Arm lift surgery and arm liposuction procedures are commonly performed to correct flabby arms, reduce excess tissue and get rid of ‘bat wings’. But which one is the right procedure for you? Both procedures can be done to contour the upper arms, tone them, and give them a slimmer appearance.
A Brachioplasty or arm lift is designed to remove both excessive fat and extra skin from the upper arm and tighten any remaining loose skin. Whereas liposuction only removes extra arm fat and doesn’t address any loose skin concerns. An arm lift can also be combined with arm liposuction to maximise fat removal and give the arms the optimal cosmetic shape.
NOTE: There are some doctors using specific types of liposuction devices that promise ‘skin tightening’ but these are rarely suitable or effective for most patients and should be avoided.
Dr Jeremy Hunt is Sydney plastic surgeon performing fat and excess skin removal procedures. He offers his patients upper arm contouring options after major weight loss including brachioplasty, arm liposuction, or a combination of both to get their arms back in shape.
The upper arm is the area extending between your shoulder and elbow and contains the major arm muscles – biceps and triceps. The mass and tone of these muscles contribute to the core appearance of your upper arms. Soft tissue like fat and skin also affect the cosmetic appearance of the arm and are highly dependent on diet, genetics and weight fluctuations.
There are several factors that can lead to cosmetic concerns in the upper arm, including:
As a result, the tissues in your upper arm become loose and flabby which is known as bat wings or bingo wings. Flabby arms are characterised by:
Targeted exercises and a low-calorie diet can help you slim and tone your arms. However, you can’t exercise skin so you may benefit from an arm lift or liposuction if you want to get rid of excessive saggy skin and pockets of fat on your upper arms.
An arm lift, also known as brachioplasty, is an arm reshaping surgery that can help remove extra skin and fat from the area between your armpit and elbow.
You may be a candidate for an upper arm lift if:
By performing a Brachioplasty, Dr Jeremy Hunt can remove both unwanted fat and extra skin from your armpit to your elbow and tighten any remaining loose upper arm skin.
During an upper arm lift surgery:
Arm lifting surgery takes around 2-3 hours depending on the amount of excess skin and tissues that need to be removed. It’s the right cosmetic procedure if you want to slim, sculpt, and tone your upper arms.
A brachioplasty can dramatically change the appearance of your arms and offer you the following benefits:
Arm lift surgery also produces more visible and durable results than other fat removal procedures such as liposuction.
Arm liposuction is a less invasive fat removal procedure that targets extra flaps of fat located under your upper arms.
You may be one of the very few patients that is suitable an arm lipo if:
Dr Hunt performs arm liposuction to get rid of your underarm batwing fat and give your upper arms a leaner contour. During arm liposuction procedure:
You start noticing your results almost immediately after upper arm fat removal by liposuction. Your arms will look smoother and slimmer and will continue to improve as they heal.
Liposuction to remove extra arm fat is less invasive than arm lift surgery and offers the following benefits:
Arm liposuction is an effective way to eliminate stubborn upper arm fat and make your arms look more proportional with the rest of your upper body.
A combination of both liposuction and brachioplasty can help you get rid of bat wings and reshape your arms.
An arm lift can remove both excess fat and loose saggy skin located between your armpit and elbow. Conversely, liposuction can only remove unwanted fat but cannot reduce sagging skin. Moreover, a brachioplasty can remove larger amounts of excess fat and tissue from the upper arms than arm liposuction.
On the other hand, an upper arm lift requires a longer incision than liposuction. Therefore, the scar from a brachioplasty is more visible.
If you’re looking to contour and sculpt your upper arms, you might find yourself trying to choose between getting an arm lift surgery or a liposuction. Which is the better choice for you?
Choosing between arm liposuction and brachioplasty depends on the type of cosmetic problem you have in your upper arms.
If you have both lax flappy skin and excess fat, then an upper arm lift will be more suitable for you. Unlike arm liposuction, a brachioplasty can tighten your upper arm skin after getting rid of your extra arm fat and loose skin.
Meanwhile, if you only have extra fat deposits in your upper arm but your skin isn’t loose and hasn’t yet lost its elasticity, liposuction might be a better option for you. Lipo can help you lose that extra arm fat almost immediately. It also takes less time and leaves less visible scars than an arm lift. Nevertheless, some patients or patients whose skin isn’t very tight may be left with excess skin under the arms.
Dr Hunt often combines arm lift surgery with a liposuction to maximise fat removal and give his patients optimal results. Dr Jeremy Hunt has plenty of experience in different fat removal procedures. He will assess your arms and health condition and recommend whether it’s better you choose an arm lift, liposuction, or both to get the results you desire.
Dr Jeremy Hunt is a specialist plastic surgeon and a member of FRACS & ASPS. He has over 20 years of experience providing plastic surgery in Sydney.
Careful, considerate and honest, Dr Jeremy Hunt works with you to find a solution that is optimal for your body and your lifestyle.
Dr Hunt’s personal, one-on-one service and attention to detail has given thousands of women and men from the Sydney & Wollongong NSW area and across Australia the aesthetic results they desire.
Dr Jeremy A Hunt MBBS FRACS graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine degree from Sydney University in 1990 and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and member of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgery. He completed a Fellowship at the prestigious University of Texas in the United States, where he learnt from some of the world’s very best plastic surgeons.
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Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health professional.