An arm lift (brachioplasty) removes the loose, hanging skin and excess fat from the upper arm that often remains after major weight loss or develops with age — the laxity many people call “bat wings”. It firms and reshapes the arm when skin has lost its elasticity and no amount of training will tighten it. The surgery we arrange in Istanbul is planned honestly, including a frank conversation about the scar it involves.
At the accredited partner hospitals we work with, brachioplasty is performed by board-certified plastic surgeons with full anaesthetic cover.
What an arm lift does
- Removes loose, excess skin along the upper arm
- Reduces fat in the area, often with liposuction
- Tightens and reshapes the arm for a firmer contour
It is most often chosen by patients after significant weight loss, where large amounts of skin remain. It is not a weight-loss procedure and works best at a stable weight.
Arm lift or liposuction — choosing honestly
| Your concern | The procedure that fits |
|---|---|
| Loose, hanging skin | Arm lift (brachioplasty) |
| Fat with good skin elasticity | Liposuction alone — no brachioplasty scar |
| Both | Arm lift with liposuction |
If your skin still bounces back and the issue is mainly fat, liposuction alone can reshape the arm without the arm-lift scar. A responsible surgeon will recommend that smaller option when it fits — we will not steer you to the larger operation.
The honest trade-off: the scar
An arm lift’s results come at the cost of a scar that usually runs along the inner arm, from the armpit toward the elbow, placed as discreetly as possible. It fades over 12–18 months but is permanent. This is the central decision in arm-lift surgery: for patients with significant loose skin, a firmer arm is well worth a scar most people never see — but you should choose knowing it is part of the result.
The procedure and recovery
The operation is performed under general anaesthesia in an accredited hospital and takes 1.5–3 hours. Excess skin is removed, fat reduced where needed, and the incision closed in layers with a compression sleeve fitted. Recovery is gentler than abdominal surgery: light activity resumes in 1–2 weeks, full exercise around 4–6 weeks, with the scar fading over a year or more.
Risks and side effects
Brachioplasty carries the usual surgical risks — bleeding, infection, delayed healing, temporary numbness — plus scar-related concerns such as widening, which a careful surgeon minimises with good technique and closure. A board-certified surgeon in an accredited hospital is the biggest factor in a clean result. The ISAPS and BAAPS publish independent guidance worth reading first.
Cost of an arm lift in Turkey
Brachioplasty in Istanbul starts at an indicative €2,800, varying with how much skin is removed and whether liposuction is combined. The figure is a starting range rather than a fixed quote; your firm price follows a surgeon’s review of your case. Compare indicative all-inclusive prices across every procedure in the plastic surgery cost guide.
Why Alpha Clinic
Alpha Clinic Turkey has coordinated aesthetic care in Istanbul since 2012, matching patients to board-certified partner surgeons in accredited hospitals, with a written plan you approve and structured aftercare. Send photos through the free consultation for an honest assessment, compare a tummy tuck or BBL, or see the full range on the plastic surgery hub.