Body contouring is an umbrella term for any cosmetic treatment that seeks to change the shape of the body or contours the body into an idealized shape. Body contouring treatments can reduce fat, tone muscles, smooth cellulite, and tighten loose skin, which makes them some of the most diverse treatments available if you are trying to realize your aesthetic goals. At Southeastern Institute of Restorative Medicine in Dothan, AL we are proud to offer Body FX, an innovative treatment for body contouring that will help you love the way you look.
Is Fat Removal With Body FX Permanent?
Yes. Body FX is primarily a fat removal and fat smoothing treatment, which means that it addresses the issue of unwanted body fat. As a non-invasive and non-surgical treatment, the results of this contouring treatment last a significant amount of time – even a lifetime if you take care to maintain your results.
How Does It Work?
The magic of Body FX all lies in the advanced technology used in treatment; in this case, the main technology is radiofrequency, which uses thermal energy to heat the sub-dermal layers of the skin to dissolve and reduce fat under the skin surface. This body contouring treatment works by applying the Body FX device to the desired treatment areas for several minutes at a time, allowing the thermal heat to contract body tissues and reduce fat for customized body shaping.
Once exposed to thermal heat, fat cells within the skin tissue are destroyed and unable to store any more fat. When this happens, these fat cells are naturally eliminated from the body through normal metabolism, meaning they are removed for good. This is the main reason why this treatment is considered permanent; once fat cells are destroyed, they do not return.
What Does It Treat?
Radiofrequency is a powerful treatment that is used to treat a variety of cosmetic concerns including skin laxity, wrinkles, dark spots, sun damage, and other visible signs of aging. But radiofrequency can also be used on the body to accomplish a variety of tasks such as:
- Reducing body fat
- Smoothing the appearance of cellulite
- Tightening lax skin
- Reshaping body fat
What Is Recovery Like?
There is very little recovery time associated with this treatment. In fact, many patients can return to their normal daily activities, including work and moderate exercise, within 24 to 48 hours following treatment.
During your recovery, you will be given certain instructions to follow, such as OTC medications and supplements you should not take and directions to avoid excess heat, such as saunas or hot baths. We encourage light exercise to continue during the recovery process, such as walking or yoga, to achieve optimal results.
How Soon Can You See Results?
The results for this treatment will appear gradually over time, meaning it could be several weeks before you see any results from treatment. Results will include slimming body fat at treatment areas and smoothing the appearance of cellulite on the body, as well as tighter and more youthful-looking skin. Many patients can begin seeing final results after about 6 months of treatment.
How Many Treatments Will You Need?
The number of treatments you will need depends on your aesthetic goals and the amount of work that needs to be done to reach those goals, as well as how swiftly your body responds to radiofrequency thermal heat.
For the majority of patients, we recommend having a “round” of three or more treatments to start off, spaced a few weeks apart. You may require further treatments if results are not ideal after your first round of treatments. We will help you determine how many treatments you need to achieve all of your aesthetic goals.
FAQ About Body Contouring With Body FX
1. Why Is Radiofrequency So Effective?
Radiofrequency is the current gold standard of cosmetic treatments for one very simple reason – it works. Radiofrequency is compatible with all skin tones and types, and can easily treat a wide variety of appearance-related concerns.
The effectiveness of radiofrequency treatments is due to the customization of thermal energy; in other words, the amount of energy used during your treatment is customized to the needs of your tissues, making it an ideal treatment to reduce different levels of fat.
In addition to fat reduction, radiofrequency is also effective in addressing two major anti-aging concerns for the body; lifting and tightening, and building collagen.
Lifting and Tightening
Over time, our skin becomes loose as a result of the natural aging process. Loose skin is an ideal place for the formation of cellulite, as well as sagging tissues and the development of fine lines on areas of the body.
Because radiofrequency heats the tissues so well, it causes these tissues to contract and tighten after repeated exposure, leading to a smoother, more youthful appearance.
Collagen Building
Radiofrequency is also commonly used to build collagen within the skin because thermal energy stimulates the body’s natural production of collagen. Low collagen production is the most common cause of aging, as the production of collagen slows we get older.
Because collagen is a protein that supports skin structure, low levels of collagen are associated with fine lines, wrinkles, and increased skin laxity.
But building collagen isn’t only about anti-aging – in fact, increasing collagen production is also an easy way to contour the body into a specific shape by filling in hollow areas and idealizing the appearance of the body.
2. Why Is Radiofrequency Better Than Liposuction?
Body FX is often referred to as an alternative for liposuction. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that essentially sucks pockets of fat out of the body in order to reduce body fat and contour the body into a specific shape.
However, for all that liposuction is a fine surgical procedure that can help with the removal of large pockets of unwanted fat, it is a blunt tool that is not necessarily used well for other cosmetic concerns that require a gentler approach. Some reasons why radiofrequency is a superior treatment to liposuction include:
Non-Surgical and Non-Invasive
Body FX is a non-surgical and non-invasive cosmetic procedure, which means it will not involve any anesthesia or incisions on the body to remove fat. Because this is a non-surgical treatment, there is no downtime and no pain associated with this treatment. There are also fewer risks of side effects that many patients find appealing.
Natural-Looking Results
The problem with liposuction is that sometimes the results are flawed. Instead of having a flat, natural-looking result, some patients have an uneven removal of body fat which makes their tissue appear bumpy. This is a problem that does not apply to Body FX – because thermal heat is controlled and can be customized for each patient’s needs, all results are subtle, gradual, and natural-looking.
3. What Is Cellulite and What Causes It?
Cellulite is thought to be caused by a breakdown of the fibrous connective tissue between fat cells on the body, usually as a result of collagen production begins to slow or these connective tissues being too strained by a heavy bodyweight. In other words, cellulite is generally another side-effect of aging, which means the only remedy for it is to increase collagen production to smooth cellulite appearance.
4. Why Does Fat Store So Easily on the Stomach?
Unwanted fat has a habit of collecting on the stomach, but why is it that the stomach seems to get the worst of fat storage? The easiest answer is this: stress hormones like cortisol trick your body’s metabolism into storing fat rather than burning fat for energy.
Your metabolism may also be slow naturally, and as a result, will be more likely to store fat rather than use it. The stomach just happens to have one of the largest pockets of fat on the body, so it makes sense that fat is stored there.
5. Why Is It Difficult to Lose Body Fat?
Losing body fat with regular diet and exercise may feel like a futile process for many people, especially those who have certain factors that make losing any fat at all very difficult. Some of these factors include:
Genetics
Your genetics predetermine how your body stores fat, as well as where and how many fat cells you have to store fat in. Genetics may make it more difficult to lose body fat simply because your body’s metabolism does not want to change from its default setting.
Hormones
Hormones may also make it more difficult to lose body fat. For example, the stress hormone cortisol tricks the body into storing more fat rather than using fat for energy.
There are other hormones that may encourage the body to store fat, such as secondary sex hormones that fluctuate throughout the month. Hormones are associated with both female and male weight gain.
Medication
Medications you are taking may also contribute to gaining weight or difficulty losing weight. If weight gain is one of the top side effects on your medications, then you may want to discuss alternative medications with your doctor to find one that works with your aesthetic goals.
6. How Can You Prolong Results?
Many patients want to enhance or prolong the results of this treatment for as long as possible, and fortunately, there are a few ways this can be done. The top two ways to prolong the results of your Body FX treatment include:
Weight Control
Maintaining control over your body weight is the easiest way to maintain the results of your treatment. Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly will fuel your body and ensure that your body continues to burn fat rather than store it in any remaining fat cells.
Family Planning
If you are a woman, you may also want to take your family planning into account for this treatment. Being pregnant, giving birth, and breast-feeding will all undo the results of this treatment, which means it may be best to wait for any contouring treatment until after you are no longer planning on having children.
7. Is This Treatment Safe?
Yes. This treatment is safe for all qualifying patients. As an FDA-approved treatment, there are few unknown or risky side effects associated with Body FX.
8. Will, You Need a Consultation?
Yes, you will require a consultation before your treatment can begin. A consultation will include an examination of your problem areas, a discussion about reasonable expectations from the treatment, and any history of body contouring treatment you have had in the past.
Body FX Is Your Answer to Great Body Contouring!
Good candidates for this treatment include those who would like to reduce body fat and achieve their body goals. If you’re ready to have the body of your dreams and you think you might be a qualifying candidate for treatment, then call Southeastern Institute of Restorative Medicin in Dothan, AL to schedule your consultation today.