Surgical procedures, like lifts, tucks, and liposuctions are popular surgical techniques to remove excess fatty deposits and tighten the skin in areas of the body where fatty deposits collect. These procedures are most often done for cosmetic reasons, to remove pudgy areas in the buttocks, thighs or stomach that are resistant to diet and exercise. The two newest targets for cosmetic procedures among surgeons like Dr. Robert Fortino Premier Weight Loss Physicians are the upper arms and the ankles, where many women develop problematic fat and loose skin. 

The Flapping Bat Wings

Loose skin and loss of muscle tone are a normal part of aging, making older women prone to the dreaded bat wings. These saggy, flabby arms that flap as you raise your arm to wave. You can try exercises to tone this area, but you may have little or no success. According to fitbie, the number of women opting for cosmetic surgery to rid their arms of bat wings is on the rise. The number of women having an arm lift has increased well over 4,000 percent in the last decade or so. The reason for this increase is contributed to women in the public eye, like Jessica Biel and even First Lady Michelle Obama, who have taut, sleek arms. 

Liposuction for the upper arms is done if you still have some elasticity to your skin, so the area will tighten after fat deposits are removed. If loose excess skin is your problem, the other option for achieving taut upper arms surgically is an arm lift, known as brachioplasty. This procedure not only removes fat through excision or liposuction, but also removes extra skin, so that you see improvement immediately following surgery. 

The Unsightly Cankles

If you have thick ankles that seem to blend in with your calves, leaving no definition between these areas, you have cankles. If you have them, you are not alone. Many women have cankles, and there are many different causes, but genetics is what drives most women to opt for ankle liposuction. If you mom and her mom had cankles, chances are you will too, and no amount of diet of exercise will slim those thick ankles. 

Ankle liposuction removes any excess fat from the ankle area, giving the legs more tapered look. According to Medscape, this procedure had gained in popularity in the last 20 year or so. Women who like to wear strappy sandals, heels or dresses want their legs to look slim and tapered at the ankle, and liposuction in this area can provide quick results. 

Women who are unhappy with certain areas of the body, and are unable to improve certain area though diet and exercise are often good candidates for the cosmetic procedures designed for problem areas. Before you decide to eliminate the bat wings or cankles through surgery, do talk with your doctor and a plastic surgeon to discuss all possible risks and expected outcomes before making a decision.