Whether you want to tone your muscles, reduce cellulite, or tighten your skin, body contouring is one of the ways to make these body improvements.
Body contouring or body sculpting is a non-invasive treatment that uses different procedures and devices that will cater to your specific bodygoals. Suppose you want to target your baby fats in the abdominal area. The treatment may use CoolSculpting, SculpSure, UltraShape, or BTL Vanquish ME—all of these depending on what suits you best.
Do not worry about being confused with these terms just yet. Your technician will be the one to recommend body sculpting treatments and make sure that these will bring the best results, with you still being comfortable about the recommended treatments.
But, having your own research about body contouring is still way better than totally relying on the technician who will administer the treatment. So, here is everything you should know about body contouring:
IT IS CONVENIENT AND NON-INVASIVE
In this treatment, you will not be dealing with anesthesia or surgical apparatus because it is a non-invasive treatment. Everything administered to you would only be in the outer part of your body but will target the unwanted substances internally through different technologies.
This treatment is also perfect if you have a busy lifestyle where you juggle a big load of work since you can still do your usual activities after the treatment.
IT IS NOT AS RISKY AS SURGICAL BODY ENHANCEMENT PROCEDURES
Because the treatment is not a surgery, there is less risk of infections or side effects that may happen to you after the treatment. In fact, the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Statistics 2020 indicate that there were around 400,000 body sculpting procedures administered in 2020 alone. And of these procedures, mild swelling, pain, and redness were the only reported short-term side effects of the treatment.
IT IS NOT THE SAME AS LIPOSUCTION
When trimming fats through plastic surgery, liposuction is the first thing that would come to mind. And since body contouring has been on the rise recently, people cannot help but compare the two or even consider them the same.
First of all, liposuction is a SURGICAL procedure, while body contouring is NON-SURGICAL. This distinction alone proves that both are very different from each other, despite having the same goal of reducing fat pockets in the body.
BODY CONTOURING IS NOT ONE SINGLE PROCEDURE
Body sculpting involves various procedures that incorporate different methods of fat reduction and muscle toning. Below is a list of the different (but not limited to) body sculpting procedures:
1. Cryolipolysis
Based on the word alone, this treatment involves the use of freezing temperatures to destroy fats.
Cryolipolysis, or legally known as CoolSculpting, is an FDA-approved (Food and Drug Administration) treatment. It uses extremely cold temperatures to breaks down fat cells without affecting the surrounding tissues. Then, the broken down fat cells will be flushed out of the body through the lymphoid system and will never reappear.
Usually, cryolipolysis is used in the following areas:
- Abdomen
- Arms
- Back fat
- Bra fat
- Double chin
- Banana roll (area under the buttocks)
- Flanks
- Thighs
This procedure usually only takes 30 minutes to 1 hour. But to fully achieve the desired outcome, multiple sessions may be recommended.
2. Laser lipolysis
Another procedure is laser lipolysis which uses controlled laser energy and heat to break down fats.
The FDA also approved SculpSure, the legal and commercial term for laser lipolysis, in 2015. If cryolipolysis uses cold temperature as part of its methods, laser lipolysis uses hot temperatures. The only catch is that this treatment will only flush the destroyed fat cells out of the body within 12 weeks of the procedure.
Laser lipolysis is usually administered if the main areas of concern are the abdomen and flanks. This treatment is also less time-consuming than cryolipolysis, lasting for around 25 minutes. However, multiple sessions are also encouraged.
3. Injection lipolysis
Kybella, the commercial name of injection lipolysis, is a non-surgical injection that is usually administered to treat double chin. This treatment uses synthetic deoxycholic acid that will help kill fat cells. Then, your body will slowly metabolize the dead fat cells within a few weeks after the treatment.
Injection lipolysis usually takes around 30 minutes and will require multiple sessions. Although bruising and swelling in the area may be expected, these side effects will not affect your usual activities that much.
Moreover, in 2015, the FDA has also approved the use of Kybella for this purpose.
4. Radiofrequency lipolysis
This procedure is probably the most gentle among the other procedures. It uses ultrasound technology and controlled heating to target and destroy stubborn fat pockets. Usually, radiofrequency lipolysis is used in the flanks and the abdomen.
Although it is the procedure with the least number of side effects, it is also the one that takes the longest time. On average, it takes one hour to do this procedure.
So far, BTL Vanquish ME and UltraShape are the only radiofrequency lipolysis procedures that the FDA has approved.
IT MAY BE PRICEY, BUT WORTH IT
Every body is different. Thus, every procedure will also cost differently depending on a lot of factors. Cost factors include:
- the outcome that you want to achieve
- the expertise of your technician, and;
- the type of procedure to be administered.
Usually, prices may start from $500 and will increase depending on the said factors. If you are interested in doing this treatment and want a quote, you may ask the nearest medical spa that can do this service for you.
BODY CONTOURING IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR DIET AND EXERCISE
While it seems promising to just go into the clinic and ask for available procedures, body contouring is not meant to replace a balanced diet and exercise. It is only one of the many ways that you could reduce body fat significantly, especially if you cannot make lifestyle changes at the moment.
If you can move and make changes for the better, then it is still advisable to do so. These changes will not only benefit your form and body aesthetics but your health as well. But, if you find it challenging to work out regularly and control your eating habits, this treatment may be the key to achieve a healthier-looking body.
To know what body contouring procedure is perfect for your needs, it is best to consult a certified professional.
