MEDICAL SCHOOL
Duke University School of Medicine
Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
If weight loss, pregnancy, or time has left loose skin on your upper arms, an arm lift, also called brachioplasty, may be the answer. In my Ann Arbor, Michigan practice, its main job is removing loose skin, not weight loss or muscle tone. This page helps you decide whether a consultation is your next step.
A considered introduction
What is an arm lift?
Brachioplasty is simply the clinical name for an arm lift. It removes excess skin and some of the soft tissue beneath it along the upper arm, usually between the underarm and the elbow, so the remaining skin sits smoother against the arm.
An arm lift is not weight-loss surgery, and it does not build muscle tone. Loose, hanging skin is the main thing it treats, along with some of the fatty tissue beneath it when your anatomy calls for that. I also often add liposuction during an arm lift to further contour the arm when fat pockets or other irregularities call for it. If your concern is mostly fat with skin that still snaps back, that is a different problem, and at consultation we sort out which one is yours.
Honest guidance
Are you a good candidate?
YOUR CONSULTATION CONSIDERS
- If you are still losing weight, it is best to lose that weight before surgery, while maintaining good nutrition with plenty of protein, because further change can loosen the result.
- Diabetes and many other conditions do not automatically rule surgery out, but they add risk and must be well controlled. When needed, we partner with your primary care providers to decide whether elective surgery is right for you now. Tell me about prior breast or underarm lymph-node surgery, radiation, vein problems, or arm swelling, because those shape my plan.
- Some clients come in weighing breast surgery when their arms bother them more. Together we compare the two, their scars and recoveries, and decide which to treat first.
- Candidacy is individual, and I will be honest at consultation.
AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION
Good candidates are healthy adults with real skin laxity, a stable weight, realistic expectations about trading loose skin for a scar, and no nicotine in any form. I will not operate on anyone with nicotine in their system, because complication risk rises sharply in these patients. There is no fixed age cutoff, and age counts alongside your health, skin quality, and weight stability.
The most valuable consultation is one that leaves room for every outcome: proceeding, refining the plan, staging care, or deciding that waiting is right for you.
Why Choose Dr. Ambani
ABPS board-certified plastic surgeon with more than twenty years of experience
RESIDENCY
Plastic Surgery, University of Michigan Affiliated Hospitals
FELLOWSHIP
Microsurgical Reconstruction, University of Pittsburgh Affiliated Hospitals
BOARD CERTIFICATION
American Board of Plastic Surgery
EXPERIENCE
Attending surgeon since 2017
Supported at every stage
What recovery involves
01
Early healing
Recovery depends on how much skin is removed, so I map your plan first. Most patients wear a compression garment early on. Drains, if used, come out as needed based on your healing, often within a week or two.
Work & Driving: Desk work resumes in about 1 to 3 weeks. Strenuous activity waits at least two weeks. Drive only once you are off sedating medication and can steer, reach, and react without pain.
Your scars are permanent. Their length and position vary with the skin removed. Most soften and fade as they remodel over one to three years, though some do not.
02
Returning to routine
Plan for these:
Lifting & Exercise: Physical work, repetitive reaching, and resistance exercise return as milestones I clear, not fixed dates.
03
Long-term care
Help & Home: Arrange help for the first days while reaching and lifting are limited.
I review the risks before consent: bleeding, infection, fluid collection, slow or separated healing, unfavorable scarring, asymmetry, numbness or sensation changes, persistent pain, anesthesia problems, and possible revision. Rarely, deeper nerves, vessels, or lymphatics are injured. Swelling can reach the forearm or hand, so tell me if it persists, worsens, or looks uneven.
Clear, personalized planning
Cost & Self-Pay Philosophy
Shoshana Ambani Plastic Surgery is a cosmetic, self-pay practice, and we do not bill insurance for this care. Cost reflects the extent of skin removed, the length and complexity of the incision, anesthesia, the surgical facility, and whether the arm lift is combined with another procedure.
A price only helps if it matches your actual plan, so I do not post a single figure. We review an itemized estimate with you after consultation.
Thoughtful answers
Common Questions
If weight loss, pregnancy, or time has left loose skin on your upper arms, an arm lift, also called brachioplasty, may be the answer. In my Ann Arbor, Michigan practice, its main job is removing loose skin, not weight loss or muscle tone. This page helps you decide whether a consultation is your next step.
How much does an arm lift cost in Michigan?
It varies with your anatomy and the extent of surgery, so we share an itemized, self-pay estimate after your consultation.
Is an arm lift the same as brachioplasty?
Yes. Brachioplasty is the clinical term, and arm lift is the everyday name.
What is the best age for an arm lift?
There is no single best age. I weigh your health, skin quality, weight stability, and goals together with age at consultation.
Is an arm lift for loose skin or for fat?
It varies by person, but loose skin is the target. If your concern is mostly fat, that is a different conversation for your consultation.
Will an arm lift leave a visible scar?
Yes, every arm lift leaves a permanent scar, and accepting that trade is part of the decision. Most scars soften and fade as they remodel over one to three years, though some stay wide, raised, darker, or lighter, and we plan scar care together.
Should I consider an arm lift instead of a breast procedure?
Not necessarily instead, because arms and breasts are separate, equally valid concerns. If your arms bother you more, an arm lift is a reasonable first step, and we decide together.
Does Shoshana Ambani Plastic Surgery bill insurance for an arm lift?
No. The practice is completely cosmetic and self-pay, and you receive a personalized estimate after consultation.
Plan Your Care with Shoshana Ambani Plastic Surgery
Consultation-based, self-pay plastic surgery in Ann Arbor.