Basic Facts about Arm Lifts- What patients need to know.

An arm lift is a plastic surgery procedure that is also known as brachioplasty. Essentially, this is a procedure in plastic surgery that removes extra, saggy skin that remains after significant weight loss. After an individual loses lots of body weight, this is especially evident on the arms, legs and stomach area where skin has stretched the most and is now left sagging and loose—no exercise can tone this excessive skin, only a surgical procedure can remove it and give this underarm region a toned and slimmer appearance.

Who Chooses an Arm Lift?
If an individual has sagging skin on their arms, either due to significant weight loss, or due to older age, this can be a reason to avoid wearing shirts with short sleeves. Thanks to arm lift surgery, the arms will develop a toned look once again and help the individual restore self-confidence once again.

Who is a Good Candidate for an Arm Lift?
If you are considering this type of procedure, it is worthy to know some basic facts about it, and to have pragmatic expectations about the results. It is important to choose plastic surgery because you want it yourself, and not because you want to satisfy someone else's expectations. It is also equally important that you are in a excellent physical and psychological condition. Besides being in good health, it is also better if you don't smoke, because the healing process will go smoother and faster.
Since an arm lift is often performed on individuals who have lost significant weight, it is also important that this weight loss is finished (i.e. that person has generally lost the majority of excessive previous weight), and also the achieved weight is stable for some time (i.e. that the person isn't on a weight gain again, as this could pose an obstacle in the skin healing process). Excessive skin with low elasticity is a good predisposition for this arm lift procedure.

Consultations about an Arm Lift
When you have set your mind that you want to get an arm lift, it is important to choose a good plastic surgeon. Go have consultations about an arm lift with a plastic surgeon who is Board Certified, i.e. who has been professionally acknowledged for his/her work. A practiced surgeon will check out the condition of the skin on your arms, evaluate your overall health condition, discuss your expectations with you and tell you the expected outcome. A professional plastic surgeon will warn you about the potential health risks associated with this surgery in your particular case and tell you what to expect post-surgical recovery. It is important to know that the post-operative period can be painful and will carry certain restrictions for some period of (recovery) time.

Arm Lift Surgery
After you arrive to the surgeon's center, you will be prepared for surgery and will receive an anesthetic. An arm lift procedure takes anywhere from 60 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the amount of excessive skin that has to be removed.
The incision are located on the inner side or the back of your upper arm, and how long it takes depends on the amount of excessive skin that has to be removed.

Recovery from an Arm Lift
The pain and discomfort after surgery will last approximately 48-72 hours, while a restrictive amount of activities should be followed for up to month—month and half. Your surgeon will tell you exactly for how long you should avoid certain activities.