You’ve sweated it out and starved yourself. You’ve also tried all those food supplements that promise a model’s figure. Yet, it looks like your love handles, oversized hips, sagging underarms or other unwanted fat deposits are going nowhere; they’re being more stubborn that a three-year-old boy crying for a lollipop.
There are several ways to get rid of stubborn fat these days and maybe you’ll need to consider precise liposuction. But then the question is, is it reliable, effective and safe?
WHAT IS A GOOD TREATMENT TO GET RID OF STUBBORN FAT?
When we refer to losing fat permanently, we’re not talking about cellulite, massages or infra-red saunas. Neither are we talking about losing weight. What we mean is losing the fat accumulation permanently. Fat accumulation happens to both men and woman. In women, fat usually accumulates around the waist, hips and bra-strap zone, and gets more stubborn with age. Unless you’re really thin (and that’s another story), normally, no matter how much weight you lose or exercise you do, you just can’t lose the fat lumps. To really get rid of it, you’ll often have to resort to special treatments.
Since cellulite machines are not permanent, for a non-invasive permanent solution there’s the Zeltiq Cryolypolysis machine, which effectively kills fat cells at temperatures above freezing without affecting surrounding tissue. However, the downside is that it can takes from two to four months to see results. Zerona is a permanent solution for the removal of unwanted fat deposits, but you’ll need to get it done multiple times _ many more times than would be needed with Zeltiq.
If you’re looking for dramatic and immediate results, liposuction is usually your best option. When this invasive treatment first came out it involved lengthy downtime and quite a bit of bruising and pain. But an improved version, introduced soon afterwards, ensured a more comfortable experience for patients. It uses laser liposuction and Vaser ultrasound technology to achieve better results as well as reduce downtime and bruising. The main complaint is that after fat is removed the excess skin sags, taking on a lumpy, irregular appearance. To complete the procedure we would then tend to use another treatment called Thermage, which burns the tissue and tightens the skin. But now, thanks to the latest development in liposuction technology, an innovation called Body Tite, we can remove fat and tighten loose skin simultaneously.
HOW IS BODY TITE BETTER THAN EXISTING TREATMENTS?
As a dermatologist, I love this new technology because it’s quite beneficial for patients who have skin laxity, but don’t want an additional procedure. Instead of using laser liposuction or ultrasound Vaser which just suck out the fat cells, Body Tite _ aka Radio Frequency-Assisted Lipo Tightening _ uses RF technology to go in, burn and melt the fat, before removing it; it is also able to tighten the skin at the same time. Radio frequency also has a very heavy coagulation effect so you don’t have as much bruising as you get with laser.
Laser is considered one of the better liposuction techniques, but this new treatment is already creating a “wow effect” because it pre-melts the fat, making the removal process less traumatic and greatly reducing post-procedural pain, swelling and discomfort. But, like I said earlier, the best feature of this machine is to be able to perform liposuction and tighten your skin at the same time. Unlike all existing laser liposuction and ultrasound Vaser technologies, Body Tite is designed to tighten even the top layer of skin, often with soft-tissue contraction of upto 40%.
WHAT SIDE EFFECTS AND DOWNTIME CAN I EXPECT?
The treatment takes a couple of hours. Downtime depends on the extent of the treatment and how strong you are. Afterwards, you may experience some tenderness and soreness in the area treated. Very few patients report any actual pain and often it’s just a walk-in procedure, which means you can avoid the costs associated with overnight stays.
Rarely will you face anything more extreme but, like all other kinds of liposuction, there is a risk of complications. The worst-case scenario is death due to over-sedation or fat embolism (which can occur as a result of heavy liposuction). While all normal surgical precautions are taken, bleeding or infections are also a possibility. Check-ups are done before a person is accepted as a candidate for liposuction and if the patient is suffering from certain diseases he or she may be advised to avoid undergoing liposuction.
IS THERE MUCH DIFFERENCE IN PRICE?
Body Tite costs pretty much the same as a laser or ultrasound-assisted liposuction. The price may be 10-20% higher in some places, but remember that you won’t need additional skin-tightening procedures so you’ll be saving on that expense.
