hanging arm skin versus scar

My arms (12 inches around and 6 inches hanging when the arms are lifted) are gross to me but the docs are advising me that the scar will be worse.   I workout daily but it hasn't helped.  During class, as I'm moving my arms around, I can see the skin flopping up and down - yuck!

Any advice?  Has anyone had moderate hanging arm skin - had the arm lift surgery and regretted it? 

Do you feel even more self conscious with the scar than you did with the flapping skin?

I'm so confused......

I'd say go for the scar. You can cover it up, and it will look better in clothes. You can put make up on it. It will fade a lot over time. It won't show much when your arms are down by your sides.

There are a lot of reasons why the scar is better than the skin, IMO. Especially as it sounds like you have an extreme case that no exercise is going to help. I'm in the same boat as you.

I'm getting a LBL and BA/BL next monday which I know will leave scars, and I feel like I'm going to look like frankenstein and still be self conscious about being naked.  I'm trying to focus on the positives.. that the scars will fade, and I will be able to cover them with bra and underwear, etc..

I still feel like I will be a fraud and a freak under my clothes.  That the body I have does not match who I am on the inside.  I've always been the ugly rejected geeky girl. 

 I don't know who the slimmer me will be.  I just know that I'm self conscious of the skin in AND out of my clothes, so might as well feel good IN clothes. As far as out of my clothes.. well I will just try and disclose that as I see fit.  

Hope that helps.

I agree...I would rather have the scar.  It will fade over time and your arms will look so much better in clothes.  There are some things that exercise will just not get rid of .

Patty

Thank you - I was also just asking myself - is it worth living with the flapping skin for another 50 years or the fading scar?  Definitely the fading scar....

The scar is one million times better. There is no way to look good with old lady arms. Period. My arms are AWESOME now, scars and all. 

Laura

Well mine weren't moderate, but I would say go with the scar!  I hear that all of the time from friends who consult for arm lifts after weight loss and the doctors try to talk them out of it.  I know my scar is hidden from the back and from the front views.  It's placed in such a  positon that unless I lift my arm up, it won't be seen!  I am happy.

I have arm scars, circumferential scar and soon a BL scar and thigh scars.. I'll take a scar anyday over hanging skin.

I'm going with the scar. My arms aren't as bad as the rest of my body and they even respond well to exercise. The extra skin is obvious when I wear short sleeves though, and I can feel the skin flapping a little when I work out. I'd much rather have a nice silhouette than scar-less arms, so I'm getting the arm lift. I've seen enough after photos to see that the scar isn't *that* bad, and it's mostly obvious when someone is really close and can see the inside of your arms. Of course, your mileage may vary.

I would suggest getting consults with other surgeons, however. I'd be hesitant to go with a doc that advised me that the scar they left me with would be worse than the extra skin.

I didn't have the arms done. But I did have the LBL and have a scar 360 degrees around my body.

My surgeon said that you have to make a choice between the hanging skin or the scars. I choose the scars.

Words can't express from a psychological standpoint of how much better I feel not having the excess skin.

It's definitely worth it...Go for it!!!

 I don't know what my scar will look like as my arm lift was done 1week ago. What I do know is that I am thrilled to have smaller arms! My arms were also larger than yours. I made my decision based on the fact that my arms arms are covered more often than not & in the instances when I wanted to go sleeveless I never would because I was so self conscience. Whatever the scar...I will deal with it!