What Are Bingo Wings?

Bingo Wings are the folds of loose skin and fat that accumulate between the armpit and elbow on your upper arm, giving it a sagging appearance. They form when your upper arm skin loses elasticity due to age or when it fails to retain its firmness after a significant weight loss.

Factors like obesity, exposure to UV radiation, and genetics can accelerate ageing and cause your skin to lose its natural elasticity, sag, and wrinkle, leading to the appearance of Bingo Wings. 

Having Bingo Wings can cause physical discomfort and make people self-conscious. Treatments to reduce Bingo Wings include non-surgical interventions like weight loss and targeted exercise, as well as surgical techniques, like Liposuction and Brachioplasty.

Why Are They Called Bingo Wings?

The term “Bingo Wings” originated from the visual observation of people waving their arms after winning a game of Bingo, revealing sagging upper arm skin. While the term's origin is informal, it’s widely understood and used by the general public and professionals to describe excess skin and fat under the upper arm.

What Causes Bingo Wings?

Several factors, like lack of muscle definition and the natural ageing process, affecting your skin’s collagen and elastin levels contribute to the development of Bingo Wings.

Weight Gain and Weight Loss

Gaining weight can cause fat to collect in the upper arms which is one of the major causes of Bingo Wings. Additionally,losing weight, especially repeatedly or in a short space of time can cause the skin to stretch and be unable to return to its original position - leaving saggy or loose skin. Around the upper arms this forms Bingo Wings. If you are trying to lose weight, it is important to do this at a reasonable pace to prevent the skin from stretching.

Loss of Muscle Tone

A drop in muscle tone in the upper arms happens when the tricep muscles (the back of your arm) are weak. Without regular exercise and strength training, these muscles lose their firmness and appear softer and less defined, contributing to the appearance of Bingo Wings. The skin in this area also becomes more prone to sagging without the support of well-defined triceps underneath as it is very stretchy.

Loss of Collagen and Elastin with Age

Another reason for developing Bingo Wings is the reduction of Collagen and Elastin, the two proteins essential to maintaining skin elasticity. As you age, your skin naturally produces less of these proteins, making it thinner, less elastic, and more prone to sagging, meaning it is less able to hold its shape and maintain tone.

Loss of Subcutaneous Fat

The amount of subcutaneous fat, the fat directly below your skin and above the muscle, also decreases as you age. The loss of this fat, which previously helped to stretch your skin tight, makes it more prone to drooping, especially in areas where muscle definition is lacking, including the upper arms. 

Why Can Bingo Wings Be a Problem?

Bingo Wings can become a problem if they affect you physically and mentally and decrease your overall quality of life. 

Physical Impact

Having excess skin and soft tissue in the upper arm can lead to physical discomfort during certain activities. For instance, the skin may flap or bounce, leading to chafing or discomfort when you engage in physical exercises like running or aerobics. The sensation can be discouraging for people, causing self-consciousness, and making them less likely to participate in such activities.

Aesthetic Impact

Bingo Wings significantly alter the appearance of your arms, which some people may find aesthetically displeasing. It can also make it challenging to find the right clothing that fits comfortably and looks flattering. The aesthetic concerns surrounding Bingo Wings lead to body image issues and a decline in self-confidence.

Psychological Impact

Some people may feel the psychological impact of having Bingo Wings that goes beyond aesthetic dissatisfaction. You might be self-conscious in situations where your arms are exposed, making you feel uncomfortable in social settings or in clothing such as swimwear. Some people might even withdraw from social interactions or activities which they once enjoyed. 

How to Get Rid of Bingo Wings Through Lifestyle and Exercise?

Altering your lifestyle and introducing targeted exercise in your daily routine can help reduce the appearance of Bingo Wings.

Lifestyle Management

Nutrition plays a key role in your skin’s health and improving its firmness and elasticity. Vitamins C, E and A can help to maintain collagen and elastin levels in your skin, making it firmer. Foods such as fruit and vegetables, nuts and dairy contain high levels of these vitamins. Adequate hydration is also essential as it keeps your skin elastic.

Reducing fat in the upper arm is essential to target Bingo Wings. A calorie-controlled diet can help you to gradually lose weight so that it doesn’t compromise your skin's elasticity, which may lead to unwanted sagging skin.

Targeted Exercise

An exercise regimen that focuses on building muscle mass can help you reduce Bingo Wings. The best exercise for Bingo Wings should target your triceps, which will improve their tone and give the skin muscles to stretch around and prevent sagging.

• Strength training: Incorporate exercises for Bingo Wings targeting biceps, triceps and deltoids to build muscle mass and definition in your upper arms. Bicep curls, tricep extensions and tricep kickbacks are all effective exercises to improve your strength and tone the upper arms.
• Resistance bands: Using resistance bands is a versatile and effective method for targeting specific muscles of your upper arm and improving their tone. Lateral raises, resistance band rows and pull-aparts are all techniques which use resistance bands and will help to target the muscles in the upper arms.
• Cardiovascular exercise: Exercises like running, cycling, or swimming help you lose overall body fat, including excess fat in the arms as well as improving your health.

Consistency and patience are crucial if you want to improve the appearance of your Bingo Arms through lifestyle and exercise. It might take several months before you notice results.

How Can You Get Rid of Bingo Wings with Non-Surgical Options?

Non-surgical treatments like CoolSculpting, Ultrasound Therapy, and Laser Liposuction can reduce the appearance of Bingo Arms by focusing on reducing excess fat and tightening the skin. These options are most suited to patients who have more moderate cases of Bingo Wings as these technologies are not advanced enough to treat significant sagging skin. 

• CoolSculpting: This is a cosmetic procedure that involves freezing the fat cells in the upper arms. The damaged fat cells are then naturally eliminated by your body, giving your arms a firmer appearance.
• Radiofrequency (RF) Treatments: RF treatments use energy waves to heat the dermis layer of your upper arm skin, promoting collagen synthesis and leading to tighter, more elastic skin over time. Treatments like Morpheus8 combine RF treatment with microneedling to improve collagen synthesis.
• Ultrasound Therapy: This treatment targets the deeper layers of the skin to stimulate protein synthesis without harming the skin's surface. Ultrasound Therapy can tighten and lift your upper arm skin over time, improving your arm's aesthetics.

How to Get Rid of Bingo Wings with Surgery?

You have several surgical options to treat Bingo Wings, including Brachioplasty, different types of Liposuction and a Mini-Arm Lift.

Brachioplasty

Also known as an Arm Lift, Brachioplasty is a cosmetic surgery that removes excess skin and fat from your arms, eliminating Bingo Wings. The procedure is best suited if you have significant skin laxity, often due to age or significant and rapid weight loss.

The procedure involves making an incision from your elbow to the armpit, allowing your surgeon to remove excess skin and fat. Once the fat is removed, the surgeon will tighten the underlying tissue, giving your arm a more toned appearance.

The surgery's recovery time is about four to six weeks to allow the scar to properly heal. The scar will fade over time and is strategically placed so it’s less visible.

Mini Arm Lift

A Mini Arm Lift is a less invasive variation of a traditional Bingo Wings surgery that specifically addresses fat located near the armpit. This procedure requires a much smaller crescent-shaped incision, limited to the underarm area, leading to less scarring and a quicker recovery. 

A Mini Arm Lift can be a better alternative to a Traditional Arm Lift if you have moderate skin laxity and you require less fat to be removed. 

Liposuction

This involves removing fat from targeted areas of your body, including the underarms. Liposuction can be a viable method to treat Bingo Arms if you have good skin elasticity and the primary concern is excess fat rather than loose skin under the arms. While the procedure leads to minimal scarring, it does not remove excess skin.

In some cases, your surgeon might recommend combining Liposuction combined with an Arm Lift to achieve the best results. Combining these procedures allows your surgeon to remove excess skin and fat, providing a more comprehensive way to target Bingo Arms.

It’s essential to consult your surgeon to decide which treatment for Bingo Wings is best for your situation. Our experienced surgeons at Cadogan Clinic excel in personalising treatments for Bingo Wings. 

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