A good old-fashioned routine workout just isn't what it used to be. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, there has been a major increase to upper-arm liposuction since 2000.
Women are avoiding crunch bars and doubling up on plastic surgery to tighten up their skin, as mirrored by the 4,378 percent increase.
More than 15,000 women went under the knife to remove excessive fat from their arms in 2012, as stated by USA Today.
After the results of a recent interview, the Associated Press reports that most women idolized the arms of Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, and the first lady Michelle Obama.
Jack Fisher, president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, believes arm lifts are on the rise for a different reason.
"Once skin is stretched out, it becomes like a broken rubber band. Even when you lose weight, the skin doesn't go back to its normal shape," Fisher said.
According to Health magazine, arm lifts are mainly popular among women over the age of 40. With the average cost of the procedure toppling in around $4,000, 43 percent of last year's patients were 40 to 54.
But don't go running towards the nearest plastic surgeon. Dr. David Reath, chairman of the ASPS public education committee, wants women to weigh their options.
"It's a trade-off. We get rid of the skin, but we leave a scar. As long as there's enough improvement to be made in the shape of the arm to justify the scar, then it's a great procedure," Reath said.
Fitness trainer and nutritionist, Sharon Zarabi, agrees with Reath and believes that surgery should not be the first option.
"Surgery should be [the] last resort, only after coupling an exercise program with proper diet limiting salt, carbohydrates and eating high protein and nutrient-dense foods," Zarabi said.
With arm lifts joining the ranks of popular surgeries, breast augmentation continues to be the most popular cosmetic surgery, as recorded by The Washington Times.
