Arm lift/reduction gently removes excess skin and fat, refining the upper arm’s contour, helping you feel more ease, comfort, and elegance in sleeved or sleeveless wear.
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Your arm lift journey is guided from consultation to recovery, with each step focused on restoring smooth, balanced contours that feel natural to you.
From planning discreet incisions to seeing your final results, our surgeons ensure you feel informed, cared for and supported every step of the way.
Meet with your consultant surgeon to discuss your concerns and goals. We’ll examine skin quality and arm contour to confirm if an arm lift, liposuction, or both will give the best result.
Your surgeon will plan the incision placement and technique to remove excess skin and fat, prioritising smooth, natural contours and scars placed as discreetly as possible.
Under general anaesthetic, excess skin and fat are removed and the arm reshaped. You’ll usually go home the same day, wearing a supportive garment to aid recovery.
Follow-up appointments ensure smooth healing. As swelling subsides, your results become more defined, revealing slimmer, more balanced arms that look natural and feel comfortable.
At TPSG both men and women are offered the procedure. The procedure is most suitable for patients who have an excess of skin and fat that is hanging down below the arm when the arm is raised. This can interfere with wearing certain clothes and can become unsightly. It is not suitable for patients who have very general obesity and no excess skin. Brachioplasty is not suitable for patients who seek weight loss by means of surgery.
The purpose of this surgery is to create a more aesthetic contour to the upper arm. Some incisions can be extended to include the excess tissue in the axilla or armpit.
At TPSG all patients will be seen by the surgeon who is going to perform the procedure on them. A careful medical history and examination will be carried out. All concerns are discussed and an appropriate, achievable and safe brachioplasty procedure will be chosen.
There are many names associated with this operation namely short-scar’ or ‘mini’-brachioplasty, full Brachioplasty and extended brachioplasty. However, the procedure commonly involves liposuction to contour the arm and surgical removal of the excess skin and fat. The operation is carried out under general anaesthesia. Patients are marked pre-operatively to ensure the resulting scar will lie inside the arm to make it less visible. If liposuction is to be carried out this is performed first. Following this the actual Brachioplasty is performed removing the excess skin and fat. The scar is sutured with absorbable sutures and/or staples. A padded dressing is placed on the scar, and all patients are put in elasticated compression garments. On occasion drains may have to be inserted to collect the excess fluid.
Normally patients are discharged the same day. They are encouraged to mobilise after the operation, discomfort permitting. All patients wear a compression garment for 6 weeks after the operation to help minimise swelling and discomfort. Patients can expect to be off work and driving for 2-4 weeks, gentle sporting activity for 6 weeks and contact sports for 3 months. The benefits of brachioplasty should become evident fully by 3-6 months after the operation. The scars take anything up to 12-18 months to reach their final state and patients will be encouraged to start massaging the scars from 6 weeks post-operatively.
The benefits of body contouring procedures can last a life time. However, if the patient gains weight excessively for example, the shape of the arms can return to their pre-operative state. Therefore it is essential for patients to maintain their results by adopting normal diet and exercise.
There is a substantial amount of evidence that suggests a strong link between increased weight, smoking and hormone therapy/diabetes on increasing complications, particularly wound healing, infection and deep venous thromboembolism (DVT). Minor wound Infection and wound dehiscence are the most common complications, followed by bleeding and/or seroma formation and prominent or hypertrophic scars. At TPSG, utmost care and attention is paid to every detail of the surgical journey to ensure the risk of any complication is absolutely minimised.
The day of surgery, I felt very taken care of, and had no real fears and woke up with the body of my dreams. Thank you to everyone, I will continue to recommend you to anyone thinking of plastic surgery in the UK.
A brachioplasty significantly reduces loose skin and improves contour, but some laxity may remain depending on your skin quality. Your surgeon will set realistic expectations during your consultation.
Scars are usually placed along the inside of the upper arm, where they are less visible when your arms are at your sides. They fade over time, and we’ll guide you on scar care to achieve the best result.
Yes. Many patients choose to combine arm lift surgery with liposuction to remove stubborn fat and further refine the contour. This is discussed during your surgical planning.
