First came the full, perky breasts, then the sculpted abs and next the rounded buttocks. Now, joining the pack of beauty barometers – lean, toned arms. Women (and men) strive for firm and slender arms, with muscle tone. Veteran board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Richard J. Restifo outlines the modern arm lift procedure to restore contour when the gym and diet fail.
Unleash Your Inner Wonder Woman
There are plenty of female role models who through the years have demonstrated that shapely shoulders and visible biceps are attractive on a woman. We remember actress Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2, or more recently Israeli actress, Gal Gadot, who displays strong arms in her role as Wonder Woman. “Think about Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. I mean what’s not to like about arms like hers?” says Dr. Restifo.
Restifo says beauty has many standards and arms should certainly be included. “Culturally, I think we are fixated on the breasts, belly and the but as the major emblems of the beauty of the female body, but I think an aspect of female beauty that is underrated is the arms.” Arms are quickly gaining ground as a body part that women want to improve.
How To Get Great Arms
Weight loss and aging can take toll on the arms that even countless hours in the gym and dieting can’t fix. “That lean and toned look is the goal of many people on diet and exercise regimes, but if the issue is excess skin or skin that has lost its elasticity, then diet and exercise will have minimal effect on the appearance of the upper arms,” explains Restifo. He says the best ‘fix’ is a procedure called a brachioplasty that reshapes the arm by removing excess fat and hanging skin.
“This is where a brachioplasty, or upper arm tuck, comes into play,” he shares. “This is the only way to markedly tighten the skin of the upper arm.” He says the surgery can remove a substantial amount of skin and fat. “This can be a total reshaping of the upper arm.”
Is Brachioplasty Right For Me?
Heredity plays a big role in the appearance of the upper arms as you age. It may be out of your control whether you develop ‘bat wings’ when you get older, but you can take charge of what you do to minimize the look of sagging or drooping skin. Restifo says the arm lift procedure is often done along with other weight loss procedures. “The most common patient for a brachioplasty is a weight loss patient. It’s often done in conjunction with another surgery, like the breasts or abdomen,” says Restifo.
It’s a relatively short procedure – just over an hour, since it’s superficial – just removing skin and fat. A patient can expect a tighter, smoother appearance immediately. Restifo tells his patients to consider the one drawback – the need for an incision that will result in a scar. “The scar is designed to be on the inside of the arm, so under most circumstances it’s not visible,” he shares. “The results are dramatic, so the trade-off for the scar may be worth it.”