Brachioplasty—Arm Lift

The skin on the upper arm suffers from the same issues as the skin on the rest of the body. Weight loss, loss of collagen support, aging, and sun exposure can cause the skin to sag. Commonly called “bat wings”, patients find this skin really frustrating as the skin wiggles around and hangs down when the arm is raised. There are many different types of brachioplasty—or excision of the excess skin on the upper arm. The patient trades the excess skin for a scar that extends from the underarm to the elbow, although some scars will extend onto the lateral chest. Usually, this is between the back of the arm and the inner arm, so that it is less noticeable. This scar will eventually fade and turn white, but this process can take a year or more. The improved contour is a long-lasting solution to the problem of hanging arm skin.