Plastic surgery for the underarms is quickly rising, and some say the toned biceps of Michelle Obama are causing the trend.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that in addition to nose jobs, breast augmentation and face lifts, another procedure — iposuction of the upper arms — was the surgery chosen by 15,000 women in the U.S. last year.
"Women are paying more attention to their arms in general and are becoming more aware of options to treat this area," American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) President Gregory Evans told Agence France-Presse.
The ASPS cited a recent poll that suggested "women most admire the arms of First Lady Michelle Obama." Other celebrities many women admired for their toned arms include Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and Kelly Ripa.
Brachioplasty, or arm lifts, removes excess skin and fat from the underarms. The procedure has jumped more than 4000 percent in the last 10 years. Breast augmentation still remains the most sought-after procedure, with face-lifts, rhinoplasty (nose jobs) and liposuction being the other most common procedures. People in the U.S. spent $11 billion on the cosmetic procedures alone last year and 91 percent of those cosmetic procedures were in women.
Doctors say the increase in arm lifts could also be due to excess weight loss. Those who lose a large amount of weight often will have excess skin on their body, including their arms. Still, many who come in for the arm lift procedure cite celebrities as who they want to look like. The cost of an arm lift generally runs between $6,000 and $8,000.
"Look at Michelle Obama. I can't help but think that she has an influence," said David Reath, a Knoxville, Tenn. area plastic surgeon who chairs the ASPS Public Education Committee.
Plastic surgeons emphasize that diet and exercise should be a part of a plan to tone arms.
