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Celebrity Arms™ in Tampa, FL

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What Is Celebrity Arms Liposuction?

Arm lift liposuction, or Celebrity Arms, is a revolutionary new procedure. Dr. Thomas Su has developed this technique of sculpting the arms like no other doctor did before. All surgeons are taught to sculpt only the arm's lower hang or “bat wing” area when they first start doing liposuction. They are warned not to sculpt up on the sides or top of the arm and shoulder because of the extreme difficulty of these areas. It is because of the highly fibrous nature of these areas that it is hard to sculpt smoothly and evenly. Unless it is done well, there can be lumpy and bumpy results that are easily seen.

Dr. Su has, over his career, perfected liposuction sculpting through his own methods that allow him to not only sculpt the lower hang of the arm but to include all surfaces of the arm and shoulder in a 360-degree fashion. This full sculpting of the arm produces a much slimmer arm than doing just the lower hang, which is about one-third of the arm fat. His method allows him to sculpt smoothly and beautifully and to remove the fat extremely completely, giving rise to some amazing added benefits.

High-definition toning of the arms is the first thing that patients notice and are delighted by when they have arm lift liposuction. In fact, this is one of the beauty features that celebrities, like Angelina Jolie, Kelly Ripa, and Michelle Obama, are noted for. Dr. Su’s groundbreaking new book Celebrity Arms in a Day is the first book of its kind to show women how they too can achieve a look that is almost impossible to create just by diet and weight loss alone.

When you look at Dr. Su’s results, you will see that his patients have nicely defined and toned muscles with beautiful contours of the shoulders, biceps, and triceps that are not overdone. This type of high definition of the arm muscles is not possible by any traditional liposuction of the arms or through arm lift/brachioplasty surgery.

Arm lift results are also possible with liposuction alone without the cutting. Because of the complete nature of Dr. Su’s sculpting and fat removal, significant skin retraction and tightening occur. The skin tightening can be dramatic and is not seen in liposuction results of most less complete surgeons. Even lasers and new technologies can’t produce the tightening you see in Dr. Su’s work. Most patients with a moderate hang or looseness of the arm fat will see a complete skin tightening. Therefore, many patients who have been told that a traditional arm lift is the only way to get rid of the hang now have an option. However, those with severe hangs or looseness may see some wrinkles or looseness and may be better candidates for the traditional arm lift.

Why Work Out Routines for Arms Rarely Works

Patients often share the same story of how they have been working out their arms for years without getting rid of their hang. They also tell us that they know they have strong muscles but wonder why they can’t develop any definition. Most of these patients feel hopeless that they will never be able to have beautiful arms. The problem with working out is that it does not get rid of any of the arm fat or does so very slightly. Women, compared to men, carry a significant amount of fat on the surface of their arms. In men, this fat layer is very thin; therefore, the muscles are easily seen. On women, this fat layer is often ½ to ¾ in thick, which is enough to hide any muscle contours that women may have. Until this fat is removed, a woman will never be able to achieve sexy contoured arms. When Dr. Su performs a skilled removal of the fat in your arms, there may be only 1 – 2 mm of fat remaining, which will follow the contours of your muscles accurately. This is unlike the general debulking that most liposuction surgeons perform. You will see your sexy toned arm immediately, and the results will be very lasting.

Lumps, Bumps, and Liposuction for Arms

Technology has moved in leaps and bounds. There have been new techniques devised and medical equipment invented that have increased public interest in body contouring. Of all those procedures, arguably, liposuction is the world’s most popular. The latest lipo techniques allow surgeons to remove excess fat more safely and effectively than ever before. One area in which the newest techniques have proven to be especially helpful is in liposuction for arms.

At one time, treating the upper arms was difficult using liposuction. Removing the fat evenly from this area was challenging. It was hard to get a good result that was smooth and taut. Many surgeons would take too conservative an approach or refuse to treat the arms at all. Now, there are new techniques that allow effective treatment in this area. Yet, not all cosmetic surgeons know how to use them. This can lead to some dissatisfaction among their patients.

Some people who’ve had arm lipo report seeing no change after the procedure. Others see lumps, bumps, and other irregularities in the treated area. So, what should you know about dimpling after liposuction? Here, we take a closer look.

What Can I Expect After Arm Lipo?

Liposuction may be less invasive when compared with other procedures, but it still requires a recovery period. Usually, you’ll need about a week of recovery time after your surgery.

Within the first day of your procedure, you’ll probably experience the discharge of fluid from your incisions. Don’t worry as this is normal. Over the next few days, bruising and swelling will almost certainly appear. You must wear your compression garment all the time for two weeks. You will, then, need to wear it as advised for a few more weeks.

During your recovery period, you’ll need to stay well-hydrated and rested. You may have pain medications to take. You must walk around every couple of hours, though, to prevent blood clots. You’ll receive a follow-up appointment that you must attend.

You’ll usually be able to go back to work around a week after your procedure. However, you will still need to avoid intensive activity and any heavy lifting. You should also avoid exposing the treated area to sunlight. This could damage your skin’s collagen and elasticity and could spoil the outcome of your procedure.

What About A Bumpy Appearance?

After the first few days, you may start to notice lumps and bumps on the treated area. This isn’t uncommon. In fact, skin irregularities can occur for a couple of weeks after your procedure. They could even last for several months. You’ll be more prone to post-lipo bumps if you’re older or have poor skin elasticity. If your skin has stretch marks, post-lipo irregularities are also more common.

The most commonly seen cause of bumps and lumps following lipo is fluid that has accumulated underneath the skin. This causes inflammation or swelling. During the lipo procedure, the cannula makes tunnels under your skin. The spaces are hollow and will fill with bodily fluids. The result is irregular swelling that makes the skin’s surface look bumpy. Eventually, those tunnels collapse when you use your compression garment as instructed.

Another cause of bumpiness could be a localized hematoma. This is blood accumulating under your skin. It can take as long as a year to get better. Some residual fat remaining after your procedure could look bumpy, too. These bumps will be small and will eventually settle. Of course, if your surgeon lacks the necessary skill to perform arm liposuction properly, the chance of dimpling is higher.

Can You Treat Lumps After Lipo?

Most lumps and bumps won’t last for long. Most will resolve themselves over time. However, if yours don’t, some treatments could prove helpful. Massage, ultrasound therapy, radiofrequency therapy, or laser skin tightening are all possibilities.

If you still have lumps after three to four months, there could be a more serious problem. You may have fat necrosis. This will sometimes get better on its own. Other times, treatment may be necessary. Surgical removal or needle aspiration may be necessary.

You may even need to have more liposuction to even out the final result of your treatment. A skilled surgeon can help you with this. Here at Artistic Lipo and Plastic Surgery, we have experience in correcting liposuction that has gone wrong. Dr. Su is an extremely talented and highly experienced cosmetic surgeon with expertise in the field of liposuction. You can be confident he can improve the lumps and bumps you’re experiencing.

Perhaps you’ve already had arm lipo and are unhappy with the result. Or, perhaps, you’re seeking the best surgeon for liposuction for arms so you can be sure of an excellent outcome. Either way, Dr. Su and the Artlipo team are on hand to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you to improve the appearance of your arms.

I had my cankles and knee complex done about 2 months ago. My legs are looking beautiful! Dr. Su and the team was awesome! Thank you so much!

D.T. Google

excellent and super professionals

A.P. Google

The result is looking amazing so far even though it's been just 3 weeks - The whole process from consultation to day of procedure was amazing. Tara was amazing. Very caring and personable. Dr Su is one in a million. His expertise is beyond comprehension. I was well taken care of to say the least. I had the Cankles and knee complex procedure. The result is looking amazing so far even though its been just 3 weeks. I would recommend Dr Su and Artlipo for your Lipedema and cosmetic needs/issues.

J. RealSelf

6 weeks out and I am loving my new contoured arms - I got my celebrity arms done back in May with Dr. Su and I am now at the 6 week PO period and I have nothing but positive things to say about my overall experience with Dr. Su and ArtLipo. My only regret is not getting this done sooner, as I have been contemplating this procedure for a few years now! I have always been very unhappy with my arms and its been my biggest insecurity for as long as I can remember, but now I am so excited to show them off and I'm in the process of buying tank tops and sleeveless dresses for the first time ever!! I always dreaded the summer, because I would have to swear cover ups and long sleeve shirts and jackets to hide my arms from my friends and family and I cannot thank this team enough for changing that for me. Their patient coordinator and staff were all wonderful and it was very easy to reach out at any time and immediately get answers to any of my questions or concerns. I was from out of state so I flew in the night before my procedure and stayed at an Airbnb close to their location. Dr. Su was great, and very efficient at what he does, I believe the entire procedure took around 2 hours or so and I had celebrity arm lipo as well as my armpit and upper back/ axilla area added on. I will say, the procedure itself is very uncomfortable, not painful, but just a very weird feeling that isn't pleasant. The only time I felt any pain was during the initial lido injections but that only lasted a second and then the area would go numb, during the procedure you can feel pressure and you can feel the cannula moving around a bit which again is just a very weird and uncomfortable feeling but totally tolerable and not painful at all, for the results I got I would do this again in a heartbeat. Once we were finished we did the Renuvion skin tightening which took only a few minutes and that was it! The nurse helped me get my compressions on and she got me some snacks and I rested for a bit before I called my uber back home. That first night wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, it's just uncomfortable moving your arms but again, no significant pain. Just have some food prepped, drink lots of fluids, and get a Netflix show going and you'll be fine. The next day I went back for my follow up, and at this point they took off my compression to see how things were healing and OMG I had literal tears of joy I couldn't believe what my arms looked like I was so over the moon happy with my results!!! When I sent a picture to my friends and family they were all blown away with how toned and great my arms looked. My incisions were already closing and starting to heal at this point and they gave me a clean compression to put on. I flew home the following morning and was able to drive myself home from the airport. I only took the prescription pain meds for the first few days and then was fine with just using Tylenol as needed. I returned to work the same week. Now 6 weeks out, my swelling has subsided and I am loving my new contoured arms. I am using silicone scar tape on my incision sites and I can already tell they're starting to fade. For anyone who is on the fence, my experience was wonderful and I am so happy with my results. My arms are so even and smooth and toned, no bumpy skin, no indentations or any abnormal looking areas. My arms are finally proportionate to my body and it's all due to Dr. Sue and his team!

A. RealSelf

Dr. Su gave me my dream legs!

P.F. Google

5

Total Reviews

5

Average Rating

How Is Arm Lift Liposuction Surgery Done?

Awake tumescent liposuction is the general method that Dr. Su uses at Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery in Tampa, FL. Instead of putting a patient to sleep with general anesthesia, a patient is given local anesthetic only in the fat layer of the arm through tiny incisions. This type of liposuction has been done for over 30 years and currently accounts for about half of the cases being done today.

The benefits of awake vs. general anesthesia are many. However, the most important is that it is much safer because it avoids dangers seen only in general anesthesia. Blood pressure fluctuations, cardiac risk, risk of blood clots, and nerve injury are all concerns seen with general anesthesia but not with local anesthesia. Another benefit of awake liposuction is that smaller instruments are used, resulting in less bruising and trauma and quicker healing.

We do not rely on technology to create our artistic results. Dr. Su does not believe that technology can produce beautiful results; only humans can do that.

When Dr. Su does your arm lift liposuction, it will be done with a simple liposuction cannula, which is the same as all doctors use. What is different is the skills and techniques that he brings to the table. When Michaelangelo sculpted his masterpieces, such as the Statue of David, he did not use technically advanced tools. He used only his eyes, skilled hands, and very simple sculpting tools. The same approach is used with liposuction, which sculpts fat. The liposuction cannula, a long thin tube with holes, is no different than an internal file that breaks fat away like an internal chisel. Dr. Su is a master of sculpting the fat like Michaelangelo sculpted marble.

Before-and-After Celebrity Arms Liposuction Photos

At Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery, we believe that beautiful results are what our surgery is all about, and we are proud to show our work. We invite you to browse through an extensive amount of before-and-after photos that are taken where you can see enough of the body in relation to see what the difference is. Our photos are clear and untouched except to blur tattoos and fresh blood on photos taken immediately after surgery. Our gallery only includes work performed by Dr. Su.

 

Dr. Su’s Interactive Liposuction Is Key to Arm Lift Liposuction

In addition to creating the revolutionary techniques of arm lift liposuction, Dr. Su also created the interactive lipo method. This is the general method by which he does all his liposuction cases, regardless of the body area. The Interactive Lipo method requires a patient to be awake and participating during the surgery to give the surgeon the most control and feel while sculpting fat. Fat is the most difficult type of material to sculpt due to its soft, fibrous, and mobile nature. Can you imagine something that wants to bunch up and change shape as you try to move through it smoothly? When a patient tenses their muscle, the fat is much easier to control and feel. The muscle surface and contour below are also felt very well, compared to general anesthesia where it is soft and barely discernable from the fat.

Arm lift liposuction is completely dependent on the Interactive Lipo method and is the reason why Dr. Su can perform something that no other doctors have been able to do in the past. Sure, some doctors have tried doing liposuction in a 360-degree fashion around the arm. But most of these resulted in cases where the surface was not very smooth, which is why “experts” have warned against this for many years. Another major difference between the Celebrity Arms and what other doctors may have attempted is that Celebrity Arms sculpting results in a very toned appearance of the muscles because of the high-definition accuracy that it is done with.

Arm lift lipo is perhaps the area of the body where Dr. Su’s Interactive Lipo becomes the most important. When a patient has their arms sculpted by Dr. Su, they are lying on their side awake with their hands clenched or holding the edge of the table. The arm may be bent or held straight, depending on the angle needed. While the sculpting is being done, the patient holds their arm in many different angles and positions and then locks it there, acting like a vise to give Dr. Su a firm surface to work on. The patient is also asked to tense their arm muscles at times to allow Dr. Su to sculpt closely and accurately to the surface of the muscles in a way that other surgeons cannot do when their patient is asleep. This is all done with numb areas so that the patient is very comfortable.

Am I A Good Candidate for Arm Lift Liposuction?

Women with smaller fit arms but lacking definition – We have achieved very good results in creating definition in women who are already toned but want more muscle distinction.

Women with medium-sized arms with moderate fat and lacking muscle contours – Our ideal patient is someone who has strong muscles but has up to ½ inch of fat in the lower portion and on the sides, which makes the arm look featureless or a little bulging. This type of patient often ends up with significant slimming and a fantastic improvement in the shape and contours of the muscles. This type ends up looking like she spent months in the gym.

Women with large arms with thick fat and moderate hang – Many of our patients with a moderate hang have been told by general plastic surgeons that the only way to address this hang is to do an arm lift/brachioplasty. Although this would get rid of the hang, these patients would still have a large amount of fat on the sides of the arm, preventing any muscle contours from showing. This type of patient is often ideal to have arm lift lipo to achieve that skin tightening and some muscle contouring.

Women with arms that have mostly hang but no significant thickness of fat – Although some women in this category can have arm lift liposuction, many will need a traditional arm lift.

What Can I Expect After Arm Lift Liposuction?

Recovery from arm lift liposuction is relatively fast compared to other body areas. The swelling can be minimal in the arm, and the results are apparent even two weeks out. There will be soreness at its worse for a few days, then lighter soreness for several weeks. A patient can, however, do most of their light activities even from day one. We recommend a few weeks of recovery for someone with heavy exertion, but there are no stitches to break. So a patient can do what they can tolerate.

Arm Lift Liposuction vs. Traditional Arm Lift/Brachioplasty

Arm lift liposuction is a good alternative to brachioplasty for many patients. Because most plastic surgeons have much less experience with liposuction than with cutting and tucking, many of them feel that a traditional arm lift is the only way to get rid of loose skin. This may be true for someone with extremely loose skin; however, for those with mild or moderately loose skin, a very nice skin tightening and retraction does occur when liposuction is done in the way that Dr. Su does it. Other surgeons who perform a lot of liposuction may still have no clue how to achieve this skin tightening. Therefore, before you make any decisions, ensure you see the results that a liposuction surgeon is producing.

Benefits of arm lift lipo compared to traditional arm lift/brachioplasty:

  • Full slimming of the arm, not just the hang
  • No cutting, no long scar running the length of the arm
  • Done under local, not general, anesthesia
  • Defined and toned look with muscle contours
  • Much quicker recovery and results
About Us

Are There Any Nonsurgical Alternatives for the Arm?

Technologies for body slimming include Xerona laser, I-Lipo, CoolSculpting®, and many new devices coming down the pike. These technologies have thus far proven to remove a small portion of fat in the range of approximately 20% of the fat layer. This is compared to 80 – 90% that Dr. Su removes. There is little that can be seen when only 20% is removed.

Some of these new technologies, which are noninvasive, are now being marketed for arm slimming also. At Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery in Tampa, FL, we have watched these technologies come and go for over five years, and none seem to last more than a year or two before disappearing. The best approach to see whether something like this would be what you are looking for is to ask the physician offering this service to see actual photo results of patients that they have produced themselves. Be sure to ask if that is their own patient or a photo given to them by the company that sold them the device.

Complications of Arm Lift Liposuction

There are few complications with awake tumescent liposuction. It is a safe procedure where bleeding and infection are rarely a problem. Blood clots seen with general anesthesia are almost unheard of. Toxicity from lidocaine, which is very rare, would be almost impossible when doing the arms because so little lidocaine would be used.

The real complication of doing arm liposuction on patients is having lumpy or irregular results. It happens mainly because a surgeon cannot control and feel what he or she is doing. At Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery, we always fix cases of poorly done liposuction, including many cases of poor arm liposuction. Because of Dr. Su’s interactive lipo method, where control, positioning, and feel are greatly optimized in sculpting, we can perform consistently fantastic results for our patients.

Benefits of Weight Loss and Exercise After Liposuction

Even after we perform arm lift liposuction and a patient can see the nice contours and definition in their arms, exercise and diet are still beneficial. Some patients still will not have the best definition until they strengthen and build muscle in their arms. Others will still benefit from slimming their entire body through dieting.

Patients sometimes ask if losing weight after liposuction is recommended and if will it cause them to look funny. The answer is that patients will likely always look better with weight loss after liposuction, not the opposite.

Patients that gain weight after liposuction may look worse. Gaining weight puts fat back in other areas and makes a patient look disproportionate.

Liposuction Surgeries we Perform other than Arms

  • Abdomen-Belly-Stomach-Tummy Liposuction
  • Waist-Flank-Back-Bra Bulge Liposuction
  • Chin-Neck-Jowl Liposuction
  • Face Lift Liposuction
  • Tummy Tuck Lipo
  • Butt Lift Liposuction
  • Thighs-Leg-Knees Liposuction
  • Calves-Ankles-Cankles Liposuction

Fly in for Celebrity Arms Liposuction

A large percentage of our arm lift liposuction/ Celebrity Arms sculpting is done for patients outside of the Tampa Bay area. We commonly have patients flying from other states and countries because this type of sculpting is not offered anywhere else.

Tampa Bay is a wonderful place to come for surgery since our office is conveniently located minutes from Tampa International Airport. For cosmetic surgery tourism, there isn’t a better location because we have Disney, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, and all the wonderful beaches, all within an hour's drive.

Schedule A Consultation

Doing a consultation for an out-of-the-area patient is easy! We only need a few good photographs of your arms from the front and back. The photos should be taken with the arms out to the side in a muscle pose. You can send them to us via email or text. Then, Dr. Su can do a phone or Skype consultation with you. You can see examples of our work online, and we can send you other examples if needed. Contact Artlipo Lipedema and Cosmetic Surgery in Tampa, FL to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you!

*Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. Images may contain models.