What’s the Recovery Like after Having an Arm Lift?

An arm lift is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin, fat, and tissue from the arm. It can deliver an amazing transformation for both men and women who want to improve their arm contour following weight loss or other changes. Here’s what you need to know about what to expect from your arm lift recovery.

What Arm Lift Recovery Is Like

Arm lift recovery is an ongoing process that typically lasts a few weeks. Your arm lift healing time depends on several factors, including the amount of arm skin removed and your overall health after surgery.

Some things to expect after an arm lift include:

• Swelling: Immediately following arm lift surgery, you will experience some swelling. This swelling can last a few weeks and is part of the arm lift healing process, but it may cause some discomfort while you wait for your arms to return to normal.
• Bruising: You might notice bruising in your arm area after having an arm lift procedure performed. In most cases, this bruising will disappear within two weeks after arm lift recovery.
• Discomfort: Some discomfort should be expected following surgery. Most arm pain will subside within a few weeks, but some arm pain can last for months or even years if it’s related to the presence of scar tissue, however, this has not been our experience.
• A tight feeling in your skin: After an arm lift, you might notice that your arm skin feels tight. This is caused by the scar tissue development in your arm area and could last for a few months.

The recovery process varies greatly depending on the person’s health before surgery, but there are many arm lift recovery tips you can follow in order to make your life easier after arm lift surgery. 

Arm Lift Recovery Tips

1) Make sure to take it easy during your first week of recovering. You should try not to do any strenuous activities like lifting heavy objects or doing exercises for at least three weeks post-surgery. This will give your body time to heal properly without risking any additional injuries.  

2) Avoid getting the arm area wet for one week. You should avoid washing your arm or any other body part in the arm area during this time and try to keep water away from it as much as possible until arm lift recovery is complete.

3)  Apply bandages as needed. You should apply arm bandages until your surgeon tells you it’s okay to stop using them, but they can also be used for extra support and pain relief during the early stages of arm lift recovery.

4) Stay hydrated. You should drink plenty of water and other fluids in order to stay hydrated after arm lift surgery. This will help your arm area heal faster as well as reduce the risk of infection or side effects like dehydration. 

For more information about arm lift recovery, schedule your consultation. Call the office at 208-344-4900 or reach out through our contact page.

Author: Dr. Jonathan Kramer

A board-certified plastic surgeon in Boise, Dr. Jonathan Kramer believes that plastic surgery goes well beyond what we see physically, and that it can bring profound life-changes. He earned his MD at Emory University and completed a two-year plastic surgery fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.