Sagging skin on the upper arms often occurs when the connective tissue loses its firmness – for example with advancing age or after significant weight loss. Many people are bothered by this and therefore want to get rid of their bingo wings and make the contour of their upper arms look firmer again. Exercise can strengthen the muscles, but it has only a limited effect on excess or significantly sagging skin. Which methods actually help depends primarily on how pronounced the skin laxity is. In this article, we show you what options are available.
What are bingo wings?
Bingo wings is the colloquial term for sagging skin on the underside of the upper arms. It becomes particularly visible when the arms are raised or moved, causing the tissue to hang down or wobble.
The cause is usually a combination of declining skin elasticity, weakening connective tissue and in some cases stored fatty tissue as well. Bingo wings frequently appear with advancing age or after significant weight loss. Genetic predisposition also plays a role.
Why are bingo wings so visually prominent?
Sagging tissue on the back of the upper arms causes them to lose their firm contour. When lifting or moving the arms, the tissue can visibly hang downwards and „jiggle“. As a result, the upper arms often appear less defined, even if the overall body weight is normal.
Many affected individuals find bingo wings particularly bothersome when wearing short-sleeved or sleeveless clothing.
Crucial here is not only the amount of tissue, but also its distribution: even a comparatively small excess of skin can significantly alter the silhouette of the upper arm. How strongly this is perceived is, however, individual and also depends on one's personal perception of their body.
Basic tips: What can you do to get rid of bingo wings?
To reduce sagging skin on the arm, it primarily depends on what is causing the loose upper arm contour. If there is only a slight excess of skin, a few measures can already help to make the arms appear firmer and more defined.
General tips and tricks are:
Strength training
Exercises for triceps, shoulders and upper arms strengthen the muscles and can improve the contour of the arms. Particularly suitable are, for example, dips, press-ups, triceps pushdowns on a cable machine, overhead triceps extensions or exercises with dumbbells.
Maintain stable weight
Significant weight fluctuations can place additional strain on the skin and connective tissue. Excess skin can remain on the upper arms, particularly after substantial weight loss. Anyone who keeps their weight as constant as possible and avoids further major weight gain and loss can prevent the tissue from being repeatedly stretched or strained.
Balanced diet
A healthy and varied diet supports both the maintenance of muscle mass and a stable body weight. A sufficient protein intake is particularly important, for example through fish, eggs, dairy products, pulses or lean meat. Anyone wishing to additionally reduce body fat should ensure a long-term balanced energy intake and avoid extreme diets.
Skin care
Cosmetic treatments can help keep the skin on the upper arms supple and improve its appearance. Moisturising active ingredients such as urea, glycerin or hyaluronic acid support the skin barrier and can make dry skin look smoother. Retinol can stimulate collagen production and thereby contribute to a firmer skin structure in the long term. Vitamin C also supports collagen synthesis and has an antioxidant effect, while niacinamide can strengthen the skin barrier and improve elasticity. Additionally, consistent sun protection guards against UV-induced collagen breakdown and premature skin ageing.
Non-surgical treatments
For mild skin laxity, various procedures may be considered to improve skin firmness. These include, for example, radiofrequency treatments, radiofrequency microneedling, focused ultrasound (HIFU) or certain laser treatments. They are intended to stimulate collagen formation in the skin and can thereby make the skin appear somewhat firmer and smoother.
The mentioned measures can improve the appearance of the upper arms depending on the initial situation. They can strengthen the musculature, reduce body fat or support the skin structure. However, significantly sagging or excess skin cannot be removed with them. If pronounced excess skin remains, a surgical arm lift may be an option.
Eliminating bingo wings: When is an arm lift advisable?
With the Brachioplasty It is a surgical procedure where we remove excess skin and reshape the contour of the upper arm.
The treatment can be particularly useful if:
- the skin on the upper arms clearly sags or wobbles significantly when moving,
- sport and weight loss do not sufficiently change the contour of the upper arms,
- excess skin is left behind after significant weight loss,
- non-surgical procedures would not be expected to provide a sufficient improvement due to the pronounced excess of skin,
- the weight has remained largely stable for quite some time after a diet.
Whether surgery is actually suitable always depends on the individual skin condition, the extent of the excess skin and personal expectations regarding the result.
If there is also a greater excess of fat, we can combine an upper arm lift, depending on the initial situation, with a Liposuction combine. In doing so, we remove excess fat deposits before or while tightening the skin and reshaping the upper arm contour.
An investigation in our Clinic for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery in Weert shows which treatment is appropriate for your initial situation.
What results are possible with an arm lift?
The treatment goal is for the arms to look firmer, smoother and more defined. The sagging tissue can be reduced, particularly on the underside, so that the upper arms appear altogether more compact and balanced.
How clearly the result shows depends on the respective initial situation. Decisive factors include your skin quality, the extent of the excess skin, the distribution of the fatty tissue and your individual wound healing, among other things. If the arm lift is combined with liposuction, the volume can also be reduced and the contour further modeled.
It is important to have realistic expectations: An upper arm lift can significantly change the shape of the arms, but it leaves scars. These usually fade increasingly over time, but can nevertheless remain permanently visible. With the procedure, we cannot create a completely flawless upper arm, but we can give it a natural-looking silhouette that matches your body proportions.
Eliminating bingo wings: Arm lift with your experts in Weert (Netherlands)
If you want to permanently get rid of your bingo wings and are interested in an arm lift, we would be happy to advise you personally at Acura clinic in Weert. Our clinic is located in the Netherlands near the German border and is easily accessible, particularly from North Rhine-Westphalia and the Ruhr area. We thus combine treatment in a specialised clinic with a comparatively short journey from Germany.
Our goal is a treatment that suits your body and your preferences. From the initial consultation through to the surgery and aftercare, our team will support you personally and in German.
Terminvereinbarung ist gerne möglich Consultation appointment at the Acura Clinic and discover the options available for shaping your upper arms.
Information on tightening another region of the body can be found on our services page for thigh lift.
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