Arm Lift
Removing excess skin and lax tissue from the upper arms and reshaping them to create a clearer contour and more balanced proportions.
The contour of the upper arms is determined by fat distribution, skin quality, and the elasticity of the tissue.
Following significant weight loss, through ageing, or due to individual tissue characteristics, the skin can lose elasticity and no longer fully adapt to the underlying volume.
An arm lift, medically known as brachioplasty, makes it possible to remove excess skin and lax tissue and reshape the contour of the upper arm. Depending on the starting point, the procedure can be combined with liposuction.
At Clinic Selnau in Zürich, planning therefore begins with the question of whether mainly fat tissue, excess skin, or a combination of both, is changing the contour of the upper arm.
Our Approach
Every upper arm is different.
Skin quality, fat distribution, tissue elasticity, and the proportions between shoulder, upper arm and forearm together determine the starting point.
For this reason, planning does not begin with a particular incision pattern. We first assess where the excess skin is located, how pronounced it is, and whether localised fat tissue is also present.
With good skin elasticity, liposuction alone may be sufficient. Where the skin has significantly lost its capacity to retract, liposuction alone cannot correct existing excess skin.
The aim is not the narrowest possible upper arm. It is to treat skin and tissue so that a more natural contour results, one that fits with the rest of the body.
Skin, Fat & Contour
An arm lift may be considered for changes including:
- Excess or lax skin on the upper arms
- Changes following significant weight loss
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Excess skin on the inner upper arm
- A combination of excess skin and localised fat tissue
- Asymmetries of the upper arms
- Limitations caused by pronounced skin folds
- A wish for a clearer upper arm contour
Not every increase in volume on the upper arm requires a lifting procedure. Where mainly fat tissue is present and the skin is sufficiently elastic, liposuction can be the more suitable treatment.
Planning & Analysis
During consultation, we assess skin quality, excess skin and fat distribution, as well as the entire contour between the shoulder and elbow.
We also examine how far the excess skin extends toward the armpit or the lateral chest wall. This is particularly relevant following significant weight loss, since the changes are not always limited to the upper arm itself.
Weight development, weight stability, existing scars and previous operations are also taken into account.
On this basis, we determine how much skin needs to be removed, where the resulting scar will be located, and whether additional liposuction makes sense.
The Procedure
In an arm lift, excess skin is removed and the remaining tissue is reshaped.
The necessary incision pattern depends on how pronounced and how widely distributed the excess skin is. With limited changes, a shorter scar in the armpit area may be sufficient in selected situations. With more pronounced excess skin, a longer incision along the inner or underside of the upper arm is often necessary.
Where excess fat tissue also exists, liposuction can be used in addition.
This is not about removing as much tissue as possible. What matters is a balanced contour between the shoulder, upper arm and elbow.
What Scars Result?
Scar placement is one of the most important aspects of an arm lift.
The more pronounced the excess skin, the longer the incision generally needs to be. With a limited lift, the scar can partly sit within the armpit area. With a more extensive brachioplasty, it typically runs along the inner or underside of the upper arm.
The exact position is planned according to individual anatomy, and chosen so that the scar is as inconspicuous as possible in a natural arm position.
Pronounced skin laxity, however, cannot be corrected through an arbitrarily small approach. The shortest possible scar is not automatically the best operation. What matters is that excess skin and contour can meaningfully be addressed.
Arm Lift or Liposuction?
The decision depends mainly on skin quality.
Where a localised fat deposit exists with good skin elasticity, liposuction may be sufficient. The skin can adapt to the new contour, to a certain degree, after volume reduction.
Where relevant excess skin already exists, however, removing fat alone cannot eliminate it. In some situations, liposuction can even make existing excess skin more visible. In this case, an arm lift is the more suitable treatment.
Fat and skin excess often exist at the same time. Both techniques can then be combined. It is not the volume of the upper arm alone that decides the treatment. What matters is whether fat, skin, or both structures determine the contour.
Following Weight Loss
Following significant weight reduction, pronounced excess skin can remain on the upper arm.
Fat volume is reduced, but the previously stretched skin cannot always fully retract. This change often does not affect the upper arms alone. The abdomen, thighs, breast, back or hips can also be affected.
In such situations, an arm lift can be part of a more comprehensive body contouring concept. Depending on the starting point, an abdominoplasty, thigh lift, breast lift / mastopexy, or other body-shaping procedures can additionally make sense. Not all regions need to be treated at the same time. With more extensive changes, treatment in several steps can be more appropriate.
Contour, Not the Narrowest Possible Arms
The natural shape of an upper arm is not determined by its circumference alone.
Muscle, fat distribution, skin and body build together influence its contour. An arm lift, therefore, should not create the thinnest possible arm.
It should remove excess skin and reshape existing tissue so that the upper arm once again sits in a balanced relationship with the shoulder and forearm.
A successful arm lift does not simply reduce tissue. It restores a clear, natural contour.
Healing & Results
Swelling, a feeling of tightness, and bruising are normal at first after an arm lift.
Arm mobility can be temporarily limited during the early healing phase. Particularly strong pulling or lifting movements should initially be avoided. Compression garments can be part of aftercare, depending on the procedure.
Scars are often red and firm at first. They change over several months and generally become softer and less noticeable over time.
The final contour develops as swelling subsides and the tissue adapts.
Long-Term Changes
The skin tissue removed in an arm lift does not grow back.
Skin and remaining tissue, however, continue to be subject to ageing, gravity and possible weight fluctuations. Significant changes in body weight can therefore influence the contour again. As stable a weight as possible supports the long-term stability of the result.
Consultation
An arm lift begins with the question of what is causing the changed contour of your upper arms.
During your consultation at Clinic Selnau in Zürich, we assess excess skin, fat distribution, skin quality, and the proportions of the entire upper arm.
On this basis, we decide whether an arm lift, a liposuction, or a combination of both techniques makes sense.
Where several body regions are affected following significant weight loss, treatment can be integrated into a more comprehensive body contouring concept and coordinated, for example, with an abdominoplasty or thigh lift.
We discuss openly the necessary scar placement, the healing process, and the limitations and risks of the operation.
The aim is not the narrowest possible upper arm. It is to reshape skin and tissue according to existing anatomy and create a balanced contour.