4 Body Contouring Procedures You Should Know About

The desire for a more contoured shape to the body is shared by many as the demand for procedures that reduce the amount of fat on the body is on the rise. As recently as 2018, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons proclaimed that 2018 was the “Year of the Body”.  It has been predicted that minimally invasive and noninvasive procedures that are performed to reduce fat on the body of patients will become a 1.1-billion dollar industry by the year 2022. The growth in noninvasive procedures can be traced back to the desire of patients to enjoy little to no downtime after their treatment. Patients that are interested in learning more about popular body contouring procedures should take a look at the four popular body contouring procedures listed in this article.

Four Popular Body Contouring Procedures

Before starting the list of these popular body contouring procedures, it is important for patients to know exactly what they are looking for in terms of results. Some patients are looking for fat reduction while others might want to achieve muscle tightening or skin tightening or the reduction of cellulite. In order to determine the best type of body contouring treatment to achieve the desired results, patients should schedule a consultation appointment with a board-certified physician. The doctor can take both the physical and lifestyle factors of the patient into account to determine the best treatment choice as well as set the realistic expectations that can be expected by the patient.

Now, let’s take a look at four of the most effective body contouring procedures currently available to patients:

• Fat Reduction via Extreme Temperatures – CoolSculpting is an FDA-approved device that utilizes controlled cooling to permanently freeze fat cells that are proving to be resistant to traditional diet and exercise in areas of the body such as the stomach, thighs and upper arms. It takes about three months for the frozen fat cells to die so the body can naturally eliminate them. Once the frozen fat cells are eliminated from the body, new fat cells will not be able to take their place. On the other hand, stubborn fat can be eliminated or reduced using laser heat during a procedure known as SculpSure. The device is placed onto the area to be treated such as the stomach, thigh and love handles. The SculpSure device alternates between periods of intense heat and brief periods of temperature cool-down. The results start to appear anywhere between 6-12 weeks after the treatment.
• Muscle-Enhancing Treatments – Patients that want to target their abs can use Emsculpt to build muscle thanks to electromagnetic energy that contracts the muscles. A 20-minute Emsculpt session, that lasts about 20 minutes, is equal to thousands of sit-ups that would take MUCH longer than 20 minutes at the gym. Patients see a better muscle tone and contour to the abs due to the elimination of fat that is situated over the abdominal muscles and an increase in the density of the muscles in the treated area.
• Treatments to Tighten the Skin – As a person continues to age, the body starts to lose a good amount of its skin laxity which means the skin will have a look that is droopy in appearance in areas such as the neck, the upper arms and the area above the knees. Thermage is a skin tightening procedure that makes use of radiofrequency energy to tighten the skin and rejuvenate its appearance. Thermage stimulates the production of collagen which reduces the appearance of wrinkles and uneven skin tone on the face. The Thermage device is passed over the skin and, when the device does touch the skin, there is a brief cooling effect before a sensation of heating happens which means the radiofrequency energy is going deep into the skin of the patient to stimulate the production of collagen. Ulthera is a similar procedure but it uses an ultrasound device to more deeply penetrate the deeper layers of the skin.
• Traditional Treatments such as Liposuction – Even with all of the increases in technology, the body contouring techniques listed above are not magical solutions that are ideal for everyone. Many of the above body contouring treatments are ideal fat reduction solutions for patients that are within 10 pounds of their ideal weight. Liposuction is still an ideal body contouring option for patients that want to see a large of fat eliminated from the targeted area on their body such as the abdomen, hips, thighs and upper arms. During the liposuction procedure, tiny incisions are made in the targeted area and the fat deposits are removed through a suction tube that is known as a cannula. The amount of recovery time depends on the amount of fat that is removed from the treated area on the patient.

Body Contouring Results beyond the Physical Results

Body contouring treatments provide more than the physical results that are visible on the body of the patient. Body contouring can give a person better self-esteem as well as increased confidence and a better self-image. The ability to achieve the appearance desired by a person can make a powerful and positive change in the daily life of a patient which is one of the reasons that body contouring has continued to grow in popularity among the public.

MA