Will A Mini Arm Lift Tighten The Skin On My Arms?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Can a mini arm lift tighten loose skin on the front of the arms? I have neither lost or gained weight as I have weighted between 95 and 98 lbs for years and have worked with weights to try to keep toned arms. However, aging has caused loose skin on side and front of arms. One plastic surgeon said the surgery wouldn’t help the front area; another said I only needed a mini arm lift and it would work. What is your opinion?

A: While a formal arm lift is the most effective procedure for tightening the arms and reducing its circumferential size, many women who do not have extreme amounts of loose skin (usually due to weight loss) do not want the trade-off of a long inner arm scar just for skin tightening alone. The mini-arm lift is a smaller version of its longer cousin that can be done in two ways. The traditional mini arm lift is a crescent-shaped excision of skin in the armpit that only achieves some tightening in the inner aspect of the upper half of the arm. Another version of a mini arm lift takes out a small ellipse of skin in the central aspect of the inner arm, which more effectively provides some tightening in the front and outside of the upper arm.

I have seen many thin older women who have developed some overall skin looseness and wrinkling of their arms and elbows due to age. If you would look like any version of this form of arm skin looseness, I would not be optimistic that any mini arm lift type would provide an effective improvement for your concerns.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana