For some individuals, getting rid of arm fat can be extraordinarily challenging. They either have a poor diet, don’t exercise their arms sufficiently, or are predisposed to arm fat due to genetics. Arm fat can manifest itself in different ways, and one of the more common types of arm fat is referred to as “bat wings.” Emerald Laser will show you healthy, non-surgical alternatives for getting rid of bat wings and other types of arm fat.
What Are Bat Wings? Why Do You Gain Weight on Your Arms?
The term bat wings refers to a specific type of arm fat. This is the part of the skin around the tricep that hangs down when an individual with excessive arm fat holds their arms out to the side.
There are several reasons why you may have acquired bat wings. Here are some of the most common ones.
Poor Diet
If you have a diet that involves the intake of excessive calories or carbohydrates, you are likely to gain weight. Some of the excess fat is bound to accumulate under your arms, causing bat wings.
Lack of Exercise or Improper Exercise
Like so many muscles in the body, when you don’t exercise your arms, they become soft and flabby as the muscles weaken and fat accumulates in and around the muscles.
Age
As you get older, the skin on your body and face becomes looser as it loses the collagen that causes elasticity. This doesn’t only occur in older people, but it is much more prevalent with aging adults.
Genetics
Some traits are hereditary, and there is significant scientific evidence to show that the places we accumulate fat are among those features handed down through our ancestral train. If your parents or grandparents have pronounced bat-wing fat under their arms, you may be fighting an uphill battle.
Regardless of why you have bat-wing fat, there are several healthy ways to lose this unattractive feature.
Healthy Ways to Lost Arm Fat
Arm fat can result from an unhealthy lifestyle, and one of the most effective ways to reverse the condition is by embracing healthy habits.
Dieting
At Emerald Laser, we recommend a calorie-neutral diet to maintain weight and reduce body fat. Nutrition and exercise are the two most significant factors in achieving a calorie-neutral or calorie-negative lifestyle. The way to achieve a calorie-neutral diet is by multiplying your body weight in pounds by 15 to calculate your daily allowance. For individuals trying to lose weight or with slower metabolisms, they may need to use a lower multiplier, like 13 or 14.
Exercise
In addition to exercising to burn calories, resistance exercises can tighten up the muscles under the fat and skin in your arms. Body-weight exercises that work the tricep area are particularly effective for this: pushups, dips, reverse dips, etc.
Laser Lipolysis
It’s difficult to determine the level of success that you can achieve through nutrition and exercise until after a period of weeks or months of continuously adhering to a regimen. For many, the results are disappointing. This is often because arm fat can be particularly stubborn. Even if you lose a substantial amount of weight, you may still have bat wings. Laser fat reduction — often referred to as laser lipolysis — offers a non-invasive, non-surgical technique to remove fat from the back of the arms.
How Cold Laser Lipolysis Works
Laser lipolysis is a technique that was popularized some time ago as a healthy and safer alternative to liposuction and other surgical procedures. With laser lipo, the technician targets fat cells beneath the skin with a laser. The laser penetrates down to the fat cells and bores a hole in the cell wall while simultaneously emulsifying or melting the lipids contained by the cell. Once the fat is liquified, it seeps through the pores created by the laser, where it is disposed of naturally by the body’s lymphatic system.
Emerald Laser is a laser lipolysis system created by Erchonia, a pioneer in laser fat reduction. Emerald’s green laser system uses ten 532 nanometer lasers. The advantages to Emerald Laser lipolysis are numerous:
- It is effective with most patients seeing some results within two weeks and full results in 12 weeks.
- It is painless. Most patients feel nothing at all.
- There is no downtime after each session. You can continue full activities after each session, including strenuous exercise.
- It’s the only fat reduction laser machine to receive approval from the FDA for use on individuals with a BMI over 30.
- Sessions are quick. You can schedule them before or after work, or even on your lunch break.
- The laser system can be used to target bat wings.
Benefits to Laser and the Downside to an Arm Lift
Brachioplasty, often referred to as “arm lift surgery,” is an invasive surgical procedure that involves removing fat, cutting away loose skin, and then closing the incision. The surgery requires the use of anesthesia and requires several weeks of recovery time. The disadvantages of arm fat removal surgery include:
- It’s an invasive procedure.
- It often leaves scarring at the incision site.
- Anesthesia is required.
- There is significant downtime as you wait for the incisions to heal.
- It’s often costly.
It’s important to note that none of these items are true of laser lipolysis at Emerald Laser. Emerald Laser is a fast, painless, non-invasive procedure that does not require anesthesia or downtime. Depending on the area of treatment, Emerald Laser providers usually charge between $1,500 and $2,500 for a package of six sessions. Call today to speak to a medical professional.
Preparation Tips for Laser Arm Fat Removal
One of the benefits of choosing Emerald’s cool laser system for fat removal from arms is that it doesn’t really require preparation. However, before you go for your initial consultation, you should make notes about specific health conditions that you have. This information will be used by the specialist to determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for laser lipolysis.
To make your experience more pleasant, you should try to arrive a few minutes ahead of your appointment time. Wear a loose top that will be easy to remove since your shirt will block the treatment area. Avoid applying creams, perfumes, or tanners to your arms prior to the treatment.
You should also avoid tanning prior to your treatment. While this will not affect the efficacy of the treatment, it may cause irritation during your session.
Advantages of Emerald Laser’s Arm Fat Removal Procedure
When compared to other targeted fat reduction procedures, there are several advantages to laser arm fat removal.
Effectiveness
One clinical study explored the effectiveness of laser arm fat removal and found that it was effective, regardless of whether or not surgical liposuction accompanied it. Emerald Laser is used independently of liposuction. There is no surgery, no incisions, and no downtime. Emerald Laser was proven effective in multiple double-blind studies.
No Side Effects
Many fat reduction options entail scarring, bruising, pain, irritation, and other side effects, but that’s not the case with Emerald Laser. After tens of thousands of treatment applications, there are still no known side effects.
No Down Time
Because Emerald is a non-surgical, non-invasive procedure, there is no downtime after treatments. When you walk out of an Emerald Laser provider’s facility, you can resume full physical activity, including exercise. Some weight reduction surgeries, like liposuction or gastric bypass, can take up to a month to fully recover.
Pain-Free
Certain fat reduction procedures can be extremely painful — especially in sensitive areas like the armpits or inner tricep area. For example, cryolipolysis works by freezing fat cells. Because the skin in the upper arm is relatively thin, the bruising and tenderness can be quite severe. Recovery from invasive procedures can require medication to make the period more bearable. Emerald’s cool laser works by boring tiny holes in the membranes of lipocytes where there aren’t any pain receptors. While there is some interaction with the skin en route to the fat cells, it is not considered painful.
Convenience
An Emerald Laser arm fat treatment generally takes less than 30 minutes, which means you can even schedule an appointment on your lunch break and be back to work in time. There are usually six treatments in a course, scheduled two weeks apart, which means your total time investment is three hours.
Cost
For a medical treatment that’s safe and effective, Emerald is surprisingly affordable. Packages of six treatments range from $1,500 to $2,500, depending on the treatment area. Emerald Laser is several thousand dollars less than surgical options.
Emerald’s Laser Arm Fat Removal Has Lasting Results
While diet and exercise are key elements of a healthy lifestyle, they are not the only elements that factor into fat reduction. Your age, gender, genetic makeup, and health history can prevent you from achieving your goals even if you are at your optimal weight. If you’ve tried to rid yourself of fatty deposits in your arms but to no avail, laser lipolysis can offer you a viable alternative. Because Emerald Laser drains the lipocytes in your arms, the fat will stay away unless you happen to gain weight again. You are also able to repeat the process if necessary. However, if you maintain a calorie-neutral diet, you are much less likely to have a recurrence of fat.
Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Lipolysis
If you’re trying to find out how to get rid of flabby arms, and you’re considering laser arm fat removal, it might help to review these frequently asked questions.
Why Can’t I Just Lose Weight to Get Rid of My Batwings?
Weight loss is sometimes effective in reducing overall body fat, including the fat behind the arms, but for some individuals, it’s just not enough to overcome their physical and genetic disadvantages.
Does Emerald Laser Kill Fat Cells?
Emerald Laser allows the fat to drain from the cells without killing them, which is considered advantageous. When fat cells are destroyed, they are no longer available should you regain lost weight. That could lead to fat accumulating in other areas, including near vital organs.
How to Lose Arm Fat Effectively With Emerald Laser
Emerald Laser offers a safe, effective way to get rid of your bat wings. If you have been frustrated with the results you’ve been getting from diet and exercise, schedule your initial consultation with an Emerald Laser provider.
