The request for male arm sculpting has been increasing recently in cosmetic surgery. With increasing body awareness amongst men, male patients seek to improve their entire body; this includes the abdomen and chest, the back, buttock, and even arms. Considerations that need to be taken in male arm sculpting are twofold:
- Strategic liposuction of “negative” zones, i.e., grooves between the muscles to create shadows
- Fat grafting of the muscle bellies to create bulk
Appropriate Liposuction For Male Arm Sculpting
Proper liposuction of the arms includes etching of the grooves in between muscle groups that include the deltoids, biceps, and triceps. Liposuction of the grooves allows for delineation of the shadows of arms that result in muscle highlights. For this artistic and exacting procedure.
The most muscular highlight grooves in the arms include the anterior and posterior deltoid lines and surround the deltoid muscle bellies on the front and back of the arms. These two deltoid lines coalesce on the side of the upper arm, where a small upper arm muscle brachialis originates.
The next muscle grooves involve the borders of the biceps and triceps muscles located over both the anterior and posterior arm. The most prominent highlight of the triceps muscle is appreciated over the distal arm of the triceps, where a modified C-shaped highlight groove can be visualized, creating the well-recognized Nike sign.
On the anterior surface of the upper arm, depressions can be created at the proximal under arm and distal under arm to help give the biceps a more apparent appearance.
The final component of male arm sculpting infrequently involves liposuction of the arm’s underside, which is more routinely performed in women. This rarity is because, just as in women’s lateral and medial thighs, men tend to lack deposition of fat cells along the undersurface of their arms. Any underarm de-bulking in men can compromise the prominence of the triceps muscle.
Fat Grafting Of The Upper Arm Muscle Bellies
Fat grafting of the upper arm muscles serves to augment the overall bulk of the muscle bellies contrasting the groove highlights even more prominently. The three muscle groups that are routinely grafted include the following:
- Deltoid
- Biceps
- Triceps
Typical transfer volumes include:
- 150 to 100cc for the deltoid muscles
- 75 to 50cc for the biceps muscle
- 50 to 25cc for the triceps muscle
Liposuction Ports in Male Arm Sculpting
The main liposuction ports are positioned along the anterior and posterior axillary linens’ apex to access the anterior and posterior deltoid grooves and underarms.
The port sites are smaller than the torso ports since the arms are sculpted with significantly smaller girthed cannulas measuring 3mm.
The same ports are used to highlight biceps and triceps and allow for fat grafting of muscle bellies. It should be noted that while posterior arm liposuction should be done more aggressively, every attempt should be made to avoid too much central arm debulking to avoid a deformity called “Telephone deformity” and to avoid compromise of the triceps bulk.
Accessory ports may be considered proximal (center or attachment point) to the deltoid muscle when desiring to fat graft the middle deltoid muscle, the larger leaf of the deltoid muscles, and the posterior distal arm when attempting to create the Nike sign.
Male Arm Sculpting Conclusion
In summary, male arm sculpting highlights should only be attempted by a highly skilled liposuction surgeon with a passion for male body contouring and an exceptional understanding of the male anatomy.
What’s Next?
If you would like to have a consultation with one of our cosmetic surgeons that specializes in Male Arm Sculpting, contact us here.