What Can I Not Do After Having Arm Lift Surgery? - Cosmetic Surgery Guide


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After your arm lift surgery is complete and while you are still recovering, your surgeon will advise you to avoid performing physical activities using your upper body (e.g. sport, heavy lifting and driving) for a month.

Immediately following your surgery you should definitely not be driving a vehicle. This is true for several reasons. Firstly, you may still be feeling some of the effects of the anaesthetic, which can reduce your ability to drive well (reduced concentration, ability to judge distances or speeds, increased stopping time). This can make you a potential hazard to yourself as well as other road users. Secondly, your arms might be sore or numb, you could lack some movement and performing movements might risk reopening your wounds. Therefore, it is advisable that you avoid driving a vehicle after having arm lift surgery (for at least a few weeks).

There will be a period of between two and four weeks after you have had your arm lift surgery when you should avoid exercising, lifting any heavy weight with your arms, and performing excessive arm movements (moving your arms more than is necessary). This may affect your exercise regime, your ability to keep up with your hobbies, or your work. After the first two weeks have passed after your arm lift, you may be able to return to your usual routine. To a large extent this can be decided by you. You should wait and see how your arms feel. If they feel better then for example you can begin to exercise them very lightly and increase your arms' activity from there. If you reach a point where the area of your arm or arms where you had the surgery begins to feel painful, then stop the activity and wait a bit longer.

Prepare your recovery area

It is a very good idea that when you return from having your arm lift surgery, the place where you have chosen to stay while you recover is fully prepared for your needs. This means that before you go to have your surgery, make sure that the place where you are staying can be lived in by someone who has a lot less energy, and will be moving their arms as little as possible. If you are unsure about what needs to be done in preparation for your recovery, go around your house (or the place where you will be staying) and carry out your usual daily activities. If you find that they are slightly tiring or require a lot of arm movement and lifting, then you will not be able to carry out those tasks after surgery.

These steps should be helpful:

  • Make sure that there is someone to look after you when you return from surgery.
  • Do any heavy lifting (e.g. laundry, ironing or disposing of rubbish) in advance of your surgery.
  • Get all of your household chores out of the way.
  • Move anything which you might need during your recovery period to a place where it can be easily reached (for example move food which you keep on a higher shelf to your kitchen counter or table).
  • Prepare for cold weather (the weather will not necessarily be taking a turn for the worse after your arm lift surgery, but you may feel the cold a lot more due to a lack of energy during your recovery period).
  • Stock your refrigerator and cupboards with food for during your recovery period. And ensure that this food is healthy and balanced with regard to its nutrients content. Travelling to the shops will be tiring during your recovery period, and carrying heavy shopping bags is very unadvisable.
  • Have a variety of clothes washed and easily accessible for when you return. This is because when you return from having your arm lift, your arms will be a different shape and you will not know what kind of clothes will feel most comfortable on them.

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