Arm Liposuction or Arm Lift Surgery: Which Procedure Is Right for You?

As a board-certified plastic surgeon and body contouring specialist, I’ve helped countless patients achieve sleeker, more toned arms, whether their primary concerns were excess skin, excess fat, or a combination of both. In this blog post, I will cover the differences between arm lift surgery and arm liposuction to help you decide which procedure is right for you.

Arm Lift vs. Liposuction: What Are the Differences?

Procedure Goals

Both surgeries create toned, defined arms, but their aims are different. An arm lift (or brachioplasty) removes loose, excess skin, whereas liposuction removes stubborn fat deposits. Some patients may be good candidates for combining procedures for enhanced contouring.

Candidacy

Arm lift patients typically have loose, hanging skin (bat wings) and poor skin elasticity. This is especially common after significant weight loss, as the stretched skin cannot retract to the patient’s slimmer contours. Good candidates should be looking to change the overall silhouette of their arms.

Arm liposuction patients, meanwhile, should have good skin elasticity and pinchable fat on their upper arms that hasn’t responded to diet and exercise. If you’re looking to reduce the volume of your arms by reducing fat and drawing attention to the muscles, arm liposuction is a good solution.

Incisions and Scarring

Arm lifts often require an extensive incision to remove the excess skin. In a typical brachioplasty, I may make an incision that stretches from the elbow to the armpit to create dramatic improvements. On the other hand, a mini arm lift hides the incision in the armpit and is appropriate for patients whose skin laxity is limited to the uppermost part of the arm.

Arm lipo, meanwhile, utilizes very short, discreet incisions. The procedure is less invasive, involving a thin cannula inserted under the skin to suction out fat. As a result, arm liposuction scars are hardly noticeable once they’ve healed fully. Learn more about the different liposuction techniques we offer in our related blog post.

Keep in mind that scars mature and improve over time, and there are ways to minimize their appearance. If you have concerns about scarring, I would be happy to discuss your surgical and postoperative options with you.

Recovery

Both procedures will require up to a week of downtime for most patients. You may need drains or compression garments; your plastic surgeon will guide you through the critical postoperative period. Be sure to adhere to all care instructions to ensure the best outcome.

Arm Lift Results

View the following arm lift before and after photos to see the transformations that are possible with a brachioplasty. You will see that both the circumference of the arm has been reduced and the vertical, sagging skin has been trimmed away for a natural-looking result.

Arm Liposuction Results

These arm liposuction before and after photos show how liposuction alone creates a slimmer, more defined arm. Our patients here had good skin elasticity and minimal sagging.

Arm Lift With Liposuction Results

This patient was a good candidate for a combined treatment. She was looking to tighten the skin and reduce the size of her arms. Adding liposuction to her brachioplasty helped her achieve the slimmer look she wanted.

Do Nonsurgical Treatments Work for Upper Arms?

There really isn’t an effective nonsurgical treatment for sagging arms. The upper arms are dynamic areas that change when the shoulder joints move. That makes it difficult for nonsurgical skin tightening procedures such as Ultherapy® to work.

If your skin isn’t saggy, the best noninvasive way to tone the upper arms is to build muscle and lose weight through diet and exercise. If you’re already doing that, then liposuction would most likely be the best option.

Get Sleek, Toned Arms

You can see the results of actual Stoker Plastic Surgery arm lift patients in our gallery of before and after photos. To discuss your options for arm contouring, please contact our office to schedule a consultation using the online form or call my plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles at (310) 300-1779.