| Women demand the right to bare arms |
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| Tuesday, 05 December 2006 | |
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There are two surgical techniques used to correct the problem of drooping arms; an armlift (brachioplasty) and liposuction, sometimes micro liposuction. The armlift procedure removes excess skin and fat along a line that runs along the inside of the upper arm from the armpit to just above the elbow. Unfortunately, this can leave a scar, although some surgeons use a curved or s-shaped incision in an attempt to disguise the scar afterwards. The problem of dropping arms is more common among women whose weight has fluctuated significantly, since the skin will have stretched and lost a degree of elasticity, that then becomes apparent when they reduce their weight. Women in this situation must decide if they wish to retain the drooping arms or have a more contoured upper arm with a slightly visible scar. For women with just a small amount of loose skin on the upper arm, micro liposuction may be suitable and will produce far less scarring than the full armlift procedure. Age is also a factor in whether women will benefit most from either liposuction or a full armlift. Younger women, with greater skin elasticity may benefit from just liposuction, whereas older women, whereas this procedure is less effective in older women, since liposuction alone will remove the fatty deposits on the upper arm, but leave loose skin folds, akin to a turkey wattle effect. However, recent developments in micro liposuction have enabled a combined procedure, called a transaxillary brachioplasty. This involves micro liposuction of the fatty deposits in the upper arm. Once this fat has been removed through the use of a small cannula, the surgeon pulls the excess skin up towards the shoulder, attempting to hid the scar within the patient's armpit. |
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