How do you get the contours you’ve longed for when you eat right, work out, and still have stubborn pockets of excess fat. For decades, the only solution was traditional liposuction. Today, there’s a highly advanced lipo variation that provides clients with better results and a faster, more comfortable recovery. At Finesse Cosmetic Surgery in Waltham, MA, we offer SmartLipo, an ideal solution for people looking to achieve sleek, stunningly beautiful contours.
SmartLipo: A Brief Overview
SmartLipo, sometimes known as laser lipo, is a non-surgical body contouring treatment that can remove excess fat from stubborn areas. Perhaps your thighs or buttocks are too large or you wish your abdomen was a little flatter. Maybe you have excess upper arm skin. Regardless of your cosmetic concerns, there is a good chance this non-invasive treatment can help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
Although this treatment won’t remove a great deal of fat, it is effective enough to help you achieve your desired contours if you are already at or near your goal weight. This treatment involves the insertion of a very narrow cannula into the trouble region. This cannula houses a laser tip that fans back and forth, melting a portion of the fat cells in the region. Then, the destroyed fat cells are suctioned out.
What’s the Difference Between SmartLipo and Traditional Lipo?
Bother laser lipo and traditional lipo involve suctioning out excess fat cells via a cannula. However, laser lipo is far more effective and less invasive than traditional liposuction. In the past, traditional liposuction was considered the gold standard for fat removal. Despite that, laser lipo is quickly becoming more popular due to the quality of the results and the non-surgical nature of the fat removal method. Here are some of the most notable benefits laser lipo provides over traditional lipo:
Quicker Recovery
Although laser lipo and traditional lipo both use cannulas to suction out excess fat, the cannula used to perform laser lipo is much smaller. Furthermore, the fat cells in the targeted area are liquefied, making extraction easier. Since traditional liposuction doesn’t use laser heat, the fat has to be physically manipulated before extraction. This highly invasive fat removal technique results in a much longer recovery period.
Tighter Skin
Remember, SmartLipo results in tighter skin due to the extra collagen growth in response to the laser heat. Since traditional liposuction does not involve laser heat, there is a risk that skin will sag after excess fat removal. Laser lipo is even more advantageous for older clients because collagen production decreases rapidly with age.
Better Results
Thanks to the use of heat rather than physical manipulation to remove excess fat, we can provide you with far more refined results with laser lipo. For instance, it is easy to smooth the boundaries of your area of concern so it is not obvious that fat was removed from one area. The technique used to perform laser lipo gives us a great deal of control so we can provide ideal, natural-looking results.
How Does Smartlipo Work
This outpatient treatment is performed under anesthesia to keep you comfortable throughout the process. Depending on the scope of your treatment, it may take between 90 and 120 minutes to complete. You should plan to take two or three days off from work to rest, but you will not need to take off a week or two like you would if you opted for traditional liposuction.
Be advised, this convenient treatment is so effective that most people only need one session to achieve their desired results. You will only need two treatments to achieve your desired aesthetic if you have quite a bit of weight left to lose.
Which Regions Can Be Treated?
This incredibly versatile fat removal treatment can be used to remove unwanted fat from virtually any region of the body. Usually, people seek to remove unwanted fat from larger areas, such as the abdomen, buttocks, flanks, hips, thighs, and back. However, smaller areas, like the upper arms, underarms, neck, and chin can be treated if there is enough excess fat in the area.
How Quickly Will I See the Results of My Treatment?
You will start to see the results of your treatment as soon as it is complete. A majority of the destroyed adipose tissue is suctioned out through the cannula during the treatment. However, not all of the liquefied fat cells are suctioned out. More fat cells are removed by your lymphatic system over the course of several months. Depending on the efficiency of your lymphatic system, you can expect to see your final results in three to six months.
How Long Do the Results of This Treatment Last?
The results of this treatment are considered permanent because you can’t grow new fat cells. The fat cells removed via suction or natural bodily processes are gone forever and will never be replaced. However, it is still possible to gain weight following this treatment. To maintain your ideal contours, make sure you eat nutritious, reasonably-portioned meals and exercise regularly after your treatment.
How Much Weight Can I Expect to Lose?
You shouldn’t expect to lose a lot of weight after this treatment, but this isn’t a weight-loss treatment. It’s a fat removal treatment. This treatment was designed to improve the contours of regions with stubborn pockets of excess fat, and it does its job effectively. If you are not yet at or near your goal weight, consider speaking to a personal trainer and registered dietitian to help you lose weight before you consider this body contouring treatment.
Can This Treatment Destroy Cellulite?
Cellulite develops when adipose tissue forms around the fibrous cords between the muscle and skin. This adipose tissue applies a significant amount of pressure to the fibrous cords, pulling down on the skin and causing a dimpled appearance. While laser lipo can minimize the appearance of cellulite by destroying some of the fat cells around the fibrous cords beneath your skin, the efficacy of this benefit has not been tested.
What Should I Expect Following My Treatment?
It is advisable to wear a prescription-strength compression garment for a week or two after your treatment. This will increase the rate at which you will see your final results.
How Safe Is This Treatment?
This treatment is incredibly safe. The FDA approved SmartLipo for both the safe and efficacious removal of unwanted fat in 2006. Men and women across the country have benefited from this treatment since its approval without dangerous complications or side effects. Neither skin type nor skin tone affects candidacy for this treatment.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
You need to come in for an initial consultation to discover if you are a good candidate for this treatment. During your consultation, we will discuss your aesthetic goals thoroughly, assess your problem areas, and talk about your health history. We will determine whether you are a good candidate for these treatments after these discussions and the evaluation of your aesthetic goals. In the meantime, here are a few signs you may qualify for SmartLipo:
You Only Need a Little Assistance Toning Up
The ideal candidate for laser lipo is already in decent shape and at or near his ideal weight but has a trouble region or two that just won’t let go of excess fat. To reiterate, this is not a weight-loss treatment. You will lose a bit of weight immediately after the treatment because fat cells are suctioned out. Then, you will lose a bit more weight as your lymphatic system flushes out more liquefied fat cells.
However, you shouldn’t go into this treatment thinking you will lose 20 pounds instantly. The ideal laser lipo client has no more than 30 pounds to lose. If you are already at your ideal weight, we recommend maintaining your weight for at least 12 months before considering this treatment to ensure you will be able to maintain your weight and ideal figure following treatment.
You’re Fairly Healthy
It is also important to be fairly healthy before you consider this treatment. If you have been diagnosed with a medical condition, like a bleeding disorder, liver disease, CAD, or uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, you may not qualify for this treatment. Typically, people taking Heparin or Coumadin are considered poor candidates. Furthermore, you should postpone this treatment if you are nursing, pregnant, or trying to become pregnant.
You Have Fairly Elastic Skin
Although the laser heat encourages extra collagen production, if your skin is extremely lax, it will not benefit enough from this heat-based fat removal treatment. You can still benefit from fat removal, but it may take a year or longer for your skin to settle into its new position. The more elastic your skin is, the sooner you will be able to fully enjoy your new contours.
You Have Realistic Expectations About the Results
The ideal candidates for this treatment have realistic expectations about the results that can come from this treatment. For instance, you should understand that it is an excellent fat removal treatment, but it may not eliminate cellulite and it will not restore the skin of your youth.
You’re Ready to Feel Confident Again
Most people who seek this treatment have spent years exercising regularly and eating right. However, they still have a stubborn region or two that just won’t release excess fat. Laser lipo helps them spot-reduce fat, something that can’t be accomplished through diet and exercise.
You Want a Customized Treatment
This treatment is ideal for people who want a tailored contouring approach. Some people are interested in removing as much fat as possible; others just want a little fat removed to smooth out problem areas.
Regardless of whether you want to remove enough fat to clearly reveal your underlying muscles, or you just want to lose a bit of excess fat to shrink your curves this treatment can benefit you.
Book an Appointment Today
Are you frustrated by stubborn pockets of fat that are resistant to a healthy diet and regular exercise? Are you ready to finally achieve the contours you have worked so hard for over the years? If so, contact us today at Finesse Cosmetic Surgery in Waltham, MA to schedule your initial consultation. We will help you determine whether SmartLipo is a good fit for you and discuss even more advantages this treatment has over traditional liposuction.
