Arm lift (brachioplasty) in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece

An arm lift tightens the upper arm by removing excess skin, and often fat, from its inner side. The price of a firmer arm is a scar, which is why I recommend brachioplasty only when liposuction alone would not be enough to correct the problem.

Lax upper arms are common after the menopause and after major weight loss. Beyond appearance, the weight of the skin and the friction it causes increase sweating and make clothes harder to wear.

I do not treat every arm the same way. I distinguish four situations:

• excess fat with good skin, corrected with liposuction;
• mild laxity in the upper third of the arm, towards the armpit, corrected with a mini arm lift;
• marked laxity reaching the elbow, which needs a classic (long-incision) brachioplasty;
• severe laxity after major weight loss, extending below the armpit onto the side of the chest wall, which needs an extended brachioplasty.

When the laxity follows major weight loss, other areas are usually affected too; see my page on body contouring after massive weight loss.

An arm lift suits healthy adults with a stable weight and loose skin on the upper arms who accept a scar on the inner side of the arm in exchange for a firmer contour. If the skin is still elastic and the problem is mainly fat, liposuction without skin removal is usually the better choice.

Who is a typical candidate?

• People who have lost a lot of weight, through diet or after bariatric (weight-loss) surgery, and have hanging skin on the upper arms.
• Women after the menopause, with laxity that shows when the arm is stretched out.
• People with mild laxity in the upper part of the arm, towards the armpit, who are suited to a mini arm lift.
• People with heavy arms but good skin, because of weight, build or lipoedema (lipedema), who are suited to liposuction without skin removal.
• Anyone troubled by chafing, sweating or difficulty with clothes because of the excess skin.

When do I advise against it?

• When your weight has not yet stabilised; after bariatric surgery we wait for it to stay stable for at least 6 months.
• When liposuction alone is enough, because then the scar is not justified.
• In heavy smokers who cannot stop smoking.
• When you are not prepared to accept a scar on the inner side of the arm.
• When there is lymphoedema of the arm, or an uncontrolled medical condition that raises the risk of surgery.

At the consultation I examine your arms, judge how much skin and fat is in excess, and decide which technique fits. Before surgery you need blood tests and an anaesthetic assessment, and you must stop smoking 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after the operation. A first assessment can be done by video call.

What happens at the consultation?

I examine your arms both hanging down and stretched out, and assess how much skin and how much fat is in excess, where the laxity lies and whether it continues below the armpit towards the chest. The key decision is the assessment of the skin: if it is still elastic, liposuction gives a very good result and avoids a scar; if it is not, liposuction alone can make the sagging worse. We discuss the technique and the length and position of the scar, and you receive a written plan and quote. A first assessment can also be done remotely, with photographs and a video call.

What tests and instructions apply before surgery?

You need blood tests and an anaesthetic check; after major weight loss I also check your nutrition (protein and iron). Smoking impairs healing: stop 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery, otherwise I will not operate. Tell me if you take anticoagulants or antiplatelet medicines; stop them only with the agreement of the doctor who prescribed them. The date of surgery is set once your tests are complete and your weight is stable.

The technique depends on how lax the skin is: liposuction when the skin is good, a mini arm lift through an armpit incision for mild laxity, and an incision along the arm to the elbow for marked laxity. A classic arm lift is done under general anaesthesia; a mini arm lift can also be done under local.

The operation takes about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the technique. Before starting, I mark the incisions with your arms raised so that the scar will be as inconspicuous as possible; its length depends on how far the laxity extends.

Arm liposuction

When the problem is fat and the skin is still elastic, I perform targeted superficial liposuction through incisions a few millimetres long, without removing any skin. The skin usually needs 3 to 4 months to tighten. If the skin has been assessed correctly, the result is very good and a scar is avoided. For lipoedema of the arms, see my lipoedema page.

Mini arm lift (armpit incision)

For mild to moderate laxity in the upper third of the arm, the correction is made through a short incision in the armpit, with no incision along the arm. The scar is hidden mostly inside the armpit. I combine it with liposuction for a better contour. If the laxity reaches the elbow, this method is not enough.

Classic (long-incision) brachioplasty

When the laxity reaches the elbow, I remove the excess skin from the elbow to the armpit through an incision on the inner surface of the arm. If there is also excess fat, I combine liposuction in the same operation for a smooth contour.

Extended brachioplasty onto the side of the chest

After major weight loss, the laxity often continues below the armpit onto the side of the chest, towards the back and the breast, or below the elbow. The incision along the arm is then continued past the armpit, along the side of the chest wall. Where the incision crosses the armpit I design a Z-plasty, so that the scar does not contract into a straight line and the arm keeps its movement.

Incisions and stitches

In a classic arm lift the scar lies on the inner side of the arm, either in the groove between the biceps and the triceps or slightly further back, where it shows less with the arms down. I place it so that it is not visible with the arm held out horizontally. In a mini arm lift the scar is hidden in the armpit. The deep stitches are internal and dissolve; the skin stitches are removed at 5 to 7 days.

Combining procedures

After major weight loss, an arm lift can be combined with other body procedures, such as a breast lift, if the length of the operation and your health allow it.

Hospital stay

Usually no overnight stay is needed: you go home the same day with someone to accompany you, wearing a compression bolero. An extended brachioplasty, or a combination with other procedures, may need one night in hospital. You must not drive after a general anaesthetic.

Most people return to office work within 1 to 2 weeks and to the gym at 6 weeks. You wear a compression bolero for 3 weeks and avoid strenuous arm movements. Pain is usually mild and controlled with ordinary painkillers. The scar takes 8 to 10 months to mature.

When	How you feel	What you can do
Days 1–3	Mild pain, tightness and swelling in the arms	Ordinary painkillers; bolero worn at all times; gentle movement, without stretching or lifting the arms forcefully
Weeks 1–2	Swelling settles; after liposuction, within 10–15 days	Office work and everyday activities, without lifting weights
Week 3	Less swelling; the scar is still red	The bolero comes off; scar care begins with silicone, and laser where needed
Weeks 4–6	Almost normal movement	From week 6, gym, sport and swimming, gradually
Months 3–6	The contour improves; after liposuction the skin tightens until month 3–4	Normal activity
Months 8–12	The scar fades and matures	We review the final result together
After 1 year	The scar has settled	If needed, medical tattooing in your skin tone

Most arm lifts are day-case operations, so you usually leave hospital the same day; an extended brachioplasty or combined procedures may need one night. Plan to stay in Greece for 10 to 15 days so that I can check your arms and wounds before you fly home.

• Hospital: no overnight stay for arm liposuction, a mini or a classic arm lift; one night may be needed after an extended brachioplasty or combined procedures.
• Check-up before you fly: at the practice, the day before your flight.
• Flying home: from day 10; in the first weeks keep flights to 3 hours at most. You will still be wearing your bolero, which stays on for 3 weeks.
• Stitches: the skin stitches are removed at 5 to 7 days, at the practice.
• Follow-up: by video call at 10 days, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year.
• At home: arrange help for the first days, because you should avoid raising your arms or lifting. You cannot drive after a general anaesthetic. Plan 1 to 2 weeks off office work, and start scar care from week 3.

The shape of the arm improves gradually over 3 to 6 months as the swelling settles; after liposuction, the skin keeps tightening for 3 to 4 months. If your weight stays stable the result lasts, although the skin continues to age naturally.

After a classic arm lift, the reduction in volume is clear. Some patients find that they move more easily and sweat less. The scar is permanent: it improves with time but does not disappear. A further large change in weight can alter the shape of the arm again.

The most common problems involve healing and the scar, especially after major weight loss. More serious complications, such as a haematoma or infection, are rare. The table shows how common each one is and how I prevent or treat it; we discuss your own level of risk at the consultation.

Complication	How common	Prevention and treatment
Visible or widened scar	There is always a scar; widening is common	Careful planning, compression garment, scar care; after 1 year, scar revision or medical tattooing
Hypertrophic or keloid scar	Not uncommon	Injections of specific medicines and silicone dressings
Delayed healing or a small wound breakdown	Not uncommon, especially after major weight loss	Stopping smoking, limiting strenuous movement; local wound care until healed
Fluid collection (seroma)	Not uncommon	Bolero for 3 weeks; if it occurs, drained with a needle at the practice
Swelling of the upper arm and forearm	Common, temporary	Bolero and frequent movement of the fingers and elbow
Numbness on the inner forearm (superficial nerve)	Rare, usually temporary	Protecting the superficial nerve during surgery; feeling usually returns within months
Haematoma	Rare, in the first days	Reviewing medicines that affect clotting; if it occurs, it is drained
Infection	Rare	Antibiotics and local wound care
Asymmetry or residual laxity	Rare	Choosing the right technique; a small touch-up after at least 6 months

Smoking. Stop at least 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery. An arm lift removes a large area of skin, and smoking noticeably increases healing complications; I do not operate on heavy smokers unless they stop.

Blood thinners. Tell me if you take anticoagulants or antiplatelet medicines. They are only ever stopped in agreement with the doctor who prescribed them.

The cost depends mainly on the technique and on how far the laxity extends. I do not publish prices. You can be examined in person or send photographs for a first assessment by video call, and you receive a quote after the consultation. The main factors are:

• how far the laxity extends and how long the operation takes;
• the anaesthetic, general or local;
• combination with liposuction or other body procedures;
• the hospital, Interbalkan Medical Center or Athens Medical Center, and the special bolero.

+ ADD TO MY PLAN

Will my arm lift scars be visible?

There is always a scar, but I plan it to be as inconspicuous as possible. For the first few months it is red and more noticeable, like any scar. With proper scar care it improves considerably and reaches its final appearance in 8 to 10 months. It lies on the inner side of the arm and cannot be seen with the arm raised to shoulder height. In a mini arm lift it is hidden in the armpit. After about a year, medical tattooing in your skin tone can make it fade further. If a hypertrophic or keloid scar forms, it is treated with injections of specific medicines and silicone dressings.

Arm liposuction or arm lift: which do I need?

It depends on the quality of your skin. If the arm is heavy but the skin is still elastic, liposuction is enough: it leaves only small incisions a few millimetres long, and the skin tightens within 3 to 4 months. If the skin is already loose, liposuction alone can make things look worse, because it removes the volume that was filling the skin out. Skin then needs to be removed: a mini arm lift when the laxity is near the armpit, a classic arm lift when it reaches the elbow. I often combine the two. The decision is made at the examination, with your arms raised.

Can loose arm skin be tightened without surgery?

For mild skin laxity, yes, non-surgical methods such as microneedling and radiofrequency microneedling can give a worthwhile improvement. For small fat deposits, cryolipolysis reduces fat and radiofrequency helps to tighten the skin. At my practice we also use EMSculpt Neo, with applicators designed for the upper arms, which combines muscle toning with fat reduction. None of these replaces an arm lift when there is genuine excess skin; in that case the skin has to be removed surgically.

Is an arm lift painful?

Usually less than patients fear. After an arm lift there is no significant pain and no need for strong painkillers; ordinary painkillers are enough. In the first days you mainly feel tightness and heaviness in the arms, from the swelling and from the bolero you wear for 3 weeks. Discomfort increases if you stretch or lift your arms suddenly, so movement stays limited for the first few weeks. Recovery is even easier after a mini arm lift or arm liposuction.

When can I exercise after an arm lift?

Gym work, sport and swimming can start after about 6 weeks. Until then, avoid strenuous physical activity and stretching or lifting your arms too far, because tension on the incision can delay healing and widen the scar. Walking is allowed from the first days. Weight training for the arms and chest is resumed gradually, once I have approved it at your check-up. After arm liposuction you may be able to return a little sooner, depending on the swelling.

When can I fly home after an arm lift?

Most patients go home from hospital the same day, and the skin stitches are removed at 5 to 7 days, before you fly. You can usually fly from day 10, once I have checked your arms the day before your flight; in the first weeks keep flights to 3 hours at most. Wear your bolero during the flight, as it stays on for 3 weeks, and avoid lifting heavy bags into overhead lockers. If you had an extended brachioplasty or combined procedures, you may need one night in hospital and a slightly longer stay in Greece, towards 15 days.

Can my follow-up be done at home?

Yes, for most of it. After your check-up in Greece, follow-up continues by video call at 10 days, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year, and you can send photographs of your arms and scars whenever you have a concern. The skin stitches are removed at 5 to 7 days, before you leave Greece. Scar care with silicone starts at week 3 and can be done at home. If a problem such as a seroma needs to be examined or drained in person, we arrange it together: I do all follow-up checks myself, and nursing care at home can be arranged if needed.