Is there any hope for my arms? Tips would be very helpful.

Mads5715 · July 2018

I'm a short, curvy young adult. I dont know my weight but ive slimmed down alot recently. I have a relatively flat stomach and I'm pear shaped but my arms are so gross that it makes dressing well difficult. I'm pretty covered up as it is (I haven't owned shorts or a bathing suit in over 5 years) but I can't cover this up with this heat. I have a bad farmers tan as well as a horrible glove tan from working. My coworkers call me Minnie mouse! My arms are the flabbiest part of me even though I lift for work every day. I've never had acne much but just on the white upper part of my arms I started breaking out? Everything together is really embarrassing. I can't afford a gym membership or even weights at the moment. I don't even know where to begin correcting these flaws.

TavistockToad · July 2018

Calorie deficit

A medicated body wash for the arms perhaps?

Deviette · July 2018

You could have Keratosis Pilaris on your upper arms. It's very common and really nothing to worry about. Personally I find it flairs up in winter, and gets better in the summer. If it's really bad and you're really that fussed you can speak to a dermatologist, but it isn't something to worry about in the slightest. If you start looking for it, you'll be amazed at the number of people who have it that you've never noticed.

I think your biggest issue is that you just don't like your arms. From reading some of your other posts, it sounds like you struggle with your confidence. There is a general feeling that if we lose weight we will suddenly become confident in our skin and love the way we look. But this is completely false. Confidence isn't a number on a scale or tape measure. Sometimes we have to accept and love our skin and body in the way that they are. Don't get me wrong: It is fine to want to change something you don't like about yourself, but the only way you can garentee that you'll like it, is by always liking it.

Something to remember also:
I always thought I had chubby arms, I cannot wear long sleeved tops because they physically do not fit over my arms. I thought it was my wobbly chubby arms and I hated them. Right up until the moment a fellow female judo player turned to me and said "do you find it's such a problem buying long sleeve tops? Judo players always have muscular arms that shops just don't think women should have." And suddenly I realised that that flabby bit was actually a muscle with a thin-ish fat layer over the top. The moment they tense I lose all that flabby bit and there's really not very much flabby bit at all. I've learnt to love my arms (to the extent that they're now one of my favourite parts of my body). If you lift a lot for work, you may find that you have similar built arms to me. They may be less flabby, and more muscley

ruqayyahsmum · July 2018

Learning to love yourself and having the confidence to dress how you want is something that would benefit you

I'm older than you, I'm in my 30's, I have a massive amount of loose skin hanging off my arms and I have Campbell de Morgan spots, they are all over me but I have a few big ones on my arms.

I wear sleeveless dresses because I'm done making myself uncomfortable to hide from others. Lord knows when I was almost 400lb covering every inch of skin didn't make me invisible

I no longer give the little furry crack of a rat's behind what others think so long as I'm comfortable with how I'm dressed

Lounmoun · July 2018

You could consult a dermatologist about your skin. It might be something other than acne.
https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/bumps-and-growths/keratosis-pilaris

Use sunblock with a high spf to reduce/prevent tanning. Gently exfoliate your skin. I don't know if you could use a self tanner or spray tan the parts that are much lighter to reduce the contrast. Your tan will eventually fade.

I don't know if you are actually overweight. If you are and lose weight your arms may get smaller. But you might be seeing flab on your arms when they are not really flabby just because you are sensitive to their appearance. Your arms may be fine to everyone but you.

You could try more objective means to determine if you ard overweight or if your arms are very large.
Weigh yourself. Take body measurements.

Psychgrrl · July 2018

I had KP (keratosis pilaris) on my upper arms. I used (and still do) an acne body wash on it and moisturize with coconut oil or Shea butter. Works for me.

As for the self-conscious thing, our flaws seem so large to us. What is the most obvious, horrible, thing about our appearance, most other people don’t even notice. I have some very lightweight sweaters and shirts for hot weather. But covering up is not worth heat stroke.

Is there any hope for my arms? Tips would be very helpful.

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