Last year, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons noted a major trend in the cosmetic procedures women were choosing to undergo. In the year 2000, there were only about 300 women who had arm lifts. By 2012, that number had risen to more than 15,000, an astonishing 4378% increase in just a dozen years!
Whenever there’s a development that noticeable, people are bound to look for a cause. Many have attributed American women’s newfound desire to reshape their upper arms to Michelle Obama, whose well-toned limbs have attracted a good deal of commentary in the media. Some people have questioned whether envy of Mrs. Obama is really responsible, and they have a point. A trend this big probably has many causes. But it’s hard to think that some women who get arm lifts aren’t trying to look a little bit more like the First Lady.
The purpose of an arm lift, also known as brachioplasty, is to get rid of fat deposits and saggy skin on the arms and to tighten up supportive tissue, leaving you looking leaner, stronger and younger. If you choose to have one, your surgeon, after administering an anesthetic, will make an incision along your upper arm. He or she will then remove the excess fat and tighten up the underlying tissue. Finally, the skin is made smoother so that it matches the new contours of your arm. The incision is then stitched up, and the changes,healthier-looking, more attractive arms are visible almost immediately.
