Arm Lift Cost in Turkey 2026: What Shapes Your Price
Medical editor: Dr. Semih Yıldız, plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon (FEBOPRAS) · Last updated: October 2026
An arm lift in Turkey starts from €2,130, with liposuction of the inner arms included. This is a surgical starting price; at Dr. Semih Yıldız's clinic the price is quoted individually for each case after he has reviewed your photos and medical history. What moves the price most is how far your loose skin reaches: whether it stays close to the armpit, runs along most of the upper arm or continues down the side of the chest. Treating further areas in the same operation, or a longer stay in hospital, can also change it.
The operation itself is described on our page about arm lift surgery in Istanbul. This guide looks at the planning decisions behind a quotation, so that you know what each part of it means and can compare one offer with another on equal terms.
The extent of the lift sets the starting point
An arm lift (brachioplasty) is not one fixed operation. There are three versions, and the one you need follows your loose skin rather than a preference:
Mini arm lift: for limited looseness close to the armpit, removed through a short scar hidden in the armpit.
Standard arm lift: for looseness along most of the upper arm, removed through an incision on the inside of the upper arm that runs from the armpit to near the elbow.
Extended arm lift: for looseness that continues below the armpit after major weight loss, with the incision carried onto the side of the chest.
The further the skin removal reaches, the larger the operation, and the extent of the operation is one of the things your price depends on. Under general anaesthesia the operation usually lasts 2–3 hours, and an extension onto the chest wall adds a further area to shape on each side. Dr. Semih Yıldız sets the incision and the amount of skin to be taken individually for each pair of arms, and the final marking is made with your arms raised, because that position shows most clearly where the looseness ends.
Liposuction is part of the operation, not an extra
Liposuction of the inner arms is included in an arm lift. It thins the fat that remains under the loose skin, so that the skin can be redraped smoothly instead of leaving one part of the arm flat and another full. For the arms themselves, it is therefore not something you add on.
What does change the plan is liposuction elsewhere. Fullness of the upper back or the flanks is a separate area of treatment, and every additional area lengthens the operation. On the other hand, arms that are mostly fat under firm, elastic skin may need liposuction alone. That is a smaller procedure with its own plan, and which group you belong to is decided at your examination.
Combining the arms with other areas
When the loose skin follows major weight loss, the arms are often only one of several areas, so an arm lift is frequently planned together with procedures such as a tummy tuck or a thigh lift, as part of body contouring after weight loss. Combining has real advantages: one anaesthetic, one recovery period and one trip.
It also asks more of you. A combined operation takes longer, may need more than one night in hospital and makes the first weeks harder, because you heal in several places at once and cannot push yourself up with your arms while your abdomen or thighs are sore. For this reason combinations are agreed only after assessment, with safety first. When the total operating time would be too long, the areas are split into stages, and each stage is then planned, and quoted, as its own operation.
Hospital nights and the days in Istanbul
Most patients stay one night in hospital for monitoring and then move to their hotel. The length of your hospital stay is one of the factors your price depends on; with a longer combined operation, the longer stay it needs is built into the quotation. If a pre-existing health condition means you need extra nights or tests beyond the standard ones, these are charged separately at the hospital's rates.
The rest of the recovery takes place outside hospital: about 7–10 days in Istanbul with wound checks, compression sleeves for about 4–6 weeks, then follow-up through photos and video calls once you are home. Your surgical price covers the medical side of the trip:
the operation, general anaesthesia and the hospital stay planned for it
standard pre-operative blood tests
your compression sleeves
medicines to take home
check-ups, dressings and any stitch removal while you are in Istanbul
If you would rather have the practical side of your stay arranged for you, the full package price adds hotel accommodation, transfers between the airport, hotel and hospital, and accommodation for a companion. Flights are never included, so plan for them separately, along with 1–2 weeks away from work. A companion for the first days is worth bringing either way, because that is when reaching, lifting and carrying luggage are off limits.
What the written quotation should state
A clear quotation lets you see exactly what you are agreeing to. For an arm lift, check that it names:
The technique: mini, standard or extended arm lift
That liposuction of the inner arms is included, and any other areas treated
Any procedures combined in the same operation
General anaesthesia and the number of hospital nights
Whether the figure is the surgical price or the full package price
How follow-up continues once you are home
If a point is missing or unclear, ask for it in writing before you book your flights.
A revision, for example to improve a scar once it has matured, is assessed individually. If it is judged medically appropriate, there is no additional surgeon's fee, and the operating room and materials are charged at cost. Changes that come later with time and tissue ageing, such as the skin of the upper arms slackening again years afterwards, are treated as a new operation and charged as one.
Why photos come before a figure
A personal price needs the same information as the surgical plan. Photos of your arms from the front and back, with your arms raised, usually show how far the loose skin hangs and whether it continues onto the chest. Your medical history shows whether the timing is right: a stable weight, no nicotine for at least 4 weeks before and after surgery, and a complete list of your medicines and supplements, because blood thinners and products such as aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil and certain herbal remedies may have to be stopped for a while.
Some findings change the timing rather than the figure. If you are still losing weight, waiting until it has settled usually gives a better and longer-lasting contour. To get Dr. Semih Yıldız’s personal price, you can request a free online assessment, and the techniques and full recovery timeline are set out on our brachioplasty page.
Frequently asked questions
Can the plan change after the face-to-face examination?
The plan is agreed from your photos before you travel and confirmed at the face-to-face consultation and examination before surgery. Occasionally the examination shows something photos cannot, for example looseness that reaches further than expected. Ask in advance how such a change would be discussed with you and put in writing, so that nothing is decided on the day without your agreement.
Does previous weight-loss surgery change the plan?
It often does. Your weight should have been stable for several months, and because wound healing depends on protein, iron and vitamins, your nutrition and blood results may be checked before surgery. Loose skin after weight-loss surgery also tends to involve the chest wall, abdomen or thighs, so an extended arm lift or a combined or staged plan is more likely.
Can I choose a mini arm lift to keep the operation smaller?
Only if your loose skin is limited to the area close to the armpit. A short armpit scar cannot tighten skin that hangs further down the arm, and pulling harder from the armpit does not solve that. A lift that is too limited can leave visible looseness and lead to a second operation, so the technique follows the skin rather than the wish for a shorter scar.
If you would like to know which arm lift your arms would need and what it would involve, you can send photos of your arms from the front and back, with your arms raised, for a free online assessment and a written quotation.
This article provides general information and does not replace a medical consultation. Results vary from person to person.
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