When it comes to slimming, there are various methods that people can turn to in order to achieve their goals. Among these methods is body contouring, a form of fat removal that has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Body contouring treatments can give quick results that are generally safe and effective. How suitable are they for you, and do they only serve aesthetic purposes?
While a consultation with a professional is the most reliable way to know if a treatment fits your needs, you can use the points in this article as a guide.
Body contouring is a cosmetic procedure that helps you to reshape and contour your body to achieve your desired appearance. This treatment is designed to target specific areas of your body where excess fat and loose skin are present, such as your belly, thighs, arms, buttocks and hips.
It is generally recommended for individuals who have excess skin due to significant weight loss or those who struggle to lose stubborn pockets of fat despite a healthy diet and regular exercise routine.
Body contouring uses both non-invasive and minimally invasive techniques to remove excess fat and sculpt your body. These techniques include:
Laser therapy for body contouring involves the use of lasers to heat up and destroy fat cells in the targeted areas. The laser energy is directed at your fat cells, causing them to rupture. This content is safely released into the bloodstream to be eliminated. Laser therapy can also stimulate collagen production, resulting in improved skin texture and tightening. It is non-invasive and requires no downtime.
Ultrasound therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses ultrasound waves to penetrate your skin and target stubborn areas of fat. The waves create a thermal effect that destroys your fat cells, which are then naturally eliminated by your body. This technique is particularly effective in areas such as the abdomen, thighs and buttocks.
Ultrasound therapy is a safe and painless alternative to surgical procedures such as liposuction. Body contouring with ultrasound therapy requires no downtime, and clients can return to their daily activities immediately after treatment.
Liposuction is a minimally-invasive surgical procedure that removes excess fat from specific areas of the body. The procedure involves making small incisions in the targeted areas and using a cannula to suction out the excess fat. Liposuction not only removes unwanted fat but also helps to sculpt and shape the body to create a more defined and toned appearance.
Patients who undergo liposuction may experience bruising and swelling for about 10 to 14 days after the procedure. They can resume normal activities once they feel at ease. Most of them will be able to return to light work within a few days.
In Singapore, body contouring treatments should only be performed by qualified and experienced practitioners.
However, like all medical procedures, there are some risks and potential side effects for you to consider. Non-invasive body contouring treatments like ultrasound therapy and laser therapy have side effects like:
With minimally-invasive liposuction, you will have to consider other side effects, though these can be minimised with the guidance of an experienced doctor:
The safety of these procedures also depend on factors unique to individuals, such as:
Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, can increase the risk of complications during surgery and your doctor may decide that a non-invasive procedure is best for you.
We suggest that you discuss these risks with your doctor before undergoing any body contouring procedure, and that you ensure they are properly trained and licensed to perform the treatment.
The effectiveness of body contouring varies from person to person, depending on factors such as:
Generally, younger individuals tend to have firmer skin with better elasticity and respond well to body contouring procedures. On the other hand, more mature candidates can have skin that is loose and less firm, which may need more frequent treatments to achieve the desired results.
After a successful body contouring treatment, you will see improvements in your body shape – provided you do not consume excess calories. Body contouring treatments are not magical fixes that allow you to indulge and still maintain a slim figure.
With diet and lifestyle adherence, body contouring can produce excellent results that can be seen and felt within weeks of the treatment. For instance, Liposonix has been shown to decrease waist size by approximately 4 to 5 cm after treatment.
The success rates of body contouring are also largely dependent on the skills of your practitioner, the type of treatment chosen, the frequency of your sessions and your commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle after treatment.
Boosts self-confidence
Body contouring can have a significant impact on a person’s self-esteem and body image. Many people struggle with stubborn fat deposits or loose skin that can’t be eliminated through diet and exercise alone. Body sculpting procedures can help patients achieve the body shape they desire and feel more confident in their appearance.
Slimmer Appearance
You will have slimmer contours in areas that were targeted during treatment.
Targeted Treatment
Body contouring procedures can target multiple and specific areas of the body. Patients have more control of where they want their stubborn fat removed.
Minimal Downtime
Body contouring procedures require minimal downtime, allowing patients to return to their normal activities soon after the treatment. This means that patients can get the results they want without having to take extended time off work or other activities.
Long-lasting Results
Body sculpting procedures provide long-lasting results as long as you do not gain weight. Once fat cells are removed or reduced in a certain area, they do not grow back, providing you with a permanent change in your body shape.
Body contouring procedures can offer you numerous advantages to improve your body shape and overall health. However, they are not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle, and you should maintain a balanced diet and an exercise regimen for optimal results.
If you’re going for a non-invasive body treatment, you need not worry too much about downtime. However, if you require liposuction, downtime is something you might have to think about more, since you’ll need some days off work to recover. Recovery time is essential to minimise the risks of complications like infection and blood clots.
While body contouring is generally effective, it is important for you to understand just what the procedure can do, as shared above, and to know that your aesthetic goals and aftercare regime shape the success of a treatment. You should consider factors like:
Obesity
Body contouring is not a suitable weight loss solution for overweight and obese individuals. This is because the procedure is not effective in reducing large amounts of excess fat.
Instead, it is mainly designed to enhance your appearance by targeting pockets of fat in specific areas of your body. For overweight and obese individuals, we highly recommend them to consider weight loss injections in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Poor Skin Quality
Candidates with insufficient skin elasticity or laxity may not achieve the desired results from body contouring procedures. Excessive loose skin may not retract properly after surgery, resulting in an unsatisfactory result.
Pregnancy
Women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the near future should postpone body contouring procedures until they have given birth because pregnancy can cause significant changes in the body that can compromise the results of the procedure.
All of the above factors will be considered by your doctor to assess your suitability for body contouring. It is therefore important to choose someone who is trained and experienced in body contouring procedures.
It is quite common for people to compare and choose between body contouring and weight loss from diet and exercise. If you are one of them, here are some points for you to consider.
Traditional weight loss methods – especially one that includes strength training and cardiovascular exercises – are centred on reducing total body weight, improving endurance and building muscle.
While this route is an excellent way to improve your overall health while losing excess fat, it can take months or years to achieve your ideal body weight.
If you intention for losing weight is purely aesthetic, then body contouring methods might be a more straightforward solution that can help reach your goals faster.
With body contouring, you can target fat in areas of the body that cannot be done through traditional diet and exercise alone. Body contouring techniques that do this include liposuction, laser treatment and ultrasound therapy.
Body contouring can produce visible changes and enhance your shape in the right places in just a few sessions.
That said, body contouring is not a replacement for a healthy diet and regular exercise. In order to maintain the results of your body contouring procedure, it is important to continue to eat a balanced diet and engage in regular physical activity to prevent the accumulation of fat.
The cost of a body contouring treatment in Singapore varies depending on the areas to be addressed and the method used to address them.
Our specialists will assess your condition and advise you on the best course of treatment. At SL Aesthetic Clinic, the price of Sculpting Laser Lipo starts at $1,000.
The ultrasound-based Liposonix will cost around $200 to $400 per square of skin.
Body contouring is an effective and safe way to lose fat in your desired areas. You can see results for targeted regions that are hard to reduce with diet and exercise alone.
SL Aesthetic Clinic provides non-invasive and minimally invasive body contouring treatments. Our doctors in Singapore have a wealth of experience in treating patients with different backgrounds and body shapes. Book a consultation with us today.
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