Arm Lift Surgery In Dallas, TX | Skilled Brachioplasty Specialist

Arm Lift Surgeon serving Dallas, TX

An arm lift or brachioplasty is a cosmetic procedure that contours or re-shapes the arm by excising excess skin and tissue +/- liposuction. A limited-incision arm lift addresses excess skin and tissue that is limited to the proximal, inner arm with a scar resulting at the arm crease. For patients with more extensive skin excess, the full arm lift results in a scar from the arm pit to the elbow area. Dial 214-363-1073 today to schedule your arm lift consultation with Dr. Zachary Farris!

Who is a candidate for an arm lift?

Healthy, normal-weight patients who have excess skin and fat of their arms are candidates for an arm-lift, whether it is a limited incision or full arm lift. On occasion, patients may be good candidates for liposuction alone if they have moderate fatty tissue with very little excess skin. Those who are smokers and significantly overweight are poor candidates for the procedure.

Brachioplasty Before And After

How should I prepare for an arm lift?

There isn’t much you need to do to prepare for your arm lift with Dr. Farris. You’ll need to stop taking any blood thinners, anti-inflammatory medication, and many supplements for one week prior to your surgery. If you smoke, you’ll need to stop for at least two weeks before and after your surgery, as smoking can impede your healing.

The main aspect that may need attention Is lifting. The key to a successful recovery is to avoid lifting much with your arms. As you would assume, lifting too much weight can strain your incisions and create complications. So, if you need to lift things around the house that are more than the weight of a gallon of milk, you’ll need help with that. The same is true if you need to lift items at work. It will be between 4 and 6 weeks before you can lift heavy objects once again. You also won’t be able to stretch your arms upward, so if there are items up in cupboards that you regularly need bring them down onto the counter beforehand.

How is an arm lift performed?

After you are marked by Dr. Farris, the procedure is performed under general anesthesia. If liposuction to the arms is also to be done, it is performed first. For limited incision arm lifts, the incision is placed at the arm crease near the armpit. For a full arm lift, the incision extends from the elbow area to the armpit. This is determined by the extent of excess skin and tissue that you have. The excess skin and fat is then removed and closure is performed with the sutures buried under your skin. A compression garment is then applied.

Is recovery from an arm lift very painful?

These are not difficult recoveries. For the first 1 to 3 days, you’ll have light to moderate pain. Dr. Farris will prescribe a modest amount of prescription pain medication, but many patients don’t feel the need, instead opting for Advil or Aleve. After one week, patients usually don’t need any pain medication at all.

What to expect after surgery?

Dr. Farris and his staff at Farris Plastic Surgery will provide specific instructions regarding your surgery.
Expect to wear a compression garment for 2 weeks. You will be provided instructions on drains if they are used. Do not raise your arms above your shoulders for the first 2 weeks, as this would create tension on your incisions. Stitches are placed underneath the skin during surgery so there is nothing to remove in the office. Use moisturizer for your scars for 6 weeks. Avoid direct exposure of the scars to sunlight and consider sunscreen as necessary for the first 6 months. Scars change in appearance and improve over time up to 12 months.

Arm lift before and after photos.

Call Dr. Farris For An Arm Lift Consultation In Dallas, TX!

Contact us today to schedule your consultation and discover the difference of Farris Plastic Surgery! You can give us a call at 214-363-1073 to reach our office, or you can fill out the form in our contact page. Dr. Farris and his skilled team looks forward to serving you!

FAQs

What are the risks involved with an arm lift?
These are safe procedures, but there are some risks involved. An arm lift is open surgery, so it does involve the risks inherent with any surgery: excessive bleeding, poor incision healing, infection, poor wound recovery, reaction an anesthesia, and the like.
Specific to this procedure, these are the risks:
- Scarring — You will have visible scarring, but Dr. Farris does his best to locate the incisions on the bottom of the arm where they are hardly noticed. There is a rare risk that your incisions can become keloid scars, where they are raised and red. This can occur if the incisions are stressed before they have healed.
- Asymmetry between arms — The healing process can be somewhat unequal between arms, although this is not typical.
- Changes in skin sensation — Dr. Farris repositions arm tissues and this can impact your superficial sensory nerves. This is typically only temporary numbness, as your nerves adapt.
Where are the scars located for an arm lift?
If you have excess tissue along your entire upper arm, the arm lift incision would extend on the inside aspect of your arm from your armpit to your elbow area. If the excess tissue is limited, you may be a candidate for a short scar arm lift where the incision is placed solely within the armpit.
Will my arm lift scars fade?
Whenever human skin is cut, the collagen sent to repair the area creates a scar. That is simply the healing mechanisms at work. But as long as you limit sun exposure early in the healing process, your scars will fade dramatically over time. At first they will be red, but this will transition to white when they are fully healed. From there the white scars will become more and more faint and far less visible.
Will I have wide scars after an arm lift?
There tends to be a higher risk for wide scars in this part of the body compared to other areas. However, if you wear your compression garment and restrict your arm movement to reduce the tension on your incision, you can certainly diminish the risk for this problem.
What weight should I be before considering an arm lift?
Although your arm contour is evaluated for suitability for surgery, you should generally have a body mass index (BMI) of less than 35 in order to optimize safety and aesthetic result.
Can liposuction be used to treat my arms?
If you have little to no excess arm skin and good tone, liposuction can be considered as a treatment alone for the excess fatty tissue in your arms. If you have excess arm skin, then an arm lift is required. Liposuction can be performed in conjunction with an arm lift in certain cases where there is both abundant fat and skin excess.
When can I get back to my normal activities after an arm lift?
Patients can usually return to work in just a week or two. Obviously, this varies with the individual patient. If your work involves lifting, you’ll have to have others do that for you. It will be about 10 days before you can drive. For the first week, you should limit activity to just walking.
When can I exercise after an arm lift?
You should refrain from any strenuous activity, exercise or heavy lifting for at least four weeks.
Do I need drains after an arm lift?
In certain cases such as a full-length arm lift, you may need a temporary drain to help collect fluid from the surgical site. This would help prevent fluid collections. Drains are typically removed within one week after surgery.
How can I maintain my results from my arm lift?
The need for an arm lift is usually a combination of the aging process and the gain and loss of a good amount of weight. As we age, the skin and muscles of our upper arms slacken. That is a universal event.
Excessive weight gain can often show itself in the upper arms. If that weight is lost, the skin that has been stretched can’t tighten back to its former degree of tautness. This leaves loose, sagging skin.
The key to maintaining the slimmer, contoured upper arms created by Dr. Farris with this surgery is to maintain a healthy weight and to make exercise a part of your life moving forward. This should include weight-bearing exercise across your body, but particularly your upper arms. You will inevitably have some future sagging; there isn’t any way anyone can avoid the changes made with time. But if you keep a healthy weight that sagging will never even approach the amount that made you opt to have this surgery. You’ll enjoy your slimmer upper arms the rest of your life.
Will I need to repeat arm lift surgery again in the future?
These are intended as single procedures. They are not meant to be repeated years down the road. If you maintain a healthy weight and incorporate exercise into your life, there won’t be any need to have another arm lift.