Arm lift procedures have increased more than 4,300 percent, thanks in part to women who want defined biceps like Michelle Obama, plastic surgeons said Monday.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) said the number of upper arm lift surgeries — which involve liposuction and reshaping of the lower part of the upper arm in a procedure known as “brachioplasty” — increased by 300 women. in the year 2000 to more than 15,000 in 2012.
“Women are paying more attention to their hands in general and are becoming more aware of treatment options for this area,” said ASPS President Dr. Gregory Evans. Press release.
The new statistics were reported on Plastic Surgery Statistical Report 2012 conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
One patient, 24-year-old Natalie Robinson of Knoxville, Tenn. said she was particularly inspired by Michelle Obama’s hands to change her lifestyle. The ASPS found that women wished their hands looked more like Michelle Obama’s, followed by Jennifer Aniston’s and Jessica Biel’s. Demi Moore and Kelly Ripa rounded out the top five celebrities they said they wanted to emulate.
After losing 170 pounds over three years, Robinson had gained more definition but also excess skin around her arms, she said. That’s when she decided to have plastic surgery.
“Every time I looked in the mirror it reminded me of a heavier person and I just couldn’t shake it,” Robinson said in a press release.
Arm lift procedures, however, are not for everyone. Brachioplasty can leave a visible scar from the elbow to the armpit. ASPS Public Education Committee Chair Dr. David Reath, who performed Robinsons brachioplasty, said she was a prime candidate because she had excess skin, but other women who simply want to tone up their arms may want to look into liposuction.
Reath emphasized that diet and exercise are an important part of looking healthy, but if patients can’t achieve the desired look on their own. surgery is an option.
Other interesting statistics cited in the report included a 5 percent increase in cosmetic procedures from 2011 to 2012, but a 2 percent decrease in cosmetic surgeries.
Still, 1.6 million cosmetic surgeries were performed in 2012. Breast augmentation was the top procedure with 286,000 people going under the knife, a 7 percent decrease from the previous year. Nose reshaping was about the same as last year, and eyelid procedures were up 4%.
The majority of the gains were in cosmetic minimally invasive procedures, which were up 6%. About 6.1 million women received botulinum toxin type A, better known as botox, up 8 percent from 2011. Another 2 million women received soft tissue fillers, up 5 percent from the year before. Rounding out the top three were 1.1 million women who had chemical peels, which was up 2 percent from 2011.
Michelle Castillo
