I’m Embarrassed About My Bat Wings

Bat wings are a common problem among many women and men, especially as they age. They happen for various reasons, including extreme weight loss or obesity.

If you're embarrassed about your bat wings, you're not alone. Many people hide their arms when they have excess skin or fat, but it's not always easy, especially in the warmer months.

When you're ready to take the plunge and finally eliminate your bat wings, Dr. Anthony N. Dardano and his team in Boca Raton, Florida, provide body contouring procedures like an arm lift to restore confidence in your appearance.

What are bat wings?

You can accrue fat or excess skin in various body areas, including the upper arms. If you are significantly overweight or have recently lost a lot of fat, you may experience bat wings on the underside of your upper arms.

People with low muscle tone and excess fat or skin can have bat wings. Although toning the biceps and triceps can help you avoid this condition for a while, you might not be able to prevent bat wings if you lose weight or have a genetic disposition to the problem.

You're also at risk for bat wings as you get older. As you age, it's common for skin to sag more and lose elasticity, which may lead to skin or fat hanging off your upper arms and other body areas.

For some people, bat wings are fine but if your confidence is waning or you're embarrassed to wear a tank top in the summer, you may be ready to take action.

Do exercises help eliminate bat wings?

Starting your bat wing elimination journey typically begins with weight loss, if necessary, and muscle toning. If you're of average weight and are simply dealing with bat wings from under-toned arms, exercises may help.

The triceps are the main area that can help eliminate the appearance of bat wings. However, toning your entire body and upper and lower arms is the best way to improve the appearance of excess fat and skin.

If you're starting, aim to use lower weights with higher repetitions to help you tone your muscles. Some of the exercises that may help with bat wings include the following:

• Triceps extension
• Lat pulldown
• Triceps pushup
• Overhead press
• Deltoid raise
• Reverse fly

You can do many of these exercises at home, in the gym, with weights, or with resistance bands. Losing weight if you have excess fat is also necessary to eliminate embarrassing bat wings.

However, more than exercise is needed for everyone. Some people may not see the results they want, leading them to explore surgical options such as an arm lift or brachioplasty.

Understanding brachioplasty

Brachioplasty is the medical term for an arm lift, a surgical procedure to eliminate excess fat and skin from the upper arms. Dr. Dardano surgically removes excess skin from the arms and tightens the surrounding tissues with sutures during the procedure.

Brachioplasty isn't suitable for everyone with bat wings. You may be a good candidate for an arm lift if you:

• Don't smoke
• Have excess skin on the arms
• Are at a healthy weight
• Are fine with a large scar
• Don't have anemia or other serious health problems
• Aren't planning on losing a lot of weight

Brachioplasty surgery only eliminates excess skin from the upper arms but doesn't address fat reduction. If you want to achieve a more toned appearance to the upper arms, Dr. Dardano can perform liposuction along with the arm lift for optimal results.

You see the results of brachioplasty immediately after surgery, although it takes some time to heal completely. You may have swelling and need drainage to help remove excess fluid while the incisions heal.

Ultimately, brachioplasty surgery is an excellent option for people living with bat wings who have extreme embarrassment when wearing sleeveless shirts or bathing suits.

To schedule an appointment for Brachioplasty with Dr. Dardano, don't hesitate to call our office in Boca Raton, Florida, today or request a consultation on the website.