Arm lift in Paris 16 — brachioplasty

The skin of the inner arm is particularly thin and becomes lax with age. After significant weight loss it stretches further still. Only surgery can remove that excess skin.

What is a brachioplasty?

Brachioplasty reshapes the contour of the arm by combining two procedures: liposuction of the residual fat and removal of the surplus skin.

Why consider an arm lift?

Because you can no longer wear a short-sleeved T-shirt or a strappy dress without being bothered by the skin of your arms swinging with every movement.

Because after significant weight loss, stretch marks and excess skin persist despite the effort made.

How does the operation proceed?

The operation takes place under general anaesthesia and requires one to two nights in hospital.

Where is the scar?

Removing skin leaves a scar which may be situated in the armpit or extend along the whole inner surface of the arm, according to the amount of excess to be removed.

This is the point to weigh up before the operation: brachioplasty exchanges excess skin for a long scar, visible in short sleeves. That exchange must be chosen in full knowledge.

Why is stopping smoking decisive?

I insist on the need to stop smoking, at least four weeks before the operation and for several weeks afterwards, because the quality of healing is the major issue in this operation.

The inner arm is an area under permanent tension with a fine skin blood supply: that is precisely where tobacco does the most damage, with a markedly increased risk of wound breakdown.

What is the recovery like?

Recovery is not very painful, but everyday movements involving the arms are awkward for about ten days.

Significant swelling may persist for several weeks. The compression garment fitted in theatre must be kept on for four weeks.

How are lymphatic collections monitored after an arm lift?

Lymphatic collection is the risk specific to this procedure, and it is what follow-up watches first: it may need aspirating, which is done in consultation. Manual lymphatic drainage at home is often indicated and may begin on the second day. Nurses handle dressing changes, with appointments set before surgery. The surgeon sees you within seven days, then between day ten and day fourteen, before sutures are removed. See post-operative care.

When is the result final?

The final result can be judged between three and six months. The scar continues to mature well beyond that.

What are the risks?

Besides those linked to general anaesthesia: healing problems and wound breakdown — markedly increased by a history of smoking — as well as lymphatic collections, sometimes requiring aspiration. The other risks are set out in detail in the SoFCPRE leaflet.

Is the arm lift reimbursed?

Where it treats a sequela of significant weight loss, this surgery may be covered by French health insurance, after prior authorisation.

Last updated: August 2026 · Medical content reviewed by Dr Benjamin Pulvermacker, board-qualified plastic surgeon in Paris 16.

Who this operation suits — and who it does not

It suits patients whose inner arm carries loose, hanging skin, most often after significant weight loss — a situation in which reimbursement may be sought. It does not suit an excess that is purely fatty with firm skin (liposuction alone is then enough), nor patients still losing weight, nor anyone unwilling to accept a scar running along the inner arm. That is the central trade-off of this operation, and it must be made with open eyes.

Limits and specific risks

The vertical scar on the inner arm remains visible when the arm is raised, even once it has faded; its quality varies from one patient to another and cannot be guaranteed. Specific risks: widening of the scar, delayed healing, lymphocele, altered sensation of the inner arm, asymmetry. Compression garments are worn for a month and lifting is avoided for six weeks.