Arm Lift and Arm Lipo Recovery
Updated: 8 hours ago
You're done hiding your arms under cardigans. Whether you had arm lipo, an arm lift (brachioplasty), or both, you're now home with compression sleeves, sore arms, and maybe hands that look like puffy little gloves.
Hola, amiga (hi, friend), let's talk about what to expect.
Arm recovery: the quick answer
Arm lipo removes fat, and recovery is usually quicker: soreness, bruising, and swelling for a few weeks, with lumps and tightness that settle over a few months.
An arm lift removes extra skin, so you'll have a longer scar along your inner arm, usually from your elbow toward your armpit. Expect more tightness, especially when you lift your arms, and a longer healing time.
With either one, swelling often travels down into your hands and fingers. That's common, and it usually improves as you heal.
What's normal
Swelling in your arms, hands, and fingers
Tightness when you raise or straighten your arms
Bruising that travels down toward your elbows and wrists
Lumps and firm spots after lipo, as your tissue heals
Numbness or tingling along your inner arm
Poco a poco: little by little. Your arms keep changing for months.
What helps
Wear your compression sleeves as your surgeon says
Keep your arms raised on pillows when you rest
Open and close your hands often to help fluid move
Take off rings and bracelets before surgery
Don't lift heavy things or reach overhead until your surgeon clears you
Swelling and your armpits
Fluid from your arms drains toward the lymph nodes in your armpits, so that area does a lot of work right now.
What I tell my clients: I start by opening up your armpit and collarbone areas, then gently guide fluid out of your arms. Later, scar tissue release helps lumps and tight scars soften.
Here's your chisme for today: buy a few loose, button-front or zip-up tops before surgery. Créeme, believe me: pulling a shirt over your head with sore arms is no fun.
When to call your surgeon
Ojo, watch out: call your surgeon if an incision opens or drains thick or smelly fluid, if redness is spreading, if you have a fever, or if one arm suddenly gets much more swollen, painful, or tight than the other. Call 911 for chest pain or shortness of breath.
Want the full game plan?
My book walks you through recovery, from your first days home to your final results.
If you're in Sacramento and recovering from arm lipo or an arm lift, I'd love to help you heal.
Not local? Reach out to me for a private consult over Zoom (small fee).
I'm a Certified Massage Therapist (CAMTC No. 39170), not a doctor. This post is for education, not medical advice. Always follow your surgeon's instructions. If you think you're having an emergency, call 911. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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