How common is it for someone to need an upper arm lift?

Not Often: Upper arm lift (aka brachioplasty) is an operation to remove excess upper arm skin. It works very well for people who have a lot of extra skin, like after extreme weight loss. For most people with just a little skin, the scars are not well hidden and can be quite noticeable.

After weight loss: It is a common procedure after massive weight loss, also a very good one.

Arm lift not common: Arm lifts are not a common procedure, but can be helpful in people that have lost massive weight. The scar is significant and minor wound problems and revisions are not uncommon. For most patients, liposuction is a reasonable alternative if the skin is good.

Depends.: Arm lifting surgery is not an infrequently requested procedure; patients who have undergone significant weight loss may be left with significant skin/adipose tissue of the upper arms, which may not be amendable to any other type of surgical or nonsurgical treatment modality. Careful planning of the operation is critical to allow for placement of the resulting scar in as “hidden” a place...