You’ve logged hours at the gym and eat a balanced diet but can’t seem to get rid of stubborn fat deposits. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Stubborn pockets of diet and exercise-resistant fat can be exceedingly difficult to deal with. Sometimes, exercise and diet only take you so far—especially for stubborn areas that don’t seem to care how many squats or crunches you do. Luckily, there are non-invasive cosmetic procedures that can help you on your journey to achieve your ideal body. Body sculpting is one of those options.
What is body sculpting?
Here at Bend Plastic Surgery, we have two options for body contouring. Surgical body contouring may involve a number of techniques, such as liposuction, or surgical skin removal, such as an abdominoplasty. While effective, these procedures have a longer recovery time.
For the purpose of this article, we’ll be discussing the non-surgical body contouring approach, which uses SculpSure™ for fat reduction.
Body sculpting with SculpSure™ is a non-invasive cosmetic procedure used to target and eliminate fat cells in problem areas. The procedure uses targeted laser energy to heat fat cells under the skin’s surface without affecting the outer layer itself.
All the equipment stays on or above the skin. Most procedures have you in and out within a few hours or less, depending on the number of areas you’d like to address.
So, how does body sculpting work?
The main goal in body sculpting is to break down or dismantle fat cells that hang around despite good exercise and diet. There are a few different methodologies to do so. Some clinics use cryolipolysis (AKA extreme cooling technology) to break down fat cells. Others use injections or ultrasound waves to achieve the same result.
Here at Bend Plastic Surgery, we use a laser treatment method called SculpSureⓇ that uses a specific laser wavelength to heat up fat cells, so they break down.
Don’t worry! It doesn’t burn the skin or damage the surrounding muscles and organs. This wavelength is designed to specifically target fat cells and only heats up to the point that fat starts to break down (about as hot as a summer day in Arizona: 106-116 degrees Fahrenheit.)
The procedure is FDA cleared, and side effects are minimal— most patients experience minor discomfort, stiffness, or bruising the following day.
What about results?
One of the great things about body sculpting is that results are permanent, so long as you maintain your usual healthy habits! You’ll start to notice results within a few weeks (it takes a little time for your body to flush out fat cells through your lymphatic system naturally). Most patients can expect to see final results within about three months.
Is body sculpting right for me?
You might be a good candidate for body sculpting if you:
- Have stubborn pockets of fat that haven’t responded to changes in exercise and diet
- Suffer from cellulite
- Want to achieve a slimmer, more natural-looking appearance
- Want to reduce fat around your belly, back, inner/outer thighs, “love handles”
Curious to find out if body sculpting is the right treatment for you? Reach out to Dr. Angeles and the team at Bend Plastic Surgery today!