You decided it’s time to improve your body – and you need something more than just diet and exercise. So you start your research about non-surgical fat reduction treatments. You find so many options and the devices all have sound-alike names. Which treatments work? How many treatments do you need? Is the fat loss permanent? Who can you trust? You feel overwhelmed. How do you choose?
You want Natural Looking Results. You want your friends to ask, “Wow, have you lost weight?” You don’t want your friends to say, “When did you have surgery?” or “Why is your abdomen so lumpy?”
You want a No Downtime treatment. You have a very busy life. You don’t have time to hide away for several days and you surely wouldn’t want to mess with those compression garments.
You want a medical technology that is FDA Approved. You want to know that the treatment is both safe and effective.
You want the Best Results possible. Technology is paramount but the best results require much more than technology. You achieve the best results only from experts. Body shaping experts who have years of experience in mastering the necessary knowledge and skills. Not every facility and/or its providers has achieved this mastery. Your choice of facility and providers is the single most important part of achieving the results you want.
To make a smart decision, you must first arm yourself with information about the different treatments used to reduce unwanted fat. You need to know which treatments cause a permanent fat loss. You need to know which treatments cause pain or discomfort. This information will help you narrow your focus. We can clear up much of the confusion by dividing the different treatments and devices by the particular technology that each employs.
Non-Surgical Permanent Fat Loss Technology
- Cryolipolysis – FDA Approved; freezes up to 21% fat cells (controlled frostbite)
Trade Name – Coolsculpting™
One hour treatment can be painful with pain & neuro symptoms post treatment
Does not result in skin tightening in the treated area
- Laser Lipolysis – FDA Approved; destroys up to 25% of fat cells with laser heat
Trade Name – SculpSure™
25 minute treatment – painless treatment & no post treatment discomfort
Results in skin tightening in the treated area
Non-Surgical Fat Loss Technology (non-permanent results)
- Ultrasound (Sound Waves) – FDA approved technology to reduce
circumference; damages fat cells with sound waves; fat cells are damaged
& shrunk, NOT destroyed
Trade Names – Ultrashape, Liposonix, Ultrasonic Cavitation, Bella Contour,
Vaser Shape
Treatment takes 1 hour – painful, so pain medication needed prior to treatment
leads to 3 hour treatment
Does not tighten skin in the treated area
Fat loss is NOT permanent and can be regained
- RadioFrequency (Radio Waves) – FDA approved technology to reduce
circumference; damages fat cells with heat; fat cells are damaged & shrunk, NOT destroyed
Trade Names – truSculpt, JuVaShape, Vanquish, Venus Freeze, Exilis,
Thermage (used for cellulite)
Treatments take 30 minutes – 1+ hours; not painful, though Thermage is painful
Results in skin tightening in the treated area
Fat loss is NOT permanent and can be regained
- Low-Level Cold Laser – FDA approved technology to reduce circumference;
damages fat cell membranes, shrinks fat cells, fat cells are NOT destroyed; called a “cold” laser because it does not heat
Trade Names – Zerona
Treatments take 1 hour – no pain
Does not result in skin tightening in the treated area
Fat loss is NOT permanent and can be regained
- LED (Light Emitting Diode) (Lightwaves) – FDA approved technology;
releases fat from cells & said to shrink fat cells, NO fat destruction; diet & exercise with treatment is recommended for efficacy
Trade Names – Lipo Light, “Lipo Laser” (not to be confused with Laser Lipo, a
form of liposuction), I Lipo
Treatments take 30 minutes – 1 hour (2x weekly); no pain
Does not result in skin tightening in the treated area
Fat loss is NOT permanent and can be regained
- Injectables for the body – NOT yet FDA approved; damages fat cells with
phospholipids and bile acids; shrinks fat cells but it is not believed to cause permanent fat cell destruction
Trade Names – Mesotherapy, Lipodissolve
Treatments take 1 hour; some discomfort during & after treatment
Skin tightening has been seen in the treated areas
Fat loss in NOT believed to be permanent and can be regained
- Injectables for the Double Chin – FDA approved for fat loss; destroys fat cells;
the fat cells will not return
Trade Names – Kybella
Treatments take 30 minutes; some discomfort during & after treatment
Skin tightening has been seen in the treated areas
Fat loss is believed to be permanent
- Combination Technology – combines two or more FDA approved or non-FDA
approved technologies. Most of these devices are used to treat Cellulite.
Trade Names – VelaShape, VelaSmooth, SmoothShapes
These devices are used to reduce cellulite and are not used to reduce fat
Be selective when seeking advice for fat loss treatments. Whatever treatment you choose, the experience of your provider makes a world of difference. Even while employing the same technology your results will vary. This is largely due to the experience and training of the facility and technicians.
The cost of the treatment is also a consideration. But, its only one of the considerations. Caution to those using price as the base of their decision. An even bigger caution to “specials” or groupons that sound too good to be true. You know the old saying, “you get what you pay for.”
Your body deserves the very best. You need the best facility with the best technology. You need the most well trained technicians to perform your procedure for best results. You need body shaping experts. Your results depend on it. In San Antonio, call Sculpt Away @ 210-227-3051 or learn more at SculptAway.com.
San Antonio
