Nothing ruins a sexy party dress than not being able to show some skin because you have an excess of it. Imagine going to the beach all covered up because you feel conscious baring your arms, or spending the whole summer in long sleeves or cardigans just because your arms aren’t quite as tight as it once was.
Arm Lift, or Brachioplasty in Thailand is a surgical procedure to reshape the upper arm by removing surplus skin on the area that has lost its elasticity. Though arm lift is not as common as face or neck lift procedure, more women still find the need for this procedure but information are somewhat limited.
WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES FOR ARM LIFT PROCEDURE?
Though arms are not as visible as our face and can actually be hidden by wearing the right clothes, as women, we love to show some skin because it makes us feel more feminine. Unfortunately, in our younger years, we pay more attention to maintaining a smooth and youthful face, and we forget about other parts of our body. Though sagging of the arms is usually caused by excessive weight loss, there are also rare instances when the excess skin is caused by aging.
Arm Lift is a purely cosmetic surgical procedure so patients who would like to undergo this procedure should be of good health, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Patients should also understand and accept that there will be visible scars in exchange for the tighter skin. Our surgeon, Prof. Somyos Kunachak, will try his best to make the incision as aesthetically pleasing as possible but there will be no way the scar can be completely hidden.
HOW IS ARM LIFT SURGERY PERFORMED?
Arm Lift can be done in combination with liposuction for patients with fat deposit under the upper arm, if it’s just excess skin, then your surgeon will proceed with the lift immediately without liposuction. The incision will usually run from the underarm to under the elbows on the inner part of your upper arms. For those with less excess skin, the incision can be modified to be a little shorter.
A triangular incision will usually be made so the scar will look like capital letter “T”.
The surgery is usually done under general anesthesia and the procedure can take 2-4 hours depending on the amount of excess skin.
WHAT RESULT CAN YOU EXPECT?
Arm Lift surgery results in a tighter, shapelier arms. Though the procedure will not change the muscle tone of your upper arm, the tighter look will somehow give the impression of more tone.
As more and more women are doing this surgery lately, compared to the previous decade when society is not yet that open with cosmetic surgery, the result has greatly improved and the scarring is less, however, as we have been stressing out, there is a possibility of visible scarring. If you easily form keloids, think about the procedure well before deciding. If you form scars well (most Caucasian does), then the benefit of the surgery will outweigh the consequence.
HOW LONG IS THE RECOVERY PERIOD?
Patients who had undergone the surgery will be required to wear compression garments round the clock for about 2 weeks after surgery, this is done to speed up skin and tissue attachment and to support the incision site.
Patients who had done the procedure report of some discomfort around the area for the first few days. Some degree of pain can be expected but nothing that cannot be managed by oral pain medications. Arm extension may cause some discomfort along with a feeling of tightness which is normal for upto 3-4 months. Flexibility exercise is encouraged as tolerated to promote better blood circulation, thus faster wound healing on the area.
Lifting, swimming, and sport activities the makes use of arm strength should not be done until full arm function has been regained to avoid further injury.
Suture removal is done 7-10 days after surgery so patients are encouraged to stay in Bangkok during this period.
WHAT CAN WE OFFER?
Patients who had undergone arm lift surgery or any type of cosmetic surgery in our center are recommended to stay in our affiliate hotel Aphrodite Inn.
The hotel is located just beside our center right in the center of the buzzing city of Bangkok. Patients who stay in Aphrodite Inn enjoy their privacy by not having to go by the entrance of our center every time there is a follow up because the hotel has a connecting door to our center. With this, patients also get to see our surgeon, Prof. Somyos Kunachak every day, or one of our nurses anytime they have concerns regarding their recovery.
Room service is available for patients who don’t feel like going out and breakfast is complimentary everyday. Patients are also allowed to have one companion to stay with them, free of charge.
Transportation and tour packages are also available upon request.