When you’re young and wanting to lose weight and fat, your body can typically handle the change with the appropriate diet, physical activity and will power. You’d shrink and your body would naturally contour itself in most areas with smoother, tighter, firmer skin and a slimmer silhouette. As we move into our 30s and 40s, we may still lose the weight and feel great, but find that our skin and bodies aren’t adapting as well or as quickly as they once did, and that stubborn areas of fat remain that are simply resistant to change.
These impervious areas may include that spare tire sitting around the midsection, a little pouch in the lower abdomen, saddle bags, love handles, muffin tops, underarm fat, as well as excess fat on back and thighs to name a few. We find ourselves hating these areas, desperately looking for ways to spot treat with exercise and healthy ‘fat-blasting’ foods. And while a healthy diet and exercise are fundamental to leading a long healthy life, our genetics can determine where we hold fat regardless of our lifestyle choices. Fortunately, Toronto’s Elements Spa offers both surgical and nonsurgical solutions for spot treating fat for those patients seeking to better define, sculpt and enhance these areas. Let’s take a closer look!
Nonsurgical Fat Removal: Body FX and CoolSculpting
For patients seeking nonsurgical alternatives with less downtime, Body FX or CoolSculpting may prove ideal options. Body FX uses a radio frequency device (handpiece) that is safely and easily passed over the targeted problem area, delivering radio frequency with the help of gentle suction and heat to destroy fat cells. Body FX also works more efficiently to tighten the skin. Depending on the area to be treated, sessions could last as little as 20 minutes with maintenance sessions scheduled in the weeks to follow. Patients typically show some redness on the treated area and possibly bruising. Otherwise, Body FX is very well tolerated with no need for anesthesia or pain relief medications, and results more apparent after 2 to 3 sessions.
CoolSculpting is also a targeted treatment via a device that is secured over the problem area to freeze the fat cells under the skin. This freezing kills the fat cells, allowing them to be naturally eliminated through the body over several months. Treatment can take anywhere between 30-45 minutes depending on the area. Once the device is removed, the area is massaged and the treatment is complete. Patients may also need further sessions and typically experience tenderness immediately after treatment which subsides after a few days.
Surgical Fat Removal: Contouring with Liposuction
As with nonsurgical options, liposuction—and board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Adibfar’s advanced liposuction techniques—do not replace actual weight loss. Liposuction is a treatment used to further sculpt, contour and define pesky areas that seem unaffected by conventional weight loss techniques. Liposuction is a form of permanent fat loss that removes the fat cells from the body. It is an invasive surgery which will require either local or general anesthesia, however patients typically require solely one procedure (unless the patient requires multiple combined surgeries).
Liposuction works by surgically removing excess fat using a safe suction device and/or laser to remove the fat under the skin. This allows Dr. Adibfar to easily contour the area for a more balanced and appealing silhouette. Dr. Adibfar begins by carefully marking the body as a guideline during the procedure. A fluid anesthetic is then used to numb the area before Dr. Adibfar makes his incision(s) to safely and efficiently suction the fat cells from the body. The incisions are then carefully closed and patients are typically asked to wear compression garments to allow the body to better acclimate to its new silhouette. Liposuction does require more downtime (more often time off from work and strenuous activities) in order to heal quickly and efficiently. After full recovery, patients will need to practice a reasonably disciplined lifestyle (as with any treatment) to maintain their shape, silhouette and fat percentage. Patients will also notice a more sculpted, contoured figure with a great sense of relief seeing that the stubborn areas of fat they lived with forever, no longer exist on their newly defined bodies.
Click here to learn more or to book a consultation with one of Toronto’s best board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeons, Dr. Adibfar.