As you begin to age, your body undergoes many different changes. One common change that tends to affect women more than men is the development of excess fat in the upper arm region at the same time as muscle tone begins to decline. This change, unfortunately, leads to the development of sagging underarm skin and what is not-so-affectionately termed “bat wings.” While there is no way to stop the aging process, there are some things you can do to keep your youthful appearance and help maintain toned upper arms.
Lifestyle Changes
In some cases, making simple lifestyle changes can help you maintain or restore a more youthful and toned appearance to your upper arms. You can often accomplish this through healthy eating, reducing body weight, and participating in regular strength training exercises that help to keep your upper arm muscles toned. Some common exercises that can help include triceps dips, overhead triceps extensions, and the bench press. In addition, regular cardiovascular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of excess fat.
Regular exercise, including weight lifting, and a healthy diet, can help reduce the risk of developing bat wings or, in some cases, help minimize their appearance.
Liposuction
Liposuction is often an option to remove bat wings caused by excess fat storage. However, in order to achieve the desired results, liposuction only works when your skin still has a lot of elasticity to bounce back. During liposuction, the surgeon removes the excess fat and helps offer improved tone to the upper arms. If your skin is also loose, liposuction will not provide the body contouring results you desire.
Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
When your bat wings are the result of excess fat and loose skin, a brachioplasty procedure, or an arm lift, is the best option to give your arms the youthful and firm appearance you are looking for. During an arm lift procedure, the surgeon removes excess fat and skin from the back of the upper arms, creating a much more slender, toned, and defined upper arm appearance, leaving you ready to show off those sleeveless dresses.
If you want to say goodbye to your bat wings, Dr. Drew Davis is here to help. To learn more about how liposuction or brachioplasty can help remove sagging underarm skin and fat and give you the toned and sculpted arms of your youth, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
