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While body confidence and being happy with all aspects of your appearance is a year-round aim, undoubtedly the summer months can bring an added focus to body shape. This is even more pertinent if you are not happy with certain parts of your body as holidays and warmer weather can exacerbate this and cause added concern.
In particular, one of the areas that can cause people distress is the upper arms, as I discussed in a previous blog on body contouring areas you can enhance. An excess of skin in this area, combined with a lack of muscle definition and perhaps excess fat, can result in what is often called a ‘bat wing’. Simply put, there is no real strength or shape here and the loose skin tends to just hang and flaps around with movement.
Both men and women can suffer from this condition and it can have a negative impact on self- esteem, affecting confidence in wearing sleeveless or short sleeved tops, for example.
These so-called ‘bat wings’ can occur for a number of reasons. Age can be a factor for both men and women; as we get older the skin and muscle can become weaker, soften and begin to droop.
An absence of muscle tone in this area due to a lack of exercise can cause the problem, and the condition is also very common in people who have undergone severe weight loss. This can persist even if they do a lot of exercise and lift weights. Excess skin has lost its elasticity and will never ‘snap back’ into place, no matter how much exercise you do. Once there is excess skin in an area, the only solution is to undergo surgery to remove it.
An arm lift – or brachioplasty surgery - can tackle these concerns and the appearance of ‘bat wings’ quite effectively. As with many other body contouring treatments, the procedure removes the loose skin, leaving the upper arm looking slimmer and more defined. In the case of a patient having undergone weight loss, it is important that they are at or are very close to their target weight and that their weight has remained stable for at least 12 months before surgery, to help make sure the results last.
During the procedure, incisions are usually made on the back or the inside of the arm. They may extend from the underarm area to above the elbow. The excess loose skin is removed and any unwanted fat can be removed via liposuction at the same time. There is some scarring after a procedure like this but it should fade over time and a good surgeon will endeavour to make it as discreet as possible.
It is important that the patient understands what sort of results are possible from this procedure (for example, there won’t be fantastic muscle definition if a person doesn’t have sufficient muscle definition in the first place!). Also, in some cases liposuction to remove excess fat may do the job quite adequately so a detailed consultation with your surgeon prior to any surgery is very important. It will ensure you get the best treatment possible for your particular concern.
If you are considering an arm lift or any other cosmetic surgery procedure, we can advise on the best options for you. Contact us to arrange a consultation.
Find out all you need to know about cosmetic procedures and the factors you need to consider in our free guide: Considerations Before Deciding on Cosmetic Surgery and Post-Treatment Care:
Download Mr. Chan's Guide to Cosmetic Surgery Considerations
While body confidence and being happy with all aspects of your appearance is a year-round aim, undoubtedly the summer months can bring an added focus to body shape. This is even more pertinent if you are not happy with certain parts of your body as holidays and warmer weather can exacerbate this and cause added concern.
In particular, one of the areas that can cause people distress is the upper arms, as I discussed in a previous blog on body contouring areas you can enhance. An excess of skin in this area, combined with a lack of muscle definition and perhaps excess fat, can result in what is often called a ‘bat wing’. Simply put, there is no real strength or shape here and the loose skin tends to just hang and flaps around with movement.
Both men and women can suffer from this condition and it can have a negative impact on self- esteem, affecting confidence in wearing sleeveless or short sleeved tops, for example.
These so-called ‘bat wings’ can occur for a number of reasons. Age can be a factor for both men and women; as we get older the skin and muscle can become weaker, soften and begin to droop.
An absence of muscle tone in this area due to a lack of exercise can cause the problem, and the condition is also very common in people who have undergone severe weight loss. This can persist even if they do a lot of exercise and lift weights. Excess skin has lost its elasticity and will never ‘snap back’ into place, no matter how much exercise you do. Once there is excess skin in an area, the only solution is to undergo surgery to remove it.
An arm lift – or brachioplasty surgery - can tackle these concerns and the appearance of ‘bat wings’ quite effectively. As with many other body contouring treatments, the procedure removes the loose skin, leaving the upper arm looking slimmer and more defined. In the case of a patient having undergone weight loss, it is important that they are at or are very close to their target weight and that their weight has remained stable for at least 12 months before surgery, to help make sure the results last.
During the procedure, incisions are usually made on the back or the inside of the arm. They may extend from the underarm area to above the elbow. The excess loose skin is removed and any unwanted fat can be removed via liposuction at the same time. There is some scarring after a procedure like this but it should fade over time and a good surgeon will endeavour to make it as discreet as possible.
It is important that the patient understands what sort of results are possible from this procedure (for example, there won’t be fantastic muscle definition if a person doesn’t have sufficient muscle definition in the first place!). Also, in some cases liposuction to remove excess fat may do the job quite adequately so a detailed consultation with your surgeon prior to any surgery is very important. It will ensure you get the best treatment possible for your particular concern.
If you are considering an arm lift or any other cosmetic surgery procedure, we can advise on the best options for you. Contact us to arrange a consultation.
Find out all you need to know about cosmetic procedures and the factors you need to consider in our free guide: Considerations Before Deciding on Cosmetic Surgery and Post-Treatment Care:
Download Mr. Chan's Guide to Cosmetic Surgery Considerations
