Liposuction of the arms can be performed to achieve two contouring goals. The first involves the removal of the unattractive arm fullness along the underarm that has been coined as the grandma wings. This is the fullness that grandchildren like to grasp at. The second involves etching of the upper arm muscles that will highlight a patient who works out regularly.
Eliminating the grandma wings
Liposuction of the grandma wings requires both removal of fat as well as the elimination of skin redundancy. Achieving these goals requires both liposuction and elimination of skin redundancy. Liposuction of the arms requires the use of a tumescent solution that is injected first into the fatty layers. Then we use hollow bore cannulas connected to suction machines to remove the fat by traversing through the fatty layers.
There are several technical details that are used to ensure that the arm contour is optimized following liposuction. One of the secrets involves avoiding over suctioning of the mid-arm that can result in a suboptimal contour characterized by the telephone handle deformity. Following the removal of the excess fat, any skin redundancy must be addressed. To optimally treat this redundancy, the redundancy must be gauged as minimal, moderate, or severe. Moderate to severe skin redundancy requires surgical excision of the skin redundancy. This incision is placed along the lowest part of the upper arm and will extend across the area of redundancy. The length of the incision can be limited to near the armpit or extend down to the elbow as needed.
For patients with minimal to moderate skin redundancy, a novel combination of energies using helium plasma and radiofrequency, called Renuvion J plasma, may be utilized. The benefit of this energy is that it will avoid a surgical incision line.
Etching of upper arm muscles
Etching of upper arm muscles requires high definition liposuction of the anterior and posterior deltoid. Utilizing ultrasound-assisted liposuction, the superficial fat can be removed from the gulleys that surround the medial deltoid muscle. These gulleys are the anterior and posterior deltoids and help define the biceps in the front and triceps in the back. This liposuction of the arms is performed in more athletic clients who are desiring refinement of upper arm contours. Clients interested in upper arm etching regularly lift weights in the gym but are not happy with the definition in the arms they have achieved.
Liposuction of the arms conclusion
In summary, liposuction of the arms is performed routinely and can achieve both a reduction in the underarm fullness or improvement in upper arm muscle definition. Underarm fullness can be eliminated using a combination of liposuction and skin reduction procedure using either Renuvion J plasma or excisional surgery. Increased upper arm muscle definition is achieved by etching gulleys located between the deltoids and biceps and triceps.