If excess fat or saggy skin is plaguing you no matter how much you diet and exercise, you may be wondering about body sculpting or contouring. Body contouring is a targeted way of sculpting the body to get rid of unwanted and stubborn fat areas to leave you with a smooth body contour.
These surgical and non-surgical treatments can be confusing, particularly given the pace of new treatment developments in the field. That is one reason why it’s useful to describe three procedures that have gained particular prominence in the area of body sculpting and fat reduction.
- Liposuction – Liposuction is a well-known procedure, and the accepted gold standard for removing accumulations of unwanted fat from between the skin and the muscle in areas such as the buns and thighs, abdomen, love handles and neck.
This procedure can be done entirely with a local anesthetic, something that Dr. Paul Lubitz, a surgical dermatologist who leads Art of SKIN Dermatology, Laser and Cosmetic Surgery in Canmore, Canada, describes in more detail.
“Tumescent liposuction involves the injection of large volumes of dilute lidocaine, a local anesthetic, and epinephrine into the fat. It’s a liposuction procedure that can be done completely with a long-lasting local anesthesia that results in minimal bleeding, both during and after the surgery,” Dr. Lubitz explains. He then adds, “Tumescent liposuction with local anesthesia has also become the safest form of liposuction surgery, which is one of the most important things for patients to know.”
- SculpSure® – SculpSure® is a non-surgical procedure that uses light-based laser technology to target and destroy unwanted fat cells. In a series of 25 minute treatments, SculpSure® permanently destroys up to 24% of treated fat cells with each treatment in areas such as the love handles, abdomen, thighs and arms. Results can be seen in roughly six weeks, once the body starts to purge destroyed fat cells.
- BELKYRA™ Injectable – BELKYRA™ is an injectable, synthetic form of deoxycholic acid that is specifically used to eliminate localised fat deposits in specific areas such as double chins. After BELKYRA™ is injected, the deoxycholic acid, which is a substance naturally found in the body, permanently destroys fat cell membranes.
Is Body Sculpting Right for Me?
As mentioned, the field of body sculpting continues to advance, with the number of non-surgical options that patients can choose from continuing to expand.
However, regardless of pace of development, what remains ever-important when it comes to whether one decides to move forward with a body sculpting or fat reduction procedure is making sure they truly understand the treatment and how it will impact their bodies.
Dr. Paul Lubitz explains, “Regardless of whether a patient chooses a surgical or non-surgical fat reduction or a body sculpting treatment, we want to make sure they are knowledgeable about the procedure, including how the treatment works, how long it will take to recover, and how their body may respond. Education is one of the most important aspects of the patient-doctor relationship and something we emphasize at Art of SKIN.”
Dr. Lubitz adds, “a very important consideration for a patient who is contemplating body contouring is whether the particular cosmetic physician that provides the treatment offers a variety of the currently available fat removal treatments both surgical and non–surgical or only one or the other. Only when the physician offers both types of treatments i.e. liposuction and laser or Belkyra injection, can the patient expect to receive a truly unbiased opinion as to what specific treatment would be best for the patient”.
In the end, the question of whether a body sculpting or fat reduction treatment is right for a particular patient can only be answered by the patient themselves.
“Everyone has their own comfort levels when it comes to surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedures,” Dr. Lubitz adds. “Everyone also has their own cosmetic goals. What I urge is that those who are considering some form of cosmetic surgery such as body contouring consult with a certified and trained doctor and work with them to come to the most appropriate solution.”