With warm weather fast approaching, it’s time to break out the guns. But for many of us, unwanted arm volume or sagging skin can prevent us from fully enjoying our time in the sun. Fortunately these days the answer doesn’t have to mean surgery and an unsightly scar, thanks to advances in liposuction and radiofrequency techniques that can slim and contour the arm for a dramatic effect that’s almost undetectable.
Houston, Texas plastic surgeon German Newall, MD knows that brachioplasty, which reshapes the back of the arm, isn’t that appealing to many patients. “Of course, there’s a place for every operation, but most people now who would be candidates for brachioplasty avoid doing it because of the unsightly scar,” explains Dr. Newall.
A brachioplasty or arm lift scar is usually placed along the arms, extending from the elbow to the armpit, or even farther into the armpit for more extensive procedures.
Instead, they choose more minimally invasive techniques to get the results they want.
In-arm: A minimally invasive option for arms
“Hand contouring is a very sought-after procedure,” says Dr. Newall. “And the alternative now to surgery is a combination of liposuction and some form of radiofrequency.”
When performing liposuction, Dr. Newall explains that he is able to do 360 degrees around the arm to reshape the area completely and evenly. By completely bypassing the circumference of the hand, it can achieve as much volume reduction as possible while maintaining a good aesthetic appearance.
“And it’s this radiofrequency, whether it’s BodyTite or Renuvion, that makes the transition between an unsightly scar and a smooth contour possible,” explains Dr. Newall. “While liposuction always works better on tighter skin, RF allows us to treat patients with more laxity because it produces a tightening effect that works beautifully.”
Radiofrequency can smooth scars by disrupting and destroying the abnormal collagen that forms around them. As it does this, it triggers the creation of new, healthy collagen, resulting in a smoother appearance that reduces the appearance of scars. This allows patients to not only remove bulk from their arms but also show them off without the significant scarring of a brachioplasty.
Before
After
With arms wide open: What can you expect from the results?
Liposuction is a one-time treatment and this is the perfect time to introduce radiofrequency treatments that work just under the skin to stimulate collagen production.
“We use radio frequencies on the outside and inside of the skin to start the tightening process instantly,” says Dr. Newall. “But this tightening process continues for a total of about seven months, so you can see your results continue to improve.”
Unlike many treatments, RF has no restrictions on skin tone types, making it a colorblind treatment.
Who makes a good candidate?
There are still those patients who can undergo liposuction without additional skin tightening, just as there will be patients with enough skin laxity that a brachioplasty would be necessary.
“For those who are in that gray area, those who are starting to form flaps that are not as extreme, those are candidates who do very well with liposuction and radiofrequency,” says Dr. Newall. “They usually have a little wiggle room, so when you move their arm, you see it move with this subtle delay.”
For patients with significant excess skin or pronounced bat wings, brachioplasty will likely be the recommended route of treatment.
But for those of us who fit the description of Dr. Newall for the “shaking room,” RF liposuction is a match made in heaven. A flawless combination that enhances results and minimizes scarring, this combination of modalities represents the path to minimally invasive procedures with maximized results.
