Do you have stubborn fatty areas that just won’t budge no matter how hard you work out? Would resolving those problem spots once and for all give you the body you’ve been working so hard for? A laser-based body contouring treatment called SculpSure can zap those pockets of fat. This treatment, which is offered by Dermatology, Laser & Vein Center in Cincinnati, OH, is an easy and effective way to get rid of annoying flab all over the body.
How SculpSure Tackles Fat
This non-invasive laser treatment heats fat cells in the area you want to address, destroying them. The body’s lymphatic system then naturally releases those fat cells over a period of weeks, causing the size of your problem area to shrink. Each treatment takes about 25 minutes and, depending on the scope of your area of concern, we may recommend a series of treatments.
Studies have found that a single treatment can destroy up to 24% of the subcutaneous fat in the treatment area. This treatment is a great solution for stubborn fat that won’t respond to diet and exercise.
Where Does SculpSure Work?
This treatment can be used to address patches of fat all over the body. Common trouble areas like the flanks, love handles, inner thighs, the neck, back fat, bra bulges, abdominal pouches, and even double chins can all be effectively treated. This highly versatile treatment is capable of lasering away fat from just about any spot where you want to be rid of it.
This treatment is administered through four flat, non-suction applicators that rest against your body and that can be configured to treat your specific concerns. For the deep treatment of an abdominal pouch, all four applicators can be positioned over the abdominal area. To treat the flanks, we may position two on either of your sides. We can also position two applicators on either thigh. Although it may require multiple treatment sessions, we can even address more than one part of your body.
What Is Treatment Like?
Treatment is fairly straightforward and simple. We’ll begin by measuring the treatment area so that we can track your improvement. We’ll also make some marks on the area you want addressed. We’ll later use those marks in determining the placement of the applicators, which will be gently secured to your body with the help of lightweight plastic frames.
You’ll be seated or reclined during your treatment, and you’ll initially feel a cool blast through the applicator before experiencing a flash of warmth. Patients sometimes say they experience a tingling during treatment. Because of the precision of this treatment, the only part of your body experiencing the warmth and tingling will be the area targeted for fat reduction. This makes the treatment overall very tolerable for patients.
How Much Recovery Is Required?
This treatment involves absolutely no downtime and no recovery period. After your 25-minute session, you’ll be able to pick right back up with your daily schedule. You can even schedule this session for your lunch hour.
How Many Treatments Do Most Patients Need?
The number of treatments needed varies from patient to patient. It ultimately depends on just how much of a fat reduction you are looking to accomplish. If you’re looking for help getting rid of a small pooch, a single session may be all that you need. If your treatment area is larger or fattier, or if there are multiple areas of your body you’d like to address, you may need several sessions. During your initial consultation, we’ll develop a treatment plan for you that we think will best address your cosmetic goals.
How Soon Will I Be Able to Tell a Difference?
Although the fat cells will be irreparably damaged by the laser treatment, it usually takes several weeks for those cells to gradually flush from the body. Most patients see their first results about six weeks after their appointment, with their full results become apparent roughly 12 weeks after their appointment.
How Long Will My Results Last?
This treatment kills off fat cells and completely removes them from the body, meaning your results will be permanent. It will, however, be possible to regain fat if you don’t stick to a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine. The best way to maintain your results over the long haul will be to commit to a health-conscious lifestyle.
How SculpSure Compares to Other Body Contouring Treatments
Traditional liposuction used to be the primary treatment recommended to patients struggling with areas that just wouldn’t budge no matter how many hours they spent in the gym. But over the past decade, a new category of body contouring treatments has surged in popularity by offering patients easy, non-invasive ways of getting rid of stubborn flab with very little downtime.
Some of these treatments, like SculpSure, use heat to destroy fat cells. Still other treatments chill fat cells to kill them or manipulate the fat cells in other ways. One of the great things about having so many body contouring treatments available is that it’s easier than ever for patients to get rid of frustrating problem areas. If you’re interested in a contouring treatment, we can help you sort through the options and select the perfect one for you.
CoolSculpting
While SculpSure works by heating fat cells, CoolSculpting takes the opposite approach. CoolSculpting incorporates a technique called cryolipolysis and involves placing panels on either side of the fatty area and chilling it to kill off the fat cells. Then the body’s lymphatic system gets to work, flushing the fat cells away over a period of weeks. CoolSculpting essentially works in much the same way as SculpSure, except by cooling instead of heating. CoolSculpting treatment sessions also tend to be a little longer.
Vanquish
Vanquish is a similar, non-invasive treatment that uses radio-frequency energy to break down your fat cells. With Vanquish, a panel is positioned over and around your area of concern, and patients experience a comfortable warmth during treatment. Fat cells in the area fall away during the weeks after your session, and most patients end up needing a series of three or four treatments.
EmSculpt
EmSculpt is another body contouring treatment, but it focuses a little less on fat removal. Instead, this non-invasive treatment is geared toward improving muscle tone for a more defined physique. During treatment, electromagnetic waves cause your muscles to contract, releasing the same fatty acids they release during a tough workout. After several in-office treatment sessions, each of which lasts about a half-hour, EmSculpt patients will see greater muscle definition.
VelaShape
VelaShape is a contouring treatment that both reduces the circumference of fatty areas and helps reduce cellulite. VelaShape is administered with an external applicator that combines infrared light, bi-polar radiofrequency energy, and a vacuum. This treatment deeply heats the fat tissues and the connective tissue that surrounds them, spurring collagen production, tightening the skin, and reducing the size of the area.
Fire & Ice Body Sculpting
We know that extreme temperatures on either end of the spectrum — hot or cold — can damage fat cells. Because our practice has several different fat-reduction treatments in-house, we sometimes will design a customized plan for patients that incorporates both high and low temperature to give them the best and most effective results. The combination of high and low temperatures can be very powerful when it comes to getting rid of extra fat.
Is This Treatment for Me?
If you’re interested in learning more about SculpSure and finding out if this is a good treatment for you, the first step is to call our office and schedule a consultation with Dr. Shalini Gupta. Dr. Gupta earned her undergraduate degree from Miami University and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She completed an internship at Brown University in a combined Plastic Surgery/General Surgery program, as well as a fellowship in Photomedicine at NYU Medical Center’s dermatology department in Manhattan. She also trained at the University of Washington in dermatology.
During your consultation, Dr. Gupta will review your medical history and evaluate the problem areas that you’re concerned about. She’ll also talk with you about your cosmetic goals and will design a treatment plan that will best meet them.
There are several signs that you may be a good candidate for this body contouring treatment:
Good General Health
It helps if you’re in good general health with no serious underlying medical conditions. If you do have an underlying medical condition, be sure to mention it during your consultation. This body contouring treatment is not recommended for women who are pregnant.
You’re Not Too Far Over Your Ideal Weight
This treatment is most effective for patients who are already in reasonably good shape but who need a little help getting rid of very specific problem areas that have resisted diet and exercise. This treatment should not be viewed as a way of dropping a significant amount of weight. Instead, it’s more of a spot treatment for flabby areas.
If you have a BMI that’s over 30, or if you’re looking primarily for a weight loss solution, we can recommend other treatment options that may best accomplish what you’re looking for.
You Want to Enhance Your Figure
Body contouring treatments can really help take your silhouette to the next level. One of the great things about body contouring treatments is that they remove the bulges and padded areas that you want to tone down, but they leave the curves you want to keep.
This differs from a normal weight loss regimen, which usually results in an overall loss of pounds but gives you no control over which parts of the body the weight is dropping from. Body contouring gives you a customized solution and helps you achieve a fit, youthful, attractive figure.
You Have Realistic Expectations
Patients who undergo body contouring treatments usually see terrific results. But it’s important to remember that the results associated with body contouring usually are not as dramatic as plastic surgery or other more invasive approaches. The ideal patient is realistic about the outcome of a non-surgical approach to treatment.
You Can Maintain Your Results
A body contouring treatment can feel pretty miraculous. After treatment, your problem areas will suddenly be much more under control, and you’ll feel excited about your body and your new look. But it will be up to you to maintain your results by staying active and not consistently overeating. The best patients are in it for the long haul and are willing to stick with healthy lifestyle practices that sustain their results.
Are You Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re ready to tackle your problem areas and achieve a slim, sculpted physique, it may be time to explore SculpSure. This treatment can be used effectively all over your body. Call Dermatology, Laser & Vein Center in Cincinnati, OH today and schedule a consultation.
