Is Body Contouring Right for You?
If you are looking for ways to supplement your diet and exercise routine to eliminate stubborn fat or improve your body shape, you may have come across body sculpting as an option.
Body contouring, or body sculpting, refers to different procedures designed to reduce fat in problem areas, shape the body and/or tighten skin. Some involve surgery, while others are minimally-invasive or noninvasive techniques that have been growing in popularity.
While body sculpting procedures are popular and effective, they are also only for some. It’s important to become familiar with what these procedures can and cannot do, as well as their potential risks, before considering them. Once you are fully informed about your options, it becomes easier for you to decide if body sculpting is right for you.
Types of Body Contouring Procedures
Bodies come in different shapes and sizes, and they also have their unique predispositions and needs. That is why body sculpting can’t be a one-size-fits-all solution, and why many different techniques have been developed over the years. Body contouring procedures are divided into the following categories:
Surgical Body Contouring
In the beginning, all body sculpting involved surgery. While non-surgical techniques are also available now, they cannot always replace the benefits of surgical approaches. For patients with large areas of stubborn fat and sagging skin, surgery is the only way to achieve visible improvement. Surgical body sculpting is roughly divided into:
Tummy Tuck
Also called abdominoplasty, this procedure aims to improve the shape of the abdomen. It involves removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen and tightening the skin (and sometimes the underlying muscles) with sutures.
Lifts
Many people who have lost a substantial amount of weight naturally or undergone bariatric surgery are left with excess sagging skin in the arms, thighs or mid-section that can only be addressed with surgery. Examples of lifting procedures are arm lift, thigh lift and body lift.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a less invasive way to remove stubborn pockets of fat. The procedure can sculpt the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, chin and other areas by breaking down and then suctioning excess fat through a cannula. While less invasive than other surgeries, it still involves incisions, anesthesia and downtime.
Non-Surgical Body Contouring
Non-surgical body sculpting procedures involve using energy or chemicals to destroy fat cells, which are then removed naturally by the body’s waste elimination system (the lymphatic system). These treatments are ideal for patients at or near their ideal body weight but who have some areas of stubborn fat they wish to lose. Examples of non-surgical sculpting procedures are:
Cryolipolysis
Using a combination of vacuum suction and cold plates, cryolipolysis destroys fat cells by literally freezing them. The surrounding tissues are not affected by the temperature.
Laser lipolysis
This procedure delivers specific wavelengths of laser energy to target fat cells while leaving surrounding tissues unaffected. The fat cells heat up and are destroyed as a result.
Radiofrequency lipolysis
Radiofrequency (RF) energy can also be used to selectively target fat cells from the outside. Like laser, RF causes fat cells to heat and their membranes to rupture as a result.
Injection lipolysis
Injection lipolysis uses a chemical called deoxycholic acid. This chemical is naturally found in the body and is known to break down or melt fat. Kybella® is a popular type of injection lipolysis used to treat a double chin.
Reasons to Choose Non-Surgical Body Sculpting
Surgical body sculpting is often a last resort for people struggling with excessive fat and sagging skin. That’s because these treatments are invasive, require downtime and have a higher risk level. Non-surgical body sculpting is a safer and, often, better alternative for the right candidate. Some reasons you may wish to consider this approach are:
- Less invasive, meaning there are no risks from incisions or anesthesia
- Treatment is quick and recovery is simple (no downtime necessary)
- Effectively and safely removes small packets of stubborn fat
- Ideal for patients at or near their ideal body weight
- Permanent and natural-looking results
Who Should NOT Get Non-Surgical Body Sculpting
While body sculpting is great, it’s not for everybody. Patients who are not candidates for this type of treatment include those with the following:
Significant excess body fat
Most lipolysis procedures are designed to eliminate small areas of unwanted fat. The results may not be as visible if you are overweight or obese since these treatments have a limit on how much fat they can remove. You may end up not being happy with your results.
Currently pregnant or planning to get pregnant
Pregnancy is contraindicated in many procedures, and body sculpting is no exception. If you are planning any future pregnancies, your provider may likely advise against body sculpting until you are done expanding your family. This is because future pregnancies can affect your body sculpting results.
Certain health conditions
Your provider will review your medical history and may order medical tests to see if you are healthy enough for these procedures. If you have any of the following, you may not be a good candidate: hernias, keloid scarring, cold-related disorders, active skin diseases, metal implants near the treatment site, pacemaker, untreated diabetes, severe illness, etc.
Body Sculpting With CoolSculpting® Elite in Lakeway
When it comes to non-surgical body sculpting options, CoolSculpting® Elite is one of the most popular choices worldwide.
CoolSculpting® Elite uses cryolipolysis to eliminate stubborn fat. An upgraded version of the original CoolSculpting® fat freezing treatment, the Elite device comes with two applicators instead of one that are now C-shaped for greater area coverage. For you, this means more fat reduction in fewer sessions.
CoolSculpting® Elite can treat multiple areas at once and is proven to eliminate up to 25% fat in the treatment area. The results become visible as soon as swelling subsides and your lymphatic system removes the dead fat cells. For the majority of our patients, this happens about a month after treatment. The fat cells that are removed will never come back, although it’s still important to lead a healthy lifestyle for optimal results.
Come see why CoolSculpting® Elite is one of our most popular treatments! To learn more about body contouring at Wink Medical Aesthetics in Lakeway, TX, call us today at 512-263-2400 or book your appointment here.
