Modern women have learned to masterfully hide their age. Their arsenal is rich and varied - it contains makeup secrets, miraculous cosmetics, and skincare procedures. However, it is not without reason that they say that a lady’s true age is betrayed by her hands. The loose skin of the shoulder and forearm reveals the secret that time is merciless. Age-related changes are ruthless opponents, but medicine has given us weapons that allow us to fight them on equal terms. Surgery will help restore elasticity to your shoulders and correct the sagging shape of your arms.
Types of hand skin tightening
A plastic surgeon has several methods for tightening the skin of the hands . The specialist chooses one or another method of performing the operation, taking into account the anatomical features of the client and his wishes. Today there are 4 methods of arm lifting:
1. Liposuction
can be offered to patients with firm, elastic skin. Only in this case, removing fat will not lead to sagging tissue. Sometimes liposuction complements standard brachioplasty, allowing you to achieve a more beautiful result of the operation.
2. Small, transverse incision
When
tightening the skin of the arms , it is done when the problem area is located close to the armpit.
This method of surgery is optimal if there is sagging skin, similar to crepe, on the inside of the patient’s arm, near the armpit. And it is complemented by liposuction if there is a large amount of excess fatty tissue in this area. Using this technique for tightening the skin of the arms, you can tighten the stretched tissues of this area and hide the postoperative scar in the armpit.
3. Standard
arm lift
technique in cases where the area from the armpit to the elbow resembles a bat’s wing due to sagging, loose skin. When performing this technique, the surgeon excises excess tissue longitudinally, along the entire problem area.
4. Extended
arm lift is carried out according to the same scheme as a standard arm lift,
which is supplemented by a transverse incision in the armpit area. This operation can also be supplemented with liposuction and is performed with very significant excess skin, as a rule, in patients who have lost a lot of weight.
Reviews about hand skin tightening
“After a month and a half, I already felt like an inch. My hands seemed so thin, so smooth, these hated wings disappeared, which only makes me happy. The color of the seam became lighter. The rehabilitation procedures after brachioplasty, which were developed at the Abrielle clinic, probably helped. Now six months have passed since the operation. All post-operative difficulties have already been forgotten, and every day there are more and more joys - outfits, attitude, admiring one’s slimness and beauty.” Antonina, 48 years old and a friend reviews about tightening the skin of the hands.
Consultation with a doctor: how the appointment goes
During the first meeting, the doctor examines the patient, finds out his health complaints, and eliminates the risks of contraindications for surgery. The surgeon issues a referral for laboratory tests and consultation with related specialists (if necessary).
Based on the research, the optimal method of brachioplasty is selected, and the possibility of combining it with other cosmetic procedures is considered. Then the date of the operation is set, and recommendations are given on how to prepare for it.
Arm skin tightening: surgery
The operation to tighten the skin of the arms lasts about 2 – 3 hours and depends on the technique performed. Arm lifting
is performed only under general anesthesia.
Before the operation, the plastic surgeon must take photographs in standard positions: frontal, profile and half-profile with arms raised and lowered.
Then the surgeon determines how much skin needs to be excised, marks the locations of future incisions, preoperative markings are performed, and a final photo with markings is performed.
The length and direction of incisions in the armpits, elbows and arms depends on the lifting method chosen and the amount of excess skin that needs to be removed.
At the very beginning, a special solution with the addition of adrenaline and local anesthetic is injected into the preoperative marking area. This is necessary to facilitate detachment and reduce bleeding. If it is necessary to remove excess fat deposits to correct the contour of the arms, then liposuction of the back of the arms is performed as the first stage of the operation.
Then skin incisions are made with a scalpel along the marking lines.
The excised skin flap, together with the subcutaneous fatty tissue, is bluntly and sharply (using scissors) peeled off to the muscle fascia.
Guide sutures are placed with a non-absorbable thread on the subcutaneous fatty tissue, and then the postoperative wound is sutured in layers with 3 rows of threads. A non-absorbable 5/0 Prolene thread is applied intradermally. The sutures are removed on days 10–14.
At the end of the operation, fixing adhesive bandages are applied to the seam, which will remove the load from the skin edges of the wound, and a sterile bandage is applied on top. If there is increased bleeding, active drainages can be left in the wound, which will be removed after 1 to 2 days. Then compression garments are put on.
Indications for plastic surgery
- Low muscle tone in the shoulder area, decreased muscle volume.
- Deterioration in skin elasticity associated with age, decreased physical activity, or sudden weight loss.
- The formation of local fat deposits on the inner surface of the arms, accompanied by sagging skin.
Contraindications are standard: coagulation disorders, pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, diabetes mellitus and oncology. Surgery cannot be performed on persons with mental disorders, hormonal imbalances, dermatological problems in the area of incisions, and those under the age of 18 years.
Arm lifting: recovery period
The recovery period after hand skin tightening is accompanied by swelling, hematomas and moderate discomfort. The next day after the operation, the patient leaves the clinic. Hematomas disappear within 7–14 days, depending on the individual characteristics of the body, but edema syndrome can persist for 4–6 weeks. To speed up healing and subsidence of swelling, rehabilitation procedures are performed in our clinic from the first days after surgery.
After surgery arm lift
It is necessary to wear compression garments for 1 – 2 months. For the first 2 - 3 weeks, you should not lower your arms down - this will increase swelling and stress on the stitches. The sutures are removed on days 10–14. Then, for 2 months, postoperative scars must be covered with narrow adhesive stickers such as Steri-Strip.
ELOS rejuvenation
A special device provides dual radiofrequency and laser effects to the skin of the elbows. This method allows you not only to tighten and renew the skin, but also to cope with defects such as hyperpigmentation and stretch marks. In most cases, a pronounced effect can be achieved already in the first session.
Scars after arm skin tightening surgery
How postoperative scars will look at the end of the rehabilitation period depends on the condition of the patient’s skin and the extent of the surgical intervention. However, even those who have undergone a standard arm lift
after which the scars are most noticeable, people are satisfied with the appearance of their hands after the operation.
Liposuction involves making tiny incisions that are either barely noticeable or disappear completely after a certain period of time after surgery.
tightening the skin of the arms , small transverse incisions will be hidden in the armpit area. After a standard arm lift
The scars are located on the inside of the arms. At first they will be pink and dense, but after 6–8 months they will “ripen”, become soft and white, and hardly noticeable.
Modern plastic surgery gives women a unique chance to shed the guise of a bat in order to become a swan again - beautiful and graceful. Down with oversized sweaters. They will be replaced by seductive tops and open dresses, tight sweaters and T-shirts. Give your hands a second youth and yourself a good mood.
Laser resurfacing
Laser resurfacing works in two directions – restoration of normal tissues and removal of pathological ones. This is a highly effective method of medium and deep peeling. Under the influence of the laser, the cells heat up and evaporate. At the same time, the temperature effect on healthy tissue stimulates growth factors, which in turn accelerate the regeneration process. To achieve the desired result, it is necessary to carry out several procedures (the exact number is determined by the doctor).
Absorbable threads
Among absorbable sutures, products made from polydioxanone are widely in demand. Suture materials are coated with lactic acid. The substance is 100% compatible with the body and starts the processes of collagen and elastin restoration. In fact, natural rejuvenation occurs using the body’s own resources.
Although the threads dissolve within 9 months, new connective tissue remains in place after the sutures are removed. The resulting frame maintains the firmness and elasticity of soft tissues for up to 1.5 years. Then the procedure is repeated or a different type of thread is assigned.
Peelings
Acid peels will help rejuvenate and make the skin on the elbows smooth . Delicate exfoliation does not provoke an increase in hyperkeratosis, which is typical for mechanical methods (use of hard scrubs, files, scrapers, etc.), which some patients unknowingly practice at home. To achieve a pronounced result, peelings are carried out in a course of 6 to 12 procedures (the number of sessions depends on the thickness of the stratum corneum of the skin).
Combined threads
Patients in cosmetology clinics are in high demand for threads made of polypropylene, which is the basis of products and does not dissolve. Suture cones are made from lactic acid with glycolide. The elements dissolve in approximately 10 months.
Instead of cones, a large number of connective tissue capsules are formed under the skin. The technique allows you to implant new threads as the effect weakens. Aesthetic results from implantation of suture materials last up to 7 years. For this reason, the anti-aging technique is considered one of the most popular.
Plasmolifting
The plasma lifting method is based on the use of the patient’s own plasma. Blood in special tubes is placed in a centrifuge. With its help, platelet-rich plasma is isolated from the general material, which is injected into the problem area. Platelets release the “growth factors” necessary for the creation of new cells, as a result of which blood circulation and metabolism are normalized - the skin of the elbows becomes smooth and taut. The required number of procedures is determined by the doctor; as a rule, the course consists of 4 to 6 procedures, which are carried out every 2 weeks.
Contraindications and possible complications
Brachioplasty surgery has its contraindications. These include: diabetes, obesity, diseases of the cardiovascular system. The operation is also not performed if the patient has already undergone a mastectomy or surgery on the lymph nodes located in the axillary region. If we talk about complications, hematoma, seroma, infection are possible. However, the main disadvantage of classical brachioplasty is considered to be noticeable scars, which is why minimally invasive APTOS methods in the arm area are quite popular. Scars after classic brachioplasty fade after about six months to a year, but it is impossible to get rid of them completely. However, an increasing number of people every year decide to undergo brachioplasty, since the operation allows you to get rid of age-related aesthetic defects and return attractive shapes to your hands! In addition, many patients decide to undergo a facelift, liposuction, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) or plastic breast correction in parallel with brachioplasty.
