Body Contouring

Body contouring results depend on activity levels and lifestyle choices post treatment. Some clients may achieve results that are nearly permanent, while others may benefit from monthly or yearly maintenance visits. Body contouring triggers internal processes, therefore, results of body contouring before and after 1 treatment may not be as visible for some. But with time, the effects of the non-invasive body contouring will be seen with greater muscle definition and diminished fat stores.

Both of these non-invasive body contouring methods result in the destruction of fat cells, but only body contouring builds muscle at the same time. Which body contouring method is right for you depends on your goals and the areas to be treated. If you are already in good shape and want to look more muscular and reduce stubborn pockets of fat, body contouring might be a good option. If you have larger pockets or rolls of fat and want to focus just on fat reduction, CoolSculpting® may be a better choice. Consulting with a doctor who can analyze the foundational issues (muscle, fat and skin) is important to determine if body contouring results are for you.

Body contouring results in a reduction in the fat layer and a thickening of muscle tissue⁴ which may account for the tightening effect reported by doctors and patients.⁵ The more recent body contouring NEO may result in tightened skin due to the collagen stimulating and remodeling properties of the radiofrequency aspect of the treatment. Much like other RF-based non-invasive body contouring methods, body contouring NEO may result in firmer, tauter skin, but it is not specifically a treatment to target loos skin.

Body contouring results are best achieved on someone who is already in good shape with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or less, looking for extra definition in the abdomen and/or buttocks. Body contouring cannot target generalized fat throughout the body, but is ideal for small areas of stubborn fat stores.

Body contouring achieves a non-invasive body contouring, but is not specifically designed to treat cellulite. Body contouring will target fat cells and improve collagen stores in the skin for a tighter appearance, which may also improve the appearance of cellulite, but it is not the main focus. Patients interested in greater focus on cellulite may be interested in exploring EmTone® or procedures such as Cellulaze™or Cellfina™. EmTone® is a device manufactured by the same parent company as body contouring with claims that 93% of patients report a visible reduction in cellulite after 4 treatments.⁶ Treatments that specifically target cellulite are commonly suggested in tandem with body contouring non-invasive body contouring.

The recommended protocol for body contouring is four non-invasive body contouring treatments scheduled over a two-week period⁷, followed by monthly or yearly maintenance treatments depending upon the body contouring needs and desires of the client. Other body contouring before and after treatment may follow different treatment schedules. An experienced body contouring practitioner can recommend the appropriate protocol for your specific concerns.

Body contouring is a bit like getting the benefits of doing weeks of intense workouts in just 30 minutes. And, similar to muscle gains and fat loss with regular exercise, you will lose the benefits if you don’t maintain the muscle gains with exercise and inhibit future fat deposits with healthy eating.

The hips and abdominal area are the first places fat is deposited in both men and women and are difficult to lose even with intense exercise and disciplined eating. Body contouring results in particularly efficient reductions in the love handle area, and unlike an invasive procedure such as liposuction, body contouring delivers impressive results with completely non-invasive body contouring and no downtime.

The term “burning fat” is often in reference to the effect of exercise on fat cells in the body. Exercise will cause the body to use the fat stored in fat cells for energy, but the fat cell itself is still present. During an body contouring treatment, a magnetic coil positioned over a particular area produces rapidly alternating magnetic fields that induce an electric current in the underlying tissue stimulating motor neurons to cause involuntary muscle contractions (nearly 20,000 pulses in a single 30-minute session). It’s believed that this muscle stimulation creates a hypermetabolic state wherein the fat cells become metabolically dysfunctional resulting in apoptosis. ⁸ More recently, the body contouring NEO device has been introducted which includes heating of the tissues with radio frequency for increased fat redcution.⁹ In other words, non-invasive body contouring may cause the actual destruction of the fat cell and reduced deposits of fat in targeted areas is within the purview of body contouring results, but it is not a weight loss treatment. Body contouring works best for individuals already in good shape and at their ideal BMI (Body Mass Index).