Making Your Arm Lift Last (And Look Good for a Long, Long Time!)
An arm lift, or brachioplasty, can be an excellent cosmetic option for those with sagging skin because of genetics, age or extreme weight loss. When performed by a skilled plastic surgeon, an arm lift can be safe, effective, and cosmetically appealing, lasting a long time. Before we get into how to maximize the results of surgery, it is important to understand and set proper expectations.
First, it will take several weeks after surgery for the swelling to go down. Remember that an arm lift is major surgery, and it is traumatic to the body. Second, it may take up to a year for the scars to fade, the skin to heal and settle and to get the full effect of the procedure. So be patient as you wait for the results of your surgery.
How to Make your Arm Lift Last Longer
The most important advice we can offer, to make your surgery a success and last as long as possible, is to follow your post-operative instructions carefully. You will need to wear a compression sleeve and follow directions on how to sleep, exercise and more for the first several months after surgery.
Improve your diet and exercise habits. This means drinking more water to stay hydrated while also consuming a balanced, healthful diet consisting of protein, unsaturated fats and complex carbohydrates. Avoid high sugar, high fat foods that make the skin visibly less healthy and speed the aging process.
You will have needed to quit smoking a few weeks before surgery and you should remain cigarette free afterwards as well. Smoking introduces harmful contaminants into the body as well as restricting blood flow, especially to the extremities, which can impede proper healing.
Don’t allow your weight to fluctuate significantly. Before considering a brachioplasty, we always suggest being at or near your goal weight. Adding weight can stretch skin and losing lots of weight can make the skin saggy again. Maintaining your normal weight over the long term also improves the chances of a long-lasting arm lift.
Build and maintain some muscle tone. We’re not saying become a bodybuilder but adding a little bit of muscle tone also tightens up the skin around those muscles. Exercise and strength training is great for your metabolism and a host of potential medical issues. Of course, overdoing it by building too much muscle and then letting it subside can also stretch and ultimately create sagging skin.
Once you’ve had a brachioplasty with Dr. Szymanski, we encourage you to have an open and honest dialogue with her about your lifestyle habits and how we can optimize them for ideal long-term maintenance of the results. We look forward to working with you to make your arms look the way you’ve always wanted them.
To learn more, schedule a consultation with Dr. S.
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