Arm Reduction

Arm reduction is fast becoming one of the more popular cosmetic surgical procedures. The two main concerns patients have are bingo wings and wrinkly arm skin.

Bingo wings are the loose skin and fat folds at the back of the upper arms which will just not tighten up with any amount of exercise.

‘Bingo wings’ as seen here respond well to an arm reduction procedure. This does involve a long scar from armpit to elbow but the improvement was deemed to be well worthwhile for this patient

Wrinkly arm skin occurs in women with fine skin; as the skin loses its natural elasticity, the skin on the upper arms forms many fine wrinkles and looks really old. In order to disguise this appearance some women will no longer wear sleeveless or short sleeved clothes.

Arm reduction tightens the skin of the upper arm and reduces the appearance of fine wrinkles, improving confidence and allowing this patient to wear her favourite style of clothes once again

In both of these situations an upper arm reduction will remove the excess skin and tighten up the remaining skin producing a taut, more youthful appearance.

In order to fully remove the folds and tighten the remaining skin, a long scar is required (from the armpit to just above the elbow), but this is usually well hidden inside the upper arm. The operation can be done under either a local or general anaesthetic and takes about an hour and a half. There is usually no need for an overnight stay in hospital. Buried dissolvable stitches are used so there are no stitches to be removed. The wound usually heals by about 2 weeks, though it takes up to 6 months for the scar to become fully mature.