The shape of things to come

Botox is so yesterday. The latest trend in cosmetic procedures is ‘non-invasive body contouring.’ With slick names like CoolSculpting, Lipolysis and Mesotherapy, the procedures promise way to get rid of the love handles and cellulite without surgery, anaesthesia or recovery time.

This is a method to cut away and tighten the excess skin that can develop after major weight loss. This procedure can be life-altering for those who are emerging from extreme obesity. And people are preferring body-sculpting or body-contouring to traditional plastic surgery to get back in shape. “It is a dramatic new way to remove tenacious fat that resists diet and exercise, without leaving unsightly scars as a legacy as do traditional methods of body-contouring,” says Dr Manjiri Patankar, obesity consultant and cosmetic physician, and founder, Instasculpt. “More and more people are opting for these treatments. Earlier, people thought that if they wanted to go for a facelift or higher cheekbones, they need to go in for a surgery which is painful and involves quite a bit of time. But now it takes just an hour which results in a rejuvenated and younger look. It is a smooth transition to looking beautiful,” says Patankar who has been doing body-sculpting for more than two decades. She says, “'It is safe and effective, if it is done on the right patients with the right technique, by the right people.”

Body-sculpting can cost one from few thousands to one lakh rupees when the treatment combines a tummy tuck with liposuction. But the wish to look good is so strong that people don’t mind spending.  “'Many of these people have a reasonable amount of disposable income, and once they get to a certain point in life, they prefer to spend the extra money on themselves,'' says Dr Patankar. “These treatments suit most of the individuals. Many patients require post-surgical contouring or firming treatments so far as a fat loss or weight loss is concerned. Surgically, a single part can be targeted either for fat loss or a tuck, unless a very skilled professional who could club both. Surgery has its limitations, and there can be inadequate results or poor results. But non-surgical treatment is the best option which is safe, permanent, and most importantly, scientific,” she adds.

Who are the most right patients? “They are those with minimal to moderate deformity that cannot be corrected by a restrictive diet. The patient should be of normal weight. This is not a substitute for dieting at all,” she says.

“There are countless weight-loss strategies available, but not all would be effective in the long term, particularly for those who are morbidly obese. The therapeutic options available are surgical and non-surgical options. Surgical options have their own risk, side effects, invasiveness and costs. Besides, there is a mortality risk with any surgery. We should always begin with the simplest and safest,” she contends.

But she warns that success is also dependent on diet and exercise. “If you’re sedentary and not eating healthy food then once fat is leaked after treatments, your body will just store it again,” Patankar clarifies.

THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF BODY-SCULPTING

Freeze away fat

■ Cryolipolysis actually changes the structure of the fat cells by freezing them. This causes the unwanted cells to die and get naturally flushed out of the body. Best of all, since the fat deposits freeze before the skin is affected, it does not harm the skin or any untreated areas.

Melting down

Lipolysis on the contrary is a procedure where there is a breakdown of fat that is stored in the fat cells; which means melting down of the fat in the body through injections without any procedure. It works for spot reduction of fat. The fat cells are dissolved into liquid and eliminated from the body through urine and faeces. It takes about two weeks for the results to be noticed.

These fat-burners cost clients `1,000 to `3,000 a session, depending on the size of the area to be treated. Patients need one treatment every six weeks, and on average three to four treatments for optimum results.

Fat-blasting weapon

Ultrasonic Lipolysis is the latest French technology for instant and permanent fat loss where an instant loss up to one to three inches is observed in just one hour. This fat loss can be targeted to areas of the body like waist, hips, thighs, arms, and abdomen, and permanently breaks down the fat cell for instant results. One session costs `5,000.

Endermology results in fat mobilisation with flushing out of fat cells and is best for anti-cellulite treatment. The treatment involves a therapeutic massage with machine which when rolled over the top layer of fat makes a fold. This folding action stretches the connective tissue, and results in the reduction of cellulite and body measurements. One session costs Rs 4,000.

Radiofrequency with diode laser is a US FDA-approved technology for skin tightening and upliftment. It is useful for sagging skin on the abdomen, hips, thighs and arms, as the treatment involves heating deep collagen in the skin; it lifts, tightens and shrinks the sagging parts of the body. One session costs Rs 4,500.

Mesotherapy helps in lipolysis and contouring in each targeted body part. It can help improve blood flow in the body, dissolve excess fat deposits, remove fibrotic hardened connective tissues, smoothen skin, show gradual loss in inches, show oedemic cellulite improvement, irregularities correction, and enhance skin elasticity. One session costs Rs 5,000.