While diet and exercise may not always provide the tight, toned arms a person desires, an arm lift can help. An arm lift eliminates excess skin and fat to create slimmer, firmer upper arms. Dr. Greg Gaines is happy to discuss this procedure with his patients, as well as what patients can expect during arm lift recovery following treatment at his Gainesville, FL plastic surgery practice.
Arm Lift Side Effects
An arm lift is a surgical procedure, so patients should understand that they will experience side effects in the days and weeks following treatment. These side effects are only temporary and should begin to dissipate on their own within several days after surgery. Below are some of the most common side effects of arm lift surgery:
- Swelling: The point of arm lift surgery is to slim and tighten the arms, but before those effects are noticeable, the arms will look swollen. This is because swelling is the most common side effect of arm lift surgery. Fluid will build up around the surgical site, giving the upper arms a swollen appearance. Swelling is usually the worst around three to four days after surgery and begins to gradually improve after that. However, it can take a while for swelling to disappear completely. It often takes several weeks for the full results of surgery to be realized.
- Bruising: During arm lift surgery, the skin and muscles of the arms are manipulated. This can result in bruising. As with swelling, bruising will likely be most severe around three to four days after surgery. Bruises will gradually fade as the arms heal, and are usually gone within two weeks after treatment.
- Discomfort: There is some discomfort associated with arm lift surgery. Fortunately, most patients report that pain begins to decrease starting about 48 hours after surgery. Dr. Gaines will prescribe pain medication that can be used as directed to maintain patient comfort.
How Long Is Arm Lift Recovery?
It usually takes about six weeks for the body to fully recover from arm lift surgery and for the patient to be able to resume all activities, including exercise. However, the body will begin to feel better sooner than that. In general, most patients are up and walking around within the first week of recovery. By ten days after surgery the majority of patients can resume driving. Once a patients are able to drive and feel their energy return, they can return to work and other normal routines – most often around two weeks after surgery. From there, it is simply a matter of limiting strenuous activities, such as heavy lifting, to ensure the arms can heal properly. By six weeks after surgery, the full results of treatment should be noticeable.
Contact Us
If diet and exercise have failed to give you the body contours you desire, plastic surgery may be your best option. If you’d like to learn more about arm lift surgery or the many other body contouring procedures offered by Dr. Greg Gaines, contact us at your earliest convenience.