Sometimes, your weight loss journey may take a little longer than you think. For those who lose a significant amount of weight through diet and exercise, you may come to find that you have lingering pockets of unwanted fat and excess skin when you are near your goal weight, and while these final steps may seem difficult to complete, the right cosmetic treatment can help you reach the finish line. At Premiere Aesthetics in Fort Myers, FL, we know that body contouring treatments can be just the helping hand you need to achieve your appearance goals.
What Is Body Contouring Without Surgery?
A body contouring or body sculpting treatment is an umbrella term that refers to any type of cosmetic treatment that sculpts the body into a preferred shape. Contouring treatments can reference fat reduction, skin tightening, muscle toning, and cellulite smoothing treatments and procedures. For the body, the most traditional form of contouring is surgical liposuction, but patients also have non-surgical contouring treatment options, too.
A non-surgical contouring treatment is one that focuses on mild to moderate body-image concerns, such as small pockets of body fat or increased skin laxity associated with aging. Most often, a contouring treatment without surgery is one that involves technology-based devices and techniques, including radiofrequency, ultrasound therapy, and laser treatments.
Less Invasive
Non-surgical contouring treatments for the body are less invasive than surgical treatments. Surgical treatments such as liposuction or excision will involve incisions, sutures, and the use of general anesthesia to perform the treatment.
Non-surgical treatments, on the other hand, typically use special devices and diodes that are strapped or applied to the body for short periods of time. For this reason, most patients won’t feel any discomfort associated with a non–surgical contouring treatment.
Faster Recovery
Contouring treatments without surgery will also have a faster recovery. For example, while you may expect three to six weeks of recovery time for a surgical contouring treatment, you can expect a recovery period of about one week for non-surgical treatments. The faster recovery period allows you to return to your normal daily activities much more quickly, including work and regular exercise.
Gradual Results
However, the trade-off for the less invasive treatment method and the faster recovery time is the fact that the results for non-surgical treatments will be gradual. For patients, this can mean it will take several weeks and repeated treatments to achieve your ideal results, sometimes as much as three or four months. But then again, the gradual results also tend to be easier to maintain and appear more natural-looking once you are fully recovered.
So, now that you know what a non-surgical contouring treatment for the body involves, you should also know that there are tons of non-surgical treatments to choose from. Most non-surgical contouring treatments serve a specific purpose, such as only reducing fat, but at our clinic, we prefer a multi-functional contouring treatment for the body called Venus Freeze.
What Is Venus Freeze?
Venus Freeze is a multi-polar radio frequency and magnetic pulse therapy used to contour the appearance of the body. Unlike some other non-surgical contouring treatments, Venus Freeze can address multiple issues at once. Venus Freeze does not feel cold and can’t be compared to CoolSculping, as the only “freezing” involved in this treatment is the freezing and visible reversal of the visible signs of aging.
What Can This Treat?
This treatment can address a variety of complex body-related issues that are co-morbid, or that occur at the same time. For example, this treatment can be used to reduce both a small layer of fat beneath the skin tissue, as well as tighten and smooth the appearance of cellulite. The full list of issues this treatment can address includes:
- Sagging underarms aka “batwings”
- Loose abdominal skin
- Unwanted tummy fat
- Love handles and hip fat
- Uneven skin and fat tissue
- Cellulite
- Wrinkles and lines on the body
The reason this treatment can address so many issues at once is due to the fact that many of these body concerns share the same underlying root causes. For example, both cellulite and sagging skin on the body are associated with the natural decline of collagen production in the body associated with the aging process. Likewise, reducing a small layer of fat on the body can also help reduce or smooth the appearance of cellulite, which is also caused by the breakdown of connective tissue between fatty layers of skin tissue.
What Will Your Consultation Be Like?
Consultation appointments are important for contouring treatments because it’s vital for you and your aesthetician to be on the same page for your body goals. Some patients find it helpful to bring in reference photos so we can understand how they would like the trouble areas of their body to look. However, that said, non-invasive contouring treatments are ideal for mild or moderate concerns and can’t make significant changes to your appearance the same way a surgical treatment might be able to.
During your consultation, we will need to verify that you are at or near your goal weight, as most non-surgical contouring treatments will not help you lose additional weight. We will also go over the reasonable expectations you should have for your treatment. We may request to take reference photos so e can plan and track your treatment better.
How Does This Treatment Work?
Venus Freeze is a two-pronged treatment. For issues like wrinkle reduction and skin laxity, the thermal energy generated by the multi-polar radio frequency will gently heat the tissues of the skin to stimulate the production of new proteins in the skin. Radiofrequency thermal energy will increase the amount of collagen produced in the sub-dermal layers of skin, which will in turn tighten skin and restore a more youthful texture.
For cellulite reduction and other contouring needs, the thermal energy generated by the combination of radiofrequency and magnetic pulse technology causes fat cells in the body to release hormones that help break fat down naturally. Essentially, this treatment prompts your body’s own natural properties to eliminate unwanted fat, including fat associated with cellulite.
Are Treatments Painful?
For your treatments, the Venus Freeze device will be applied to areas of your body that you identify as a problem, such as your hips, stomach, or thighs. Your treatment will not be painful. In fact, most patients compare the sensation of this treatment to a hot stone massage or using a tanning bed. For this reason, most patients do not request the use of topical numbing creams to ensure comfort during the treatment.
How Many Treatments Will You Need?
Your treatment appointment will usually take between 15 to 30 minutes depending on how many areas are being treated at one time. You will likely require several treatments to achieve your aesthetic goals. Many patients will need three to six treatments to address cellulite and skin laxity. We will help you determine the right amount of treatments to achieve all of your appearance goals.
How Can You Prepare for Treatment?
Although this is a non-surgical contouring treatment, there are still some things you will need to do to prepare for your treatment. The most important thing you will need to do is drink plenty of water before your appointment to help prepare for exposure to thermal energy, which will reduce the amount of moisture stored in your skin. You will also need to avoid shaving or waxing the treatment areas for at least one or two days before your appointment.
Will You Have Aftercare Instructions?
After your treatment, it will still be important to drink plenty of water to help your body respond successfully to the treatment. You recommend patients drink at least half their body weight in ounces of water each day, which means someone who weighs 160 lbs should be drinking 80 oz of water during the first week after their treatment.
You will also need to engage in some light or moderate cardiovascular exercise, particularly if you are treating cellulite and minor fat reduction. Walking, floor exercises, and swimming are all ideal exercises to engage in during your recovery period. Please limit alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine intake during this time.
How Soon Will You See Results?
You will be able to see your final results within three to four months after your final treatment appointment. This is because it will take some time for your body’s natural processes to break down fatty tissues and increase collagen production. You may see results sooner if you continue dieting and exercising during this time.
How Long Do Results Last?
The results of your treatment will last for three to six months after your final treatment appointment. For this reason, you will likely need to have regular maintenance treatments to maintain your results. Most patients opt to have maintenance treatments about once or twice a year to continue collagen production.
How Can You Maintain Results?
You can also maintain your results by maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. If you gain a significant amount of weight after your treatment, you will undo your results. For women, this may mean you will need to postpone your treatment until after you have finished your family planning, as pregnancy will undo the results of your treatment.
Should You Consider Other Body Contouring Treatments?
Venus Freeze is not the only non-surgical contouring treatment available to you. For example, some areas of the body may benefit more from Ultherapy to induce the production of more collagen and sculpt smaller body zones, such as the neck. We will help you explore all of your treatment options to achieve your aesthetic goals.
Who Are Good Body Contouring Candidates?
The best candidates for body contouring fort myers treatments are those who are within five to ten pounds of their goal weight. Those who have mild or moderate amounts of excess skin laxity, unwanted residual fat, and visible cellulite may also be good candidates for this type of treatment. Women who are currently pregnant or breastfeeding, or planning to be, should postpone their treatment.
Get Into Your Best Body Shape With Body Contouring Treatments
Your weight loss journey is one that you’ve worked hard for, so it makes sense that you want to do everything you can to achieve your treatment goals. With the right cosmetic treatment, you can get into your best body shape of your life and achieve all of your aesthetic goals. To learn more about fort myers body contouring treatments and to schedule your consultation appointment, call Premiere Aesthetics in Fort Myers, FL today!