Most people find that even after diet and exercise, some areas of their body retain fat. When people have been otherwise successful with weight loss but can’t get rid of belly fat or love handles, they may consider having liposuction, a surgical procedure to remove fat from a specific part of the body. However, prospective patients should be aware that there are some effective non-surgical alternatives that use different methods to destroy fat cells beneath the skin.
One Body Shaping treatment uses light to kill fat cells. Because fat cells are much more sensitive to temperature than skin cells, it is possible to attack the fat cells through the skin with laser beams. This type of treatment has the added benefit of promoting production of collagen and elastin, which make the skin look tighter and younger. A laser treatment typically takes 20 to 30 minutes, and most patients need several treatments.
Another non-surgical Body Shaping method uses radio frequencies to produce fat-destroying heat. During this treatment, electrodes are placed on the skin and radio frequencies introduce an electrical current. The skin and tissue underneath heat up in response. As with laser light therapy, the heat stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, which tightens the skin. Patients typically have between four and eight treatments.
Just as fat cells are sensitive to heat, they are also vulnerable to cold. With cryolipolysis, fat cells are cooled to a point above freezing that is not harmful to the skin. A device is placed directly on the skin that cools the fat underneath to the point that the cells die and are reabsorbed by the body. Patients usually need multiple treatments to see results.
Non-surgical body sculpting can be an ideal treatment for people who need to lose some fat but do not need overall weight loss. A non-invasive approach eliminates the risk of complications from anesthesia or surgery, and it involves minimal if any discomfort. There is little chance of bruising or swelling, and there is no downtime from work. Many of these procedures are available in a medispa environment, like Renew MediSpa of Southern New Hampshire LLC.