At Milford MD Cosmetic Dermatology in Milford, PA, our mission is to help our clients look and feel their best, even when an invasive cosmetic procedure isn’t right for them. If you exercise at least 2.5 hours weekly and eat sensible portions of nutritious foods, laser liposuction may be just what you need to melt away stubborn fat. Here’s what you need to know about this treatment.
FAQs About Laser Liposuction Answered
How Effective Is This Treatment?
This treatment is highly effective. That said, the look you are trying to achieve and your body fat distribution affects how many sessions you will need to achieve your ideal results. Typically, between 20 and 26% of fat cells can be destroyed in a large targeted area. Approximately 80% of localized fat cells can be removed when treating a small area.
After years of performing laser lipo, we can say confidently that only one treatment session will be necessary if you are targeting a small region of your body, such as the backs of your knees or your underarms. If you are targeting a large area for treatment, such as your abdomen or back, you may need two or three treatment sessions.
Does This Treatment Really Work?
Yes, this treatment really works. That said, you should understand you can enjoy the best results if you have at least five pounds of fat (an inch of pinchable fat) in your problem areas. Body fat calipers may be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers if you’re not sure you have at least five pounds of fat in an area of concern.
How Does This Treatment Work?
This treatment destroys excess fat cells in a targeted area by using the heat emitted from the laser light energy to melt the cell walls of adipose tissue. Once these cell walls get hot enough, they liquefy, release the stored fat and die.
These liquefied fat cells are swept up by your lymphatic system and travel through your body. Eventually, the deoxycholic acid, a special type of bile, in your gut processes these dead fat cells and has them excreted from your body just like dietary fat.
How Long Does a Treatment Session Take?
The average laser liposuction (laser lipo) session takes an hour per treatment area. However, how long your session will take depends on such factors as the size of the areas being targeted, the number of areas being targeted for treatment, your body fat distribution, and how much excess fat you would like eliminated. Thus, if you are treating four areas, you should expect your session to take roughly four hours to complete.
What Areas Can Be Targeted With Laser Lipo?
You can use laser lipo to target virtually any region of your body. People most commonly seek this treatment to remove unwanted fat from larger areas of the body, such as the hips, sides, buttocks, back, and upper or lower abdomen. Nevertheless, it is also effective for the treatment of smaller regions, like the chin, calves, neck, upper arms, underarms, and the backs of the knees.
If you don’t want to purchase fat calipers from an online retailer, you can come in for an initial evaluation. We will assess the volume of excess fat in your areas of concern to determine if laser lipo will be an effective fat removal method for you. Additionally, you should note that you may still qualify for this treatment if you don’t have at least five pounds of fat in an area of concern.
Will This Treatment Be Painful?
No, this treatment will not be painful. In fact, this treatment isn’t even uncomfortable. Unlike traditional liposuction, this treatment targets fat cells precisely and heats them to death effectively. The muscle tissues surrounding your adipose tissue will feel as if they are being warmed deeply and comfortably by a hot stone massage. Don’t be surprised if you are so comfortable during this treatment you fall asleep despite a lack of sedation.
How Quickly Will I See the Results of My Treatment?
One of the most advantageous aspects of this treatment is how much faster you can enjoy the final results than you could enjoy the final results of traditional liposuction. Traditional liposuction results in swelling that can last anywhere from six to 12 months. Until this swelling has gone down, you can’t enjoy the final results of your procedure even though your fat cells are removed during the procedure. Additionally, your skin may never adjust to your new contours.
On the other hand, you can enjoy the final results of laser lipo within four to six weeks. Since your lymphatic system flushes out the liquefied fat cells gradually, your skin has time to adjust to your new contours and you won’t need a skin tightening treatment or procedure to get the look you want. Additionally, the heat used to liquefy the fat cells also encourages cellular turnover so your skin will become tighter as a result of treatment.
How Long Do the Results of This Treatment Last?
The results of laser lipo are considered permanent. The adult human body is not capable of growing new fat cells. Once the fat cells in your targeted areas are destroyed, there are permanently fewer fat cells in that region. However, it is up to you whether you remain satisfied with the results of your treatment.
It is possible to gain weight after this treatment is over. We recommend reflecting honestly on why you are storing excess fat before you consider this treatment. If you don’t change the lifestyle that caused you to gain too much weight, the fat cells that remain in your body will store more fat as you consume calories in excess.
How Can I Maintain My Weight After My Course of Laser Lipo Treatments?
You may find it helpful to keep a journal and record when and why you consume calories. Do you eat a heavy meal when you’re stressed? Do you snack when you’re bored? Do you reach for something loaded with sugar in the morning or afternoon because you just want to crawl into bed? Once you understand what triggers your overeating, you can learn how to listen to your body and start to eat intuitively.
We cannot understate how beneficial intuitive eating is for weight maintenance. Your body is incredible. If you reset it and learn how it communicates, you can maintain your ideal body fat percentage for the rest of your life. Your body will tell you when it is dehydrated, craving iron, or needs protein. To reset it, go on a low-carb diet, such as keto or paleo for a few weeks. Then it won’t crave quick carbs all of the time.
How Can I Stop Losing Weight?
If you spent months or years on a weight-loss journey, you may find it difficult to stop losing weight. That said, to ensure the best possible results for life, it is advisable to neither gain nor lose over 10 pounds once your course of treatment is over. Don’t worry if you have already achieved your goal weight and feel like you can’t stop losing weight. For some, eating at maintenance is a significant adjustment.
Usually, people who can’t stop losing weight don’t suffer from a medical condition, like hyperthyroidism, that causes weight loss. Rather, they have trouble consuming enough calories for weight maintenance because the stomach shrinks when smaller portions are eaten. To gain weight slowly, calculate the TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) for your goal weight based on your height and activity level, and eat that many calories daily.
A Note on Weight Gain
If you find yourself struggling to eat at the TDEE of your ideal body, we recommend having a calorie-dense snack before bed. For example, eating three tablespoons of peanut butter will give you an extra 270 calories (roughly 8% of a pound of fat) and plenty of protein to facilitate muscle growth if you are trying to increase your muscle mass.
Since peanut butter is so calorically dense, it shouldn’t be difficult to fit three tablespoons of it into your stomach several hours after dinner. Another great option is half of a cup of oatmeal and a cup of whole milk. Both oatmeal and milk provide 150 calories for a total of 300 calories (around 8.6% of a pound of fat). If you struggle to finish the oatmeal and milk, cook the oatmeal in the milk instead of using water.
Is This Treatment Appropriate for Me?
You need to come in for an initial evaluation to determine whether this treatment will be appropriate for you. Many factors must be considered to identify a good candidate and the areas that will benefit the most from laser lipo. To determine whether laser lipo will help you, we need to discuss your health history and current health status and assess your areas of concern.
It is important to have a thorough understanding of your health history and current health because this fat removal method isn’t ideal for everyone. For example, we will not recommend this treatment to you if you have a pacemaker or heart disease, though other treatments may be available to you. Here’s a concise summary of what we look for in an ideal candidate:
Someone With Decent Skin Elasticity
As noted above, the heat emitted by the laser light energy encourages cellular turnover and will tighten your skin to a degree. However, the amount of cellular turnover is inadequate for significant skin tightening. If you have very lax skin, it will take you longer to enjoy your ideal results.
Someone With No Plans for Future Pregnancy
Pregnancy is an amazing process, but it can cause significant changes to your body. The best candidates for this treatment are women who don’t plan to become pregnant in the future, and men. If a significant amount of fat gain occurs during a future pregnancy, a follow-up session may be required to restore the ideal results.
Discover How You Can Achieve the Body of Your Dreams Today
Nobody deserves to feel self-conscious about his or her body. If you exercise regularly and eat right most of the time and yet have areas of stubborn fat that you want to get rid of, then laser liposuction may be right for you. To learn if this non-invasive body sculpting treatment will help you achieve the look of your dreams, contact us today at Milford MD Cosmetic Dermatology in Milford, PA to schedule your initial consultation.
