Scarring after Arm Lift Surgery

Excess fat along the upper arms can detract from a patient’s appearance, and leaves many self-conscious about wearing short sleeves, tank tops, or sleeveless attire. When loose, flabby skin is also a concern, the problem is compounded even further. Unfortunately, diet and exercise do not always tone and tighten the arms the way a person would like. When a person’s efforts aren’t producing the results they desire, it may be time to consider plastic surgery.

An arm lift sculpts the upper arms by eliminating excess skin. When treatment is complete, patients will have arms that appear thinner and more toned. However, many patients wonder if surgical scars will prevent them from fully enjoying the benefits of arm lift surgery. While arm lift scars are inevitable for our Darien, CT patients, experienced plastic surgeon David Passaretti uses advanced surgical techniques that minimize scarring so that patients can feel confident in their appearance.

Arm Lift Techniques

Dr. Passaretti understands that each patient has his or her own unique needs and desires, so he customizes each surgical procedure to best meet those needs. When it comes to an arm lift, patients have a few techniques to consider. The first option is for Dr. Passaretti to lift and sculpt the arms by removing excess tissues and skin, so that the skin of the upper arm can be tightened and redraped. If excess fat is a concern, but the upper arm skin remains tight, another option is for Dr. Passaretti to perform liposuction to remove stubborn fat deposits from the upper arm. Finally, Dr. Passaretti can combine the two techniques to eliminate excess skin and fat. Each of these techniques requires unique incisions, which will produce different scars.

Arm Lift Scars

Scars are an unavoidable side effect of any surgical procedure. However, Dr. Passaretti does his best to minimize scarring for patients so that they can fully enjoy the results of their cosmetic surgery procedure. Arm lift scars will vary based on which surgical technique is used.

Patients who opt to sculpt the arms using liposuction alone will have minimal scarring. Liposuction requires very small incisions that are just large enough for the cannula (a thin, hollow surgical tube) to pass through. Dr. Passaretti will make a series of these small incisions along the upper arm so that he can remove sufficient fat cells from the area. As these incisions heal, scars will fade and are likely to be hardly noticeable once the skin has healed completely.

When an arm lift involves the removal of excess tissues and skin, Dr. Passaretti will need to make larger incisions. Each arm will have one long incision that extends from the elbow to the armpit. The incision will be placed on the underside of the arm so that any resulting scars are hidden when the arms are down. Further, Dr. Passaretti uses extreme care when creating and closing incisions to ensure that the skin can heal properly. While scars may appear raised and bright red in color initially, they should fade significantly as the skin heals. Most patients find that these scars do not interfere with their ability to enjoy their newly sculpted arms.

Contact Us

If you are interested in toning and tightening your upper arms, an arm lift may be just what you’re looking for. Contact us at your earliest convenience to learn more about arm lift surgery at Dr. David Passaretti’s practice, and find out which technique may be best-suited to your unique needs and desires.