There’s a widely held belief that you can achieve the perfect body with enough exercise and dieting. However, this isn’t always true. The human body evolved over millions of years to hold onto fat, and for a long time, this served us well in times of famine.
However, now we see that sometimes our bodies are a little too good at storing it, creating problem areas that won’t go away no matter what you do.
In the past, the only way to remedy this was by undergoing invasive surgery to suction the fat away. While effective, these elective procedures can have a considerable cost.
Not only are they expensive, but frequently patients are out of commission for weeks, unable to work or take care of the house while dealing with a great deal of pain. For most people, this isn’t an option.
Fortunately, there are new procedures that eliminate fat without lengthy downtime. One of these is SculpSure, a treatment that’s growing in popularity due to its long-term effects and quick process.
If you’ve struggled with stubborn fat or don’t like the idea of going under the knife, SculpSure may be the perfect solution.
What Is SculpSure?
SculpSure, also called WarmSculpting, is a temperature-related contouring treatment. A famous predecessor you may be familiar with is CoolSculpting, which uses freezing technology to slim down problem areas.
As you may guess, SculpSure was created with the same idea but a different approach. Rather than using cold or ultrasound waves, this treatment employs lasers to penetrate the skin and reach fat cells. It can be used on a variety of body parts:
- Thighs
- Belly
- Back
- Flanks
- Chin
SculpSure is FDA-cleared and should be administered by a healthcare professional. While not as invasive as cosmetic surgery, it’s still a medical procedure that uses high-grade equipment and therefore requires training and medical knowledge to apply successfully.
While not its primary purpose, you should also know that SculpSure can improve skin tightness and texture as a side effect. Its use of lasers can stimulate collagen generation, which is what gives your skin elasticity and smoothness.
CoolSculpting doesn’t have this effect, so if you’re interested in addressing sagging or uneven texture, you may want to consider using SculpSure.
How It Works
The idea of lasers being used in a cosmetic procedure can make some people feel a little skittish. This concern typically arises from the depiction of lasers as beams that cause harm.
In reality, lasers are just light rays that we can customize to do several things. For example, specific wavelengths allow us to break down the ink in unwanted tattoos or affect follicles to reduce hair growth.
In SculpSure’s case, the light wavelengths are customized to penetrate layers of skin to reach the fat cells underneath. Since the laser is passing through skin cells, they may be partially affected, but this is a good thing; the energy distributed by the laser is what stimulates collagen production.
So what happens to the fat cells? This is where SculpSure outdoes many other toning procedures: the cells are eliminated. Light is energy, and when that energy is focused on fat cells, they heat up.
Once they reach a specific temperature, the cells become unstable and break apart. Your body then naturally flushes these dead cells out through your lymphatic system.
Since they don’t regenerate, you have fewer cells in total and therefore fewer places for your body to store the fat. Because the lasers are set on a wavelength to target only the fat cells, your other tissues remain unaffected.
Since there’s no incision, you don’t have to worry about the complications or scarring that can accompany surgery.
What To Expect?
The SculpSure equipment is a little different than the handheld devices other laser treatments use. It’s set into a belt-like frame that wraps around the part you want to treat.
For your comfort, most places have a padded chair in which you can recline for the duration of a session. Before you go in, you and your physician will discuss which areas can benefit the most from this procedure.
Once you’ve determined which areas to treat, you can schedule your first visit. Sessions take approximately 25 minutes, with visible results within a few weeks to a few months.
Since lasers are involved, you may wonder, “Does SculpSure hurt?” Usually, no. Though you may feel warming and cooling sensations. However, you may feel some discomfort if you have a high sensitivity to pain. Be sure to mention this to your healthcare provider before the treatment.
After a session, some people experience a few minor side effects:
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Redness
These should go away within a few days. You can help the process by staying out of the sun, keeping hydrated and massaging the treated places. For two weeks, you should avoid blood-thinning substances:
- Fish oil
- Ibuprofen
- Alcohol
- Aspirin
Who Is an Ideal Candidate?
While SculpSure breaks down fat cells, it’s not intended as a weight-loss solution. Its primary purpose is to tone specific areas don’t respond to traditional toning methods.
Ideal candidates are near or at their goal weight and are relatively healthy. Professionals recommend your BMI be under 30. Fit individuals, exercise regularly, and eat well usually see the best results.
SculpSure may not be for you if you want instant toning. Though each treatment can eliminate as much as 24% of fat cells, the effects take time to become noticeable. Depending on your figure, you may also need more than one session to reach your ideal.
Since your body requires time to be flush cells from your system, you have to wait at least eight weeks between sessions.
Does It Work?
Many pills, procedures, and diets over the past years have claimed to get rid of fat with minimal effort, but they almost always disappoint. Because of this, you may be asking, Does SculpSure work??
Yes. SculpSure does help combat those pesky bulges and bumps that nothing else seems to work. While results vary by person, all patients have seen some degree of improvement in their physique after one or more sessions.
So long as you adhere to your pre-procedure lifestyle, you shouldn’t see any more problems with the treated spots.
At Dr. Vanderloos’ MedSpa, in Shreveport LA you can receive toning and shaping treatments such as SculpSure. Dr. Vanderloos has been practicing medicine for nearly 30 years and is dedicated to helping women feel good about their bodies.
Our staff is always caring, considerate, and happy to answer any questions. Contact us to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Narith Thongphasuk
