Plastic Surgery Trend: Upper Arm Lifts on the Rise
The plastic surgery procedure that saw the biggest uptick between the years 2000 and 2012 was the upper arm lift, according to a new report.
In 2012, more than 15,000 upper arm lifts were performed in the United States, up from 300 in 2000, according to the report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
While the exact reason for the increase is unknown, it may be related to people’s increasing success in weight loss efforts, said Dr. David Reath, a plastic surgeon in Knoxville, Tenn.
“When people are successful with weight loss — either through surgery, or with diet and exercise — they can end up with excess skin on their arms,” Reath said.
Reath said that among the patients who he has treated after major weight loss, the first surgery they typically want is a tummy tuck, to get rid of excess skin on the abdomen. “But then after that, the arms are the next thing.”