Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGoalTechniquesAt-Home SculptingCostHow to Get ItRecovery and Side Effects
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Goal
Techniques
At-Home Sculpting
Cost
How to Get It
Recovery and Side Effects
When people think about body sculpting,liposuction surgeryis usually the first treatment that comes to mind. However, many nonsurgical body contouring treatments have emerged over the last decade. These procedures frequently promise to rid unwanted fat from areas like the stomach, thighs, or arms and vary in effectiveness.
This article will explain the benefits of body sculpting and detail the various nonsurgical treatments available.
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Goal of Body Sculpting
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several nonsurgical body contouring procedures to gradually achieve modest reductions in body fat.
Are the Results Worth It?
While minimally invasive body sculpting may seem tempting, it is important to understand the limitations of these treatments. While nonsurgical treatments may be able to achieve small fat reductions in an area, they will not cause you to lose weight or enhance your overall health.
In addition, some fat reductions associated with certain procedures tended to diminish months after the treatments were completed.
Body Sculpting Techniques
Many different body contouring techniques have emerged over the years, each with unique benefits and side effects. Below are the most popular sculpting treatment options.
Cryolipolysis
Reductions in fat are typically noticed within a month of starting cryolipolysis, though the full effects of the treatment can take two to three months.
Initial research suggests that cool sculpting leads to lasting fat cell reductions, though further studies are needed.
Radiofrequency
Radiofrequency treatments utilize electromagnetic waves to heat up and damage fat cells in an area. Becausefat (adipose) tissueis more resistant to radiofrequency than other types of surrounding tissue, the treatment can isolate and damage unwanted fat in a region.
While research has shown that this procedure can reduce tissue thickness in a particular area, some studies have also shown that the treatment’s benefits diminish after six months.
Laser and Red Light Treatments
Laser treatmentsuse concentrated waves of light to heat up and break down fat cells beneath the skin. This type of treatment typically takes about 25 minutes to complete and usually produces results in six to 12 weeks.
Weight Gain and Body SculptingGaining weight after a treatment can minimize or reverse the effects of body sculpting treatments.
Weight Gain and Body Sculpting
Gaining weight after a treatment can minimize or reverse the effects of body sculpting treatments.
Red light treatments, on the other hand, use a lamp to administer a specific wavelength of light to fat cells. This light causes the cells to leak some of their content and diminish their size. Treatments last about 30 minutes, and several are usually necessary to achieve your goal.
Research on the effects of laser and red-light treatments is still mixed, and more is needed to establish whether these treatments permanently reduce fatty deposits.
Ultrasound
The fat reduction achieved from ultrasound may be permanent in people who avoid gaining additional weight.
Body Sculpting at Home
A wide variety of at-home body sculpting products are now available over the counter. These items range from massage rollers to creams to electrical stimulation devices that promise to eliminate unwanted fat on your body. Unfortunately, these claims are largely unfounded.
Any sculpting results that these at-home products deliver are usually temporary and largely due to the mild inflammation that they cause.
Cost of Professional Body Sculpting Services
Qualifying for Body Sculpting Procedures
To qualify for a nonsurgical body sculpting procedure, you should meet the following criteria:
Most nonsurgical body sculpting treatments require minimal (if any) recovery time afterward. That said, each procedure has several potential side effects. Side effects based on procedure are:
A Word From VerywellAdequate preparation for a body sculpting treatment includes making sure you’re an ideal candidate, having reasonable expectations of success, and getting yourself familiarized with the side effects and recovery process.—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Adequate preparation for a body sculpting treatment includes making sure you’re an ideal candidate, having reasonable expectations of success, and getting yourself familiarized with the side effects and recovery process.—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Adequate preparation for a body sculpting treatment includes making sure you’re an ideal candidate, having reasonable expectations of success, and getting yourself familiarized with the side effects and recovery process.
—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Summary
Nonsurgical body sculpting treatments can lead to modest reductions in the size of fatty deposits. While these procedures will not cause you to lose weight, they may lead to gradual but noticeable changes in the problem areas being treated.
Research is still mixed on whether body sculpting leads to permanent changes, but maintaining a steady body weight may increase the likelihood.
Side effects like pain, redness, or burning are possible, so it is important to speak to your medical provider before undergoing one of these treatments.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.Non-surgical fat reduction.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Non-invasive body contouring technologies.Raphael BA, Wasserman DI.Getting to the barebones: a comprehensive update of non-invasive treatments for body sculpting.Curr Derm Rep. 2013;2(2):144-149. doi:10.1007/s13671-013-0045-yKania B, Goldberg DJ. Cryolipolysis:A promisingnonsurgical technique for localized fat reduction.J of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023;22(S3):1-7. doi:10.1111/jocd.16039American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.Cellulite treatments.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.Non-surgical fat reduction.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Non-invasive body contouring technologies.Raphael BA, Wasserman DI.Getting to the barebones: a comprehensive update of non-invasive treatments for body sculpting.Curr Derm Rep. 2013;2(2):144-149. doi:10.1007/s13671-013-0045-yKania B, Goldberg DJ. Cryolipolysis:A promisingnonsurgical technique for localized fat reduction.J of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023;22(S3):1-7. doi:10.1111/jocd.16039American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.Cellulite treatments.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.Non-surgical fat reduction.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Non-invasive body contouring technologies.Raphael BA, Wasserman DI.Getting to the barebones: a comprehensive update of non-invasive treatments for body sculpting.Curr Derm Rep. 2013;2(2):144-149. doi:10.1007/s13671-013-0045-yKania B, Goldberg DJ. Cryolipolysis:A promisingnonsurgical technique for localized fat reduction.J of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023;22(S3):1-7. doi:10.1111/jocd.16039American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.Cellulite treatments.
American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.Non-surgical fat reduction.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Non-invasive body contouring technologies.
Raphael BA, Wasserman DI.Getting to the barebones: a comprehensive update of non-invasive treatments for body sculpting.Curr Derm Rep. 2013;2(2):144-149. doi:10.1007/s13671-013-0045-y
Kania B, Goldberg DJ. Cryolipolysis:A promisingnonsurgical technique for localized fat reduction.J of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023;22(S3):1-7. doi:10.1111/jocd.16039
American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.Cellulite treatments.
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