself using his contact page, and a member of his team will reach out to you shortly.
Preparation
Prior to confirming any surgery, Dr. Omidi will order a few blood tests to ensure you are healthy enough to undergo an arm lift. If he does not find any significant issues, he will instruct you to stop smoking and avoid certain medications, like anticoagulants, that may contribute to increased bleeding and/or bruising. He will do a full review of your current medications and supplements to see if there are any other contraindications. You will want to pick up your prescriptions beforehand, plan a few easy-to-prepare foods for the first few days of recovery, and make arrangements for someone to take you home post-procedure. The day before surgery, you should avoid drinking or eating anything after midnight. On the morning of surgery, you will take the prescribed nausea medication with a small sip of water and avoid wearing makeup, perfume, or deodorant.
Procedure Steps
Traditional Arm Lift
For a traditional brachioplasty, Dr. Omidi’s anesthesiologist will administer general anesthesia so that you will be completely unaware during your procedure. You will be lying on your back with your arm at a 90-degree angle. Dr. Omidi will then make one incision on the inside of the arm that runs from the armpit to the elbow. Through this incision, he will be able to access and excise any unnecessary fat that is interfering with the aesthetics of the arm. He will then redrape the skin to measure how much excess to remove prior to suturing.
Mini Arm Lift
Dr. Omidi will utilize a mini arm lift technique only if you require minor skin tightening. He will only make one horizontal incision in the armpit to make more subtle changes with a more discreet incision line. From here, he will remove a smaller amount of skin and improve the contour of the area right beneath the armpit as well.
Extended Arm Lift
An extended arm lift is similar to a traditional arm lift except that the incision line is centered at the back of the arm rather than the inside. Dr. Omidi will also extend it so that it ends just below the armpit rather than at the armpit itself. This technique allows for the most comprehensive changes and corrects more severe skin laxity, so it is ideal for patients who have experienced significant weight loss.
Regardless of the technique used, Dr. Omidi will also tighten underlying arm connective tissues that will further support the longevity of the surgical changes.
Recovery and Results
Most patients experience some degree of bruising, swelling, and feelings of tightness immediately after an arm lift. Swelling will peak during the first 36 to 48 hours after the procedure and gradually resolve over the following 2 weeks. Dr. Omidi will prescribe compression garments for both arms to protect the incisions and keep fluid from accumulating in the area. Arm lift scars will fade significantly within the first year of healing if patients begin to treat them with scar creams or silicone gel sheets as soon as Dr. Omidi removes the sutures. In some cases, residual swelling may take 6 to 8 months for swelling to completely subside. Most patients return to work within a couple of weeks. However, you should avoid vigorous physical exercise such as lifting weights for at least 4 to 5 weeks after surgery.
Corresponding & Complementary Procedures
Liposuction
While liposuction is used in conjunction with brachioplasty, sometimes, only liposuction is necessary to deliver the contours a patient desires. To identify if you only need some liposuction, Dr. Omidi will do a “pinch test” to see if the tissue of your arm recoils back nicely. If it does, you likely benefit from minimally invasive fat removal only. Other times, he may utilize it prior to making any arm lift incisions. (3)
Cost of an Arm Lift in Beverly Hills
The total cost of your arm lift will depend on the incision techniques, the extent of the surgical modifications, anesthesia fees, and whether or not it was paired with liposuction. Though the price is relevant in the decision-making process, Dr. Omidi offers various financing options to meet patient needs. These payment plans have allowed numerous patients to explore the transformative effects while relieving some of the worry of associated costs.
Read Dr. Omidi’s blog for information on plastic surgery procedures in Beverly Hills.
FAQ
How long do the results of an arm lift last?
Arm lift results will likely last 10 years or more, depending on your age and genetics. If you happen to lose more weight, it can undo the results. The natural aging process can make the skin on all areas of the body more susceptible to sagging, which is why arm lifts are not permanent.
What weight do I have to be to get an arm lift?
Although one aspect of the arm lift involves fat removal, this does not mean it can provide weight-loss results for patients. Those looking to get an arm lift should ideally be at a BMI under 30.
How long does the arm lift procedure take?
The entirety of an arm lift procedure takes between 1 to 2 hours.
References
- Rousseaux I, Robson S. Body Contouring and Skin Tightening Using a Unique Novel Multisource Radiofrequency Energy Delivery Method. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2017;10(4):24-29. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5404777/
- Nagrath N, Winters R. Brachioplasty. PubMed. Published 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585115/
- Han HH, Lee MC, Kim SH, Lee JH, Ahn ST, Rhie JW. Upper Arm Contouring with Brachioplasty after Massive Weight Loss. Archives of Plastic Surgery. 2014;41(3):271-276. doi:https://doi.org/10.5999/aps.2014.41.3.271