Beauty doesn’t stop at the face; it encompasses the whole body, right down to your toes. One of the most overlooked areas of a woman’s body is the arms.
You may be able to hide your flabby arms under layers of clothes in the winter but come summer time; you’re forced to reveal all. A well-toned arm is a part of the body that can be dramatically improved. Dr. Elie Levine is a Manhattan board certified plastic surgeon who lends a helping hand to achieve the goal of Michelle Obama-like arms.

What is the biggest aging concern patients complain about in regards to their arms?
Dr. Levine explains that, “Patients typically have two complaints: 1) the excess hanging skin and poor arm muscle definition makes many people self-conscious when wearing a tank top or sleeveless blouse, especially in the summer. This is compounded when someone has excess fat also.   Prolonged exposure to the sun over years will thin the skin, create fine wrinkles and add sun spots; even someone who takes great care of their health and diet will have arms that look considerably older than their real age if they develop many of these spots.”

Skin excess and poor arm definition has many causes.  Some of the causes are not preventable- your genetics for example and having baseline thin skin.  Some of the causes are preventable- significant weight shifts (gaining weight and then dieting often) and sun exposure will contribute to older looking arms.

 [So wear your sunscreen, girls!!!]

Why do we lose so much elasticity / gain weight in this specific area?

Dr. Levine explains that, “We lose elasticity as we age in general.  However, if you constantly gain weight and then diet and lose weight, over time you will lose even more collagen and decrease the arm elasticity.”

What are a few ways to treat this problem area?

Dr. Levine explains that, “If the concern is sunspots this is best treated with BBL/IPL photo facials that eliminate the pigment very effectively.  If the concern is skin laxity or fat then the treatment depends on the severity. If the issue is excess fat, liposuction works well.  If the problem is fat and mild to moderate skin laxity then liposuction and laser liposuction (Smart Lipo) is perfect.  If someone has severe excess skin (very common in massive weight loss patients) then an arm lift or brachioplasty is the solution.”

How can we age-proof our arms? Is there an anti-aging routine women should be following?

It is difficult to age-proof your arms but there are a few things that one can do.  Eat a healthy diet, moisturize and hydrate your arms, limit sun exposure and use sun block, exercise and tone your arms regularly, and try to maintain your weight.

What Can Women Do At Home?
Exercising and toning your arms will not only keep you healthy but will help your arms looking great. Dr. Levine shares that, “If you are unhappy with your arm appearance or don’t have the time to address them, then wearing fashion forward clothing that sits loosely can camouflage arm laxity.  Wearing tight fitting outfits will only accentuate the skin excess and make you look older.”

So what should you do now? Drop and give me twenty.