An arm lift, often known as a brachioplasty, is a form of cosmetic surgery that is widely requested nowadays by many patients all over the world. It reduces excess skin, smooths and tightens tissue, and eliminates excess fat to address drooping underarms.

As a result, your arms will appear more defined and toned. Genetics and aging are two factors that contribute to drooping skin. After losing a lot of weight, you could also have additional skin remaining on your body which will not look good. When thinking about an arm lift, there are a few things to consider regardless of the reason behind your drooping skin.

Preparing For An Arm Lift

Although this is not considered a highly invasive procedure, there are some factors to consider before the surgery if you want it to be safe and effective. One of the main things to consider is to quit smoking at least two months before because this will prolong the recovery process and can put you at a higher risk of infections. 

A preoperative evaluation will be performed by the doctor a few weeks before your arm lift surgery. By reviewing your past medical history and present state of health, they will ensure that you are well-prepared and ready to handle the surgery. You should also use this opportunity to discuss any worries you may have regarding the arm lift procedure. Initially, they will look for any underlying medical issues that can make surgery risky. He will do several examinations including X-rays and also ask you to stop taking certain medications if you are already using them.

The Arm Lift Procedure

Your surgeon will first mark the areas on your arm where they want to make incisions on the day of operation. Although there are a few different techniques for doing an arm lift, the most popular ones entail making incisions on the back or inside of your arms. Other alternatives include an armpit incision or one that runs from the top of your elbow to your armpit.

Depending on the surgical technique your doctor chooses, you will next be given either local or general anesthesia. Your doctor enters and alters the tissue in your upper arm, tightening or reshaping it in response to the markings they left on your arm. After that, they sew up the surgical wound and draw your skin back over the tissue.

In case your arm heals partially but there are still pockets of fat, your doctor could do liposuction to get rid of the fat cells. Usually, the full process takes three hours to complete. To ensure you have no complications following surgery, you will need someone to drive you home from your appointment and to stay with you overnight.

When You Should Consider An Arm Lift

When You Are Neither Pregnant Nor Nursing

Our primary priorities are your well-being and health. As a result, we will never advise for a risky cosmetic operation or treatment during this period. The FDA has allowed arm lifts, but it does not yet approve the procedure to tighten loose skin in expectant or nursing mothers. 

As a result, we highly advise that you only think about this therapy if you are not breastfeeding or pregnant or you should wait until you have stopped breastfeeding. During your initial consultation, please let us know if you suspect you may be pregnant. The results of a pregnancy test will determine whether or not you should think about having this surgery done.

When You Are Done Having Children

We highly advise our clients to consider an arm lift procedure after they are done having children. You will reduce any risk to the baby and yourself if you undergo these kinds of procedures after pregnancy. The results will also be better and not be impacted by weight gain after pregnancy or birth.  

When You Don’t Consume Too Much Alcohol

When you can commit to not drinking alcohol for six weeks leading up to and following your surgery, that’s the ideal time to think about having this treatment done. This is due to a number of factors. The main effect of alcohol is to raise blood pressure. This implies that the typical effectiveness of oral, intravenous, and general anesthesia as well as local anesthesia is compromised.

Alcohol is also a purifying agent. This indicates that when you drink alcohol, your body is eliminating too much fluids and vital minerals. This does not prepare you for a quick and easy recovery following the surgery.

When You Don’t Consume Nicotine

It is recommended to think about this procedure while you are not using nicotine. You have to give up all nicotine use for the six weeks leading up to and including this surgery. Nicotine avoidance during this period increases the likelihood that your blood pressure will remain within a normal range both during and after the surgery.

After the surgery, we highly advise our patients who use nicotine to never take up a cigarette, cigar, or vaping device again. The reason why so many individuals are unable to give off smoking is because they “can’t” last the first 72 hours without nicotine. Nicotine also increases the sagging of skin on your upper arms.

When You’re Confident You Can Maintain Your Goal Weight

Any type of liposuction surgery should be done when you reach your ideal weight since they are not a way to lose extra fat. If you are considering an arm lift procedure you should be confident that you can achieve and maintain this healthy weight. Although we know that it may be difficult to lose weight if you have been struggling, imagine how you will feel after you have your ideal body and the skin will not be hanging from your arms anymore. 

When You Are Near Your Ideal Weight

Being at the ideal weight would be perfect but it can be difficult. However, we do not judge and we want our patients to be as comfortable as possible in our clinic. Because we want you to have the best results possible, we will look at your case carefully and advise the best course of action. This will only be possible if you are near your ideal weight. 

Ideally, you will be considered a good candidate for the arm lift procedure if you are no more than 4kg from your ideal weight. Overall you will be happier with the results and no excess skin will result if you are at a stable weight which is considered ideal for your body. The results will be immaculate and your body will look much better.

When You Have Realistic Expectations About The Preparation Process

If you are worried about extra skin and fat impacting your upper arms and you have reasonable expectations about the preparation process, you should think about having this surgery done. You need to take a few steps in order to get ready for the surgery and guarantee a quick and easy recovery. For example, you have to give up smoking and consuming alcohol.

To make sure the surgery and recovery go as well as possible, there are a few more things you need to do. During your initial appointment, we will give you a detailed checklist of everything you need to do to prepare for the surgery. It is very important to keep your expectations as realistic as possible and to not compare your results to others since everybody is unique. 

When You Have Realistic Expectations About The Procedure

As we mentioned before having realistic expectations about the procedure is very important. The procedure itself is not uncomfortable and it will not cause any pain since it will be done under the effect of general anesthesia or local, according to what your doctor advises. The first step of the procedure will be to sanitize the upper arm with an alcohol-based cleanser. 

After the area is all clear, the doctor will mark the places where the incisions will be done. Once this step is done then you will be ready for the procedure. Further on you will be under the effect of general or local anesthesia. In order to give your upper arms a more defined appearance, we can either remove extra fat or skin, tighten the skin that remains, or rearrange the underlying muscle and skin tissue.

When You Have Realistic Expectations About The Results

Besides being prepared and having reasonable expectations for the procedure you should also keep in mind to have the same thoughts about the results that this treatment offers. It is very important to not compare yourself to other people because each body type is different meaning the results will never be exactly the same. However, during the initial consultation, your surgeon will try to explain to you what the results will be. He will also measure the fat deposits and skin laxity, in order to be more precise. During this time you should ask any questions you might have and what you want to achieve. Our highly skilled staff will do the most to give you the best look and make your arms look amazing again. 

Sometimes an arm lift can be combined with procedures like liposuction and Brachioplasty. This technique will reduce the fat from your upper arms and will make them look skinnier and healthier. Once you discuss your goals with your surgeon they will decide if you need to have only an arm lift or combine it with one of the above-mentioned procedures. 

How To Prepare For This Procedure

Get And Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water is one of the most important things that you can do to be ready for this surgery or any type of surgery.  Tens of millions of individuals all over the world suffer from chronic dehydration and most likely you are also a part of this group. Being thirsty is not a reliable indicator of dehydration since you will notice it only when the problem has gone far.

Examine your pee to see if you are hydrated. You are hydrated if it is transparent or really pale. Aiming to drink 3 liters of water a day is something we highly recommend for our clients. If your frequent urination makes this too difficult for you, make sure you are getting at least half a gallon of water per day. This guarantees that you will consume the right amount of water and remain healthy. Once getting used to this, the recovery process will be much simpler. 

Prepare Your Recovery Room

We will provide you with prescriptions for painkillers and antibiotics prior to your surgery. It is highly recommended that our customers complete their prescriptions prior to their surgery. You should keep these medicines, lots of water, entertainment, blankets, and whatever else you need to feel comfortable in your recovery room once you get home.

Prepare Meals

We highly advise our patients to cook a few meals ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate them. This guarantees that during their recuperation, they won’t have to bother about preparing, cooking, or cleaning their kitchen. Post-operative meals should ideally revolve on foods high in protein and soluble fiber. These kinds of foods will keep you healthy and you will recover faster.

Prepare The Night Before Your Procedure

You should be well-hydrated, have your recuperation room ready, and be free of nicotine and alcohol by the evening before your treatment. Right now, getting ready for your treatment is the most crucial thing you can do. Prepare easy-to-wear, comfortable clothing for yourself for the day of surgery. we don’t advise you to wear tight clothes but rather comfortable loose ones.

Now that’s settled, unwind and get some rest. Try your hardest to get a full nine hours of sleep. Try to get to bed early enough so that you don’t have to set an alarm to wake you up. To relax, you could also like taking a bubble bath. Just avoid turning to alcohol or smoking.

Fasting

You have to fast for 12 hours prior to the treatment in order to be ready for the arm lift surgery. this means You can’t eat or drink anything. Try eating and drinking for the last time around 8 p.m. the night before the surgery to guarantee that your stomach is empty when they are administered anesthesia or sedation.