ARM LIFT SURGERY
NEWPORT BEACH
For many women, sleeveless tops are a staple in their wardrobe. Not only are they extremely comfortable during warm weather, but they also showcase firm and slender arms that often remain covered up during cooler seasons.
Your arms may not get as much love as the rest of your body, but they are one of the most frequently exposed parts that get easily noticed by other people. Smooth, toned arms devoid of flabbiness and excess skin are considered sexy, even if you’re just wearing a simple tank top.
The ideal arms are lean and firm, showcasing the underlying muscles. The convexity of your shoulder deltoid muscles — the rounded, triangular muscle on the uppermost part of your arm and top of your shoulder — should merge with your triceps on the back surface, framing a well-built physique. The front surface of your arms should also be slightly convex, reflecting your toned biceps.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case for everyone, as the arms can serve as a repository of fats when you gain weight. The fat typically accumulates over the upper arm on the back and deltoid muscle, as well as hanging below the arms.
And even after losing weight, there is the risk of developing saggy arms as you are left with excess skin that hangs loosely on your arms, resistant to diet and exercise.
Aging can also do a number on your arms, as it can make you lose subcutaneous fat, leaving your skin shriveled and wrinkled. Constant sun exposure can even further expedite the aging process.
If you want to flaunt your arms, eliminate unwanted fat pockets, and get rid of their “bat wing” appearance, then a Newport Beach arm liposuction and arm lift with Dr. Siamak Agha, a highly-skilled body contouring expert, might just be what you need.
Arm liposuction can make your arms look slimmer, while an arm lift can help you get rid of excess fat and skin, pulling your skin taut and improving your arm contours.
Both procedures can dramatically improve your upper extremities to help you achieve a divinely slender pair of arms.
Read the rest of this article to know more about how you can attain the lovely arms you have always wanted.
What is Arm Lift Surgery?
Even if you engage in diet and exercise, it does not guarantee that you won’t develop heavy or saggy upper arms.
Arm enhancement surgeries are your perfect solutions for troubled upper arms, eliminating any embarrassment you feel from wearing sleeveless clothes or bathing suits.
Depending on your skin quality, you can undergo one of these two types of arm enhancement surgeries:
Arm Liposuction – Perfect for patients who have firm, elastic, and non-damaged skin, arm liposuction sculpts and reduces the size of the upper arms by removing excess fat. Once the excess fat is removed, the skin shrinks to fit the muscles of the arms, resulting in a slimmer-looking pair of upper extremities.
- Arm Lift – Also known as brachioplasty, the arm lift is best for patients with sagging skin in their arms, commonly known as “bat wings”. Instead of removing fat only, this process removes excess skin and fat to fit the underlying arm muscles and markedly improve its appearance, increasing your confidence in the process.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the arm lift is one of the most popular procedures in 2019 for those seeking to undergo body contouring surgery.
What are the Different Arm Lift & Enhancement Techniques?
Dr. Agha plans a customized arm enhancement approach for each patient, depending on the degree of arm tissue excess and looseness.
Here are the most common approaches that Dr. Agha uses.
How Does Dr. Agha Do Arm Liposuction and Arm Lift?
Arm enhancement surgeries usually take 2-3 hours, depending on the technique used and how much correction of the arm contour is needed.
You can usually combine brachioplasty with other body contouring procedures, such as the upper body lift, breast enhancement, or liposuction.
Here is how Dr. Agha performs your arm lift.
Preparation
Expect Dr. Agha to ask about the following during your initial consultation:
- General physical and mental health status
- Pre-existing health conditions, especially neurologic conditions, heart disease, vascular problems, diabetes, thromboembolic disease, connective tissue disorders, wound healing problems, Raynaud’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and previous armpit lymph node dissection
- Prior surgeries, including laparoscopic procedures
- Medications currently being taken, including vitamins, diet pills, and herbal supplements
- Allergies
- Smoking habits and alcohol use
- History of weight gain and loss
Your answers can affect your recovery and healing following the procedure, so make sure that you answer these questions completely and truthfully.
Dr. Agha will also examine your arm area, taking into account the following factors:
- Excess fat distribution
- Tissue laxity
- Skin quality
Knowing these will help Dr. Agha figure out which arm enhancement procedure will best suit you — whether it is arm liposuction, arm lift, or a combination of both. It will also help him decide which brachioplasty technique will be best for you.
He will then give you information on your arm enhancement options, then plan an appropriate plan of action that best suits your anatomy and meets your desires and expectations.
Other things that will be discussed include potential risks and complications, estimated cost, and procedure schedule. You will also be asked to obtain specific lab tests and a medical evaluation.
On the day of your surgery, Dr. Agha will mark certain landmarks on your arm and armpit in the pre-operative area to properly plan the incision site. The type of brachioplasty to be performed will dictate the location, length, and direction of the incision lines. You will then be given a dose of intravenous antibiotics as a precautionary measure.
Make sure to arrange for a friend or family member to drive you to and from the surgery center, as well as assist you during the first 24 hours post-op.
Anesthesia
You can get a brachioplasty under either general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation to put you under “twilight sleep”.
Once you’re asleep, Dr. Agha injects tumescent fluid at the liposuction or incision sites. This fluid consists of a low concentration of lidocaine and epinephrine that will help numb the surgical site and constrict blood vessels to reduce bleeding and bruising, respectively.
Arm Liposuction
Arm liposuction involves using a liposuction cannula through a small incision to suction the deep fat layer. Most patients will need liposuction of the lower arm, elbow area, and upper arm below the shoulder and over the deltoid muscle.
Arm Lift
Dr. Agha will make appropriate incisions on the arm markings depending on the planned arm lift technique. He will make sure to place the incision in an inconspicuous location so that it will be completely concealed within the armpit or down the inside of the arm.
The length of the incision depends on how much skin should be removed and where the excess skin is located.
After making the incision, Dr. Agha removes the excess skin and the underlying fat from the site, then elevates the lower incision and anchors it to the deltopectoral fascia, a thick connective tissue layer at the armpit area, to lift it up and reconstruct the armpit at a higher position. This will provide a tension-free closure of the incisions, resulting in a thinner and narrower scar in the future.
Post-Surgery
Dr. Agha carefully closes the incisions in three layers to minimize scarring.
He first brings the fat together on either side of the incision with sutures. This is then followed by a layer of suturing under the skin to take the tension off of the skin closure. Finally, he meticulously closes the skin incision with smaller sutures.
Dr. Agha places all the sutures beneath the skin, where they will be gradually absorbed by your body. Because of this, there is no need to remove the sutures later on, dramatically improving your comfort and satisfaction.
Dr. Agha does not typically use drains for brachioplasty procedures. Instead, he covers the incisions with a sterile dressing and wraps it with ACE. Doing so helps support your arms during healing, decreases postoperative swelling, and minimizes bruising.
With brachioplasty commonly done as an outpatient procedure, you can go home after the surgery.
I am 6 months out from my brachioplasty with Dr. Agha and wanted to add a picture of my arm lift scars. The placement is excellent. The scar is so small and flat. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
Samanthia
Why Should You Choose Dr. Agha for Your Arm Lift?
As a world-renowned body contouring surgeon, Dr. Agha has been performing arm enhancement surgeries since 2002.
While most plastic surgeons only perform a few arm lift surgeries per year, according to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Agha performs about 30 or more arm lift surgeries every year as can be seen on his Instagram page. This extensive experience has helped Dr. Agha develop his approach to three-dimensional body contouring.
Dr. Agha has pioneered his own arm lift variation, where he places his incision at the junction between the arm front and back. It produces a more inconspicuous incision than current arm lift techniques, where the incision is either placed on the brachial groove at the front of the arm or at the back of the arm through a posterior arm lift.
Dr. Agha’s aesthetic eye and more than 18 years of experience in plastic surgery have allowed him to perfect his brachioplasty style so that you can rock and flaunt your slender arms for everyone to see.
Do You Need Arm Lift Revision?
It is important that you get your arm lift done correctly the first time.
However, if you have had less than favorable results, rest assured that as an expert, Dr. Agha has been revising and correcting poor arm lift results for years. Dr. Agha performs around five or more arm lift revisions a year due to various reasons such as:
- Asymmetrical arms after previous arm lift
- Poor or wide arm lift scars
- Scar asymmetry
- Lack of armpit correction
- Remaining excess skin
- Arm banding
Usually, Dr. Agha excises the existing arm scar and works through that incision. If the scar is too high, it can only be brought down so much.
Although an arm lift revision will always improve your results, remember that it will never be as good as when you have Dr. Agha perform your original surgery.
Each revision requires an understanding of your arm problems and a customized plan to correct them. Dr. Agha will make sure that you understand what the plan is and how much correction can be achieved before proceeding with an arm lift redo.
How Do You Recover from Arm Liposuction and Arm Lift?
In general, your arm enhancement recovery may span a few weeks, with most patients being able to return to work within a week after liposuction but 2-3 weeks after an arm lift.
Your arms will be dressed and bandaged with ACEs that start at your wrist and go up to your arm pit. The dressing needs to be changed daily.
If you have had an arm lift, make sure to keep the arm pit area dry and clean. Dab your incisions with Dakins solution daily and cover the incisions with clean ABD. Reapply ACE bandages from the wrist and move up. Apply bandages snug but not too tight.
Keep your arms elevated on several pillows (as much as possible) so that they are higher than your heart level. This reduces swelling which in turn reduces pain and tension on your incision lines, resulting in thinner scars.
What Results Can You Expect from Arm Enhancement Surgery?
Getting arm enhancement surgery will give you the following results:
- Flatter and firmer arm contour
- Arms that are proportional to your body type and weight
- More clothing and fashion choices that flaunt your arms
- Increased self-confidence and improved self-esteem
What are the Potential Risks and Complications?
All surgical procedures have potential risks and complications — brachioplasty included.
Be informed about the risks of body contouring surgeries in this article.
Arm Lift FAQs
Get Your Arm Liposuction or Arm Lift Done in Newport Beach, Orange County
Slender, firm, and toned arms need not be a distant dream, even if you have excess fat and skin hanging from your upper extremities.
With an arm lift or arm liposuction performed by a trusted, board-certified, and experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Agha, you can parade your beautiful arms in any tank top or swimsuit without getting embarrassed or self-conscious.