Believe it or not, patients who come to see Dr. Paul Pin about undergoing the arm lift cosmetic surgical procedure have already completed the most difficult task of all. They have lost a sufficient amount of weight through exercise and a sensible diet. However, they still feel self-conscious about their appearance because the upper arms have noticeable excess skin. In addition, clothing may not fit properly due to the size and shape of the upper arms, or patients may only wear long sleeves to cover the upper arms.

An arm lift procedure is designed to tighten up loose skin and tissue following dramatic weight loss. In most cases, an incision will be made in the armpit and down the backside of the upper arm. The length of the upper arm incision will depend on the amount of excess skin that needs to be removed. Below are some of Dr. Pin's before and after cases of patients who have undergone the arm lift procedure.

Case 1 - The patient in Case 1 was particularly concerned about potential scarring from the arm lift procedure. If the majority of the loose skin is in the upper half of the upper arm, the procedure can be done with just an incision into the armpit. However, the more loose skin and tissue there is, the longer the scar will be. In this woman's case, the scar was placed in the back of her upper arm. She was satisfied with the results of her procedure, as well as the placement of the scars.

Case 2 - This case is particularly interesting because of the patient's age and her concern about the quality of her skin. These concerns are common among older patients. As the body ages, it loses collagen, which is a natural protein found in the body; it helps to fill out the skin over the skeletal structure. Collagen also gives the skin elasticity, or the ability to conform back to its original shape after being stretched out. In light of this, the patient's concern about the quality of her arm skin is completely understandable. She may have felt as though there would not be much change to the shape and size of her upper arms from the procedure. In spite of her concerns, she achieved good results from the arm lift procedure.

Case 3 - Similar to the patient in Case 1, the patient in Case 3 was concerned about scarring. She ended up with scars running down the length of the inside upper arm, to the elbow. Despite the scars, this patient felt that the dramatic improvement to the shape and contours of her upper arms more than made up for the long scars as a result of arm lift surgery.

Most potential arm lift patients are already committed to a wellness lifestyle. They exercise regularly, keep to a sensible low-fat diet, and reduce or eliminate overly processed food, fats, and sugars. A body contouring procedure, such as an arm lift, is simply the finishing touch to show off all the hard work they have done prior to surgery.