Arm Sculpting        

Clients who wish to restore a youthful and sculpted look to their arms frequently request contouring procedures.  Often they are seeking to address changes associated with  senescence or profound weight changes.  In some cases, they are simply seeking improvements to areas that have not responded to exercise.

In most cases, arm contouring may be accomplished simply with liposuction.  I prefer to use Power Assisted Liposuction (PALS) for this purpose as I find this technique to be associated with less tissue trauma.  In order to improve contouring of the arm, negative spaces are strategically created.  In order to augment desirable features of the arms such as the deltoid, fat may be grafted at the same time.  The latter technique is an example of High Definition liposculpting.

I recommend performing liposuction of the arms with General Anesthesia.  Following treatment, compression garments are worn for 2-4 weeks.  As with all liposuction techniques, skin contracture does occur and results become apparent at 8-12 weeks.  The procedure is in an Accredited Surgical Center and clients are able to return to deskwork within 3-7 days.  As with all liposculpting procedures, bruising and swelling are possible but resolve within 5-7 days.

In cases of profound weight loss, I generally recommend a formal arm lift or Brachioplasty.  This is due to the presence of excess atrophic skin in the inner arm.  The excess skin in the tricep area of the arm distorts the naturally occurring and attractive ratio of 1:1.  The excess skin is removed to restore an attractive contour.

As with most body contouring procedures, the trade off between improved contouring is the acceptance of a surgical incision.  In cases of brachioplasty, The surgical incision is strategically placed on the inner arm and is not visible with the arms at the sides.  I generally debulk the arm with liposuction followed by removal of skin.  Recovery is similar to contouring of the arm with liposuction alone and I recommend the use of drains which are comfortably removed at the first follow-up visit.

One should consider contouring procedures of the arm for the following reasons:

• Loss of attractive contours of the arm
• Desire for a more athletic appearance to the arm
• Excess skin in the upper arm as a result of aging or weight loss

I find liposuction and brachioplasty to be associated with a high degree of client satisfaction. Complications, while possible, are rare.

To determine the best approach for arm contouring, kindly schedule a personal consultation at the Reddy Aesthetic Institute.