New trends in body contouring treatment

BLAME it on the idea of transformation or simply witness the success of the Korean reality show “Let Me In” and other programmes of that ilk. Today, more and more Asian women aspire to a lean and curvy body shape. It is said a slender waist and slim body convey a sense of femininity and sexiness.

But can you really get a smaller waist, tighter tummy, thinner thighs and sculpted arms especially in middle age? It is no secret that as you age your body changes and excess fat seems to park itself all over your body. Besides eating the right foods and exercising regularly, many women are opting for medical procedures to sculpt a sexy shape.

The gold standard for fixing bothersome excess fat is liposuction, which is an invasive procedure. The post-procedure pain, bruising, numbness and swelling can last up to several weeks. However, surgical liposuction isn’t the only way to get slender arms and abs. And there are more high-tech fat fixers without surgery on the horizon. According to the 2015 American Society for Dermatologic Surgery’s annual meeting, the most promising procedure is fat-freezing. Also known as cryolipolysis, this procedure was first approved by the US FDA in 2010, and has now evolved with multiple adaptors and multiple indications for non-invasive fat reduction.

Dermatologists now can treat the flanks, the abdomen, the thighs, the upper arms, bra fat and most recently, the fat under the chin.

Unlike ultrasound and heat-based fat reducing procedures, which explode or melt the fat cells, the cryolipolysis procedure works by freezing them, causing them to die. As fat cells die, they collapse and a natural inflammatory process removes the dead cells through the lymphatic system. This has fewer side effects, less bruising and soreness, and it seems very effective. It can reduce fatty tissue by about 25 per cent after a series of treatments and there’s also retraction of the skin. Results are visible within three weeks though in more drastic cases can take two months. 

In the never-ending quest for flatter tummies and thinner thighs, a non-invasive procedure like cryolipolysis with little discomfort, and requiring no post-treatment downtime has definitely revolutionised the idea of body transformation. 

Today dermatologists can treat significant areas of fat in a non-invasive fashion and that has to be good news for figure-conscious ladies.

 

THANISORN THAMLIKITKUL MD is a |member of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery and certified in dermatological laser surgery. Send your |questions for her to [email protected]