[Consultation review first] Before getting arm lipo, the thing I was most curious about when I went in for a consultation was honestly how much my arms could shrink..? To be honest, a super slim, bone-arm look was the aesthetic I wanted... But at the same time, my arms do have some muscle, so I also wondered if it could really get that far.
So during the consultation, the director looked at my arm with ultrasound and examined each part of it, and honestly said that because there was more muscle than I expected, it might be difficult to get all the way to the fully bone-thin look that other people imagine, even with surgery! But that did not mean the arm would not benefit from the procedure. The fat layer itself was on the thicker side, so they said surgery would definitely be effective for this arm.
At first I was a little surprised because they did not just say nice things lol. But on the other hand, that made me trust them more. Rather than saying, “We will definitely make it a bone arm!” they explained clearly, without exaggeration, what was possible and what would be difficult. It felt like they were honestly looking at my arm and telling me the truth, not just saying flattering things.
And my own arms were not the kind with absolutely no muscle to begin with, so I had already been thinking that it might be hard to end up looking like there was only bone left. So while listening to the director, it felt like it matched what I had already been thinking to some extent. Their tone also did not feel exaggerated or like they were saying everything would definitely work; it felt like they were explaining the current condition honestly, so I grew to trust them more and more during the consultation.
[The Big Surgery Day] On the day of surgery, I was really nervous..? It was my first surgery, so I was nervous and kept thinking about all sorts of things lol. But before going in, the director told me not to be too nervous and said, “You will wake up after a good sleep and look prettier,” and hearing that made me feel a little more at ease haha.
During the consultation, they spoke very honestly and realistically, but once they saw that I was nervous, they also helped me relax, and I really liked that. So when I first got onto the operating table, I think I lay down with some of the tension eased lol. Looking back now, I think I trust it more when someone says clearly what can be done and what is difficult, rather than only talking about good results. The director had exactly that kind of style, so I think I was able to trust them and stay calm before surgery haha.
And after the surgery, when I came out, the compression garment was already on. I have no memory of when they put it on because I was so out of it lol. When I opened my eyes, I was already wearing the compression garment! They also gave me porridge and juice, and because I had been fasting before the surgery, I was really thirsty..? T_T So I pretty much drank the juice in one shot lol. I remember it tasting so good...
And on the actual day of surgery, there was almost no pain, more than I expected! I kept thinking, what if it hurts a lot on the day after surgery, but it did not hurt as much as I thought, and I just remember being really uncomfortable because I could not lift my arm.. T_T
[Day 4 after surgery] From the next day until day 4, the swelling really came up a lot T_T At that time, my arm was very swollen, so even wearing the compression garment felt uncomfortable... It was uncomfortable to take it off too, but wearing it all the time also felt suffocating T_T Those few days were probably the most uncomfortable.
Still, around day 6 and day 7, I could see the swelling starting to go down little by little?! My arm circumference actually went down a lot too haha.
[One week] Before surgery, my arm circumference was 32.5 cm, but on the day of surgery it went down to 27 cm, so it decreased by a full 5.5 cm...! Of course, that was immediately after surgery, so it did not stay at that size, and when the swelling was at its worst it went back up to 28 to 29 cm, wow T_T
But as the swelling gradually went down, it is now back down to 28 cm?!! It is still only one week, so the swelling still needs to go down more and I need to keep watching the progress, but seeing my arm, which was 32.5 cm before surgery, already down to 28 cm makes me even more excited about what is ahead haha. It is not the final result yet, but I think it will be fun to keep checking how much more it shrinks as the swelling goes down lol. Even now, I can definitely feel that it is thinner than before surgery, so I am planning to take care of it well while watching the swelling go down!! If you have any questions, ask me more!