Liposuction or an arm lift
Pinch the back of your upper arm with your arm held out. If it's mostly soft fat and the skin springs back, liposuction can slim it. If there's an apron of skin that swings, removing fat can make it hang more. That needs an arm lift (brachioplasty), which removes skin and leaves a scar along the inside of the arm. An arm lift is a bigger operation, from about €7,000.
Who it suits
Liposuction is probably not for you if:
- the skin on your upper arms is loose or crepey
- you are still losing or gaining weight, or your BMI is well above the healthy range
- the problem is loose, hanging skin rather than fat (that needs a skin-removal operation)
- you smoke and won't stop before surgery: smoking slows healing and raises the risk of blood clots
- you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy soon
- you hope it will change how you feel about your whole body, not one area
Recovery
You wear a compression sleeve or garment for several weeks. Most people go back to desk work within a week and to gentle exercise at three to four weeks. Avoid heavy lifting and upper-body training until your surgeon agrees, usually not before ten to twelve weeks.
Risks
Common in the weeks after any liposuction:
- bruising and swelling, which can last up to six months
- numbness, which usually settles in six to eight weeks
- small scars where the tube went in
- fluid leaking from the cuts for the first days
Less common, and the reason you want a specialist and a proper hospital or clinic:
- lumpy or uneven results, sometimes needing a second operation
- bleeding under the skin (a haematoma)
- numbness that lasts for months
- changes in skin colour over the treated area
- infection, or an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic
- a blood clot in a leg vein, which can travel to the lungs
- fluid on the lungs from the fluid injected during surgery
- damage to internal organs, which is very rare
Your surgeon should tell you how likely each one is for you, and what they do if it happens. See the full guide to liposuction risks and side effects.
Cost
Arm liposuction costs €2,500 to €4,500 in Ireland. Combined with another area, such as the back, it falls in the two-area range of €3,000 to €7,000.
Checking the surgeon
By law every doctor practising in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council, and a doctor can only practise independently as a specialist if they hold specialist registration. For liposuction, look for an entry in the Specialist Division under Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. You can search the register yourself on the Medical Council's website.
Questions people ask
Will arm lipo leave scars?
Small ones, a few millimetres, usually near the elbow and in the armpit. They fade over months.
Can arm lipo tighten loose skin?
Not much. Some techniques add a little tightening, but loose skin needs an arm lift.
How soon can I go to the gym?
Gentle exercise at three to four weeks, upper-body weights when your surgeon agrees, often around ten to twelve weeks.