Losing the Fat on Your Upper Arms

Woman checking her upper armLiposuction is one of our most popular procedures at Elite. That’s because just about everyone has pockets of stubborn fat that seem impervious to dietary restraint and exercise. When you think of liposuction, most people assume the person is having it done on the lower abdomen (the tummy), the outer flanks, the buttocks, or even to remove bra line fat or fat under the chin.

But wait — what about the upper arms? That’s right. Our board-certified plastic surgeons perform liposuction to remove unwanted fat from the upper arms, and it gives your arms the definition and look you want with sleeveless blouses or dresses, or even that swimsuit you’ve been avoiding wearing.

The middle of a Michigan winter is a great time to address sagging and fat in your upper arms, so let’s cover that in our two blogs of the New Year.

What is arm liposuction?

Bat wings. That’s the term people sometimes give those with loose upper arms with fat on the underside. Arm liposuction is much less invasive that a full arm lift. Arm liposuction slims the contour of the arm and is ideal for patients with stubborn areas of localized fat that do not respond to changes in diet and exercise.

Patients need to understand that liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure. It is intended only to remove stubborn pockets of fat on patients who are within 10-15 pounds of their ideal weight.

How is arm liposuction different than an arm lift?

An arm lift is a full surgical procedure where an incision is made running from the armpit to the outer elbow. This is one of the longer incisions in all cosmetic surgery, and it leaves a lengthy scar. This access provides the ability to tighten muscles and remove excess skin. We’ll get into this more in January’s second blog.

Arm liposuction isn’t meant for patients with excess sagging skin, as no skin will be removed. Good candidates need to have good elasticity in their upper arm skin, as it will need to tighten down over the patient’s slimmer contour after this procedure. The patient also needs to be within 10-15 pounds of her ideal weight. The goal of arm liposuction is to simply remove stubborn pockets of fat, usually from the underside of the arms, which is making the upper arms sag downwards.

How is arm liposuction done?

During arm liposuction, your Elite plastic surgeon inserts a thin cannula through a tiny incision into the underside of the upper arm. Once inside, he suctions away unwanted pockets of fat. For these procedures, we usually opt for tumescent liposuction, but we can also use methods such as ultrasound- or laser-assisted liposuction to make it easier to remove the fat.

Want slimmer upper arms heading into spring and summer in Grand Rapids? Call the team at Elite Plastic Surgery, (616) 459-1907, and set up a consultation for arm liposuction or an arm lift.

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