Non-Invasive Body Sculpting Options
There was a time when the only way to remove excess fat around your body was liposuction. Technology and research have changed that reality over the past twenty years so that now people can have their bodies sculpted without major incisions or invasive extraction methods.
At Spalding Drive Plastic Surgery, you have your pick of body sculpting and body contouring, noninvasive procedures, including:
- Smartlipo
- Liposonix
- Ultrashape
- CoolSculpting
Why Body Sculpting is Needed
Some amount of fat is important to your body in keeping it warm and insulated. It also acts as an energy source when your body needs to draw on reserves. When you don’t use the fat cells at the same rate that they build up, that’s where you start to get pockets of excess fat around your body. Fat is present all over, but the problem areas occur where gravity has the greatest influence. Places like under your chin, around your hips, under your arms, and around your thighs are all spots where fat has a tendency to build up. Once it builds up, these fat deposits can be very stubborn and difficult to remove.
This is where our Beverly Hills body sculpting comes in. Sometimes you can have a perfectly healthy body, but you have these areas of stubborn fat that prevent you from having a body that is toned and fit. Body sculpting methods target these areas to destroy the deposits and eliminate them permanently.
How the Fat Cells are Destroyed
The mechanism for destroying fat cells depends on the body contouring procedure that’s chosen. Fat sticks together and at one time was difficult to break up without manual force. Now there are procedures capable of destroying the cells without needing to physically go inside your skin.
With Smartlipo, a laser is used to direct thermal energy (heat) into the fat cells. The heat from the laser breaks apart the cell membranes without doing any other damage to the surrounding tissue. The laser also causes the tiny blood vessels that feed the fat cells to coagulate, cutting off the blood supply needed to maintain the fat deposits. The laser is applied underneath the skin through a small tube called a cannula, which is inserted through a very small incision right at the fat deposit to give the laser direct access to the cells.
With Liposonix and Ultrashape, ultrasound energy is used to break up the fat cells instead of a laser. A special device sits on top of the skin and pulses of ultrasonic energy are sent to the fat cells. The energy from the device causes the cell membranes to break apart, destroying the fat cells. The ultrasound doesn’t hurt the skin or any other parts of the body, only the fat deposits.
How the Fat Cells are Eliminated
Your body processes and eliminates fat cells every single day, so it’s no big deal when, during your Los Angeles body contouring procedure, your fat deposits are destroyed by an external device rather than your own body. With the Smartlipo laser device, fat that has been broken up can be removed through the cannula once the laser has finished destroying the necessary amount of fat. This will typically happen if a large amount of fat has been destroyed with the laser so the deposits can be removed immediately. For the Liposonix and Ultrashape methods, the body will eliminate the destroyed fat cells on its own, just like it would eliminate fat cells normally.
Body Sculpting Results
If you are getting Smartlipo or any other type of liposuction that involves the use of a cannula, you will get to see some of your results right away. The full effect won’t be visible just yet, as your body might be experiencing a small amount of swelling or bruising from the procedure. Smartlipo is designed to greatly reduce swelling and bruising by using a laser instead of manually breaking up the fat, but you might still have some for a couple weeks.
Body sculpting results from Liposonix or Ultrashape won’t be visible right away because your body needs time to remove all the destroyed fat cells from your body. Because these procedures don’t involve incisions or anesthesia, you will likely only experience some mild discomfort. They can also be repeated as needed until you have the results you want.
Once that fat is destroyed and eliminated, it won’t be coming back. In a few weeks following your body sculpting in Beverly Hills, you’ll notice that your body looks more toned and fit without the extra fat deposits hanging off your frame.
Choosing Between Your Non-Invasive Body Sculpting Options
Each body sculpting method has its own risks and benefits to patients and they don’t all work the same. Liposonix might do more good for one patient than Smartlipo, while another patient would do better with the opposite. You might not know which option is the best for you, which is where a plastic surgeon comes in. They will help you choose which body sculpting procedure will give you the most optimal results based on your body’s needs and your medical history.
Each of these methods and more are offered at Spalding Drive Plastic Surgery. To schedule a patient consultation for Los Angeles body sculpting, and to learn more about your body sculpting options, contact Spalding Drive at (310) 275-2467.