Are Body-Sculpting Treatments Permanent?

Body-sculpting treatments can be a gift for people who want to achieve the perfect silhouette without going under the knife. They promise to slim you down and shed a few inches off your legs, waist, and arms without sweating it out at the gym or having to undergo sagging skin treatments as a result of a major weight loss.

But do they really work as advertised? Are body-sculpting results permanent?
At McLean Clinic, we offer minimally-invasive and non-surgical fat reduction techniques that can redefine your contours and give you the body of your dreams in only a few sessions by permanently destroying existing body fat cells in the body. However, does that mean you’ll never gain weight ever again?

In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about body-sculpting treatments, including how they work, different fat reduction treatment options, the risks and benefits involved, the ideal candidates, and how to enjoy your beautiful body-sculpting results for as long as you want.

Let’s delve right in!

What Are Body-Sculpting Treatments?

Non-surgical body-sculpting or body-contouring treatments refer to a wide range of cosmetically enhancing procedures that reduce stubborn fat pockets in the body that do not require a major operation like liposuction surgery. Body-sculpting treatments have become increasingly popular because they offer impressive results without significant downtime or scarring risks.

How Do They Work?

The treatment works by accurately targeting, shrinking, or killing the subcutaneous fat pockets through advanced technology that uses either controlled freezing, heating, radio-frequency, or ultrasound energy. These subcutaneous fat cells found underneath the skin and above the muscle cause the visible bulges or flabs in the body (i.e. love handles, muffin top, or rolls of fat under the bra).

Body-sculpting treatments can reduce fat around various areas in the body, including:

• Chin
• Abdomen
• Thighs
• Flanks
• Upper arms
• Back and bra fat
• The area under the buttocks

Is Body-Sculpting Permanent?

Technically, body-sculpting results are permanent. Once the treatment technology selectively targets and breaks down the subcutaneous fat cells, they never come back, nor can new ones grow to replace them. The human body does not produce fat cells after puberty.

If you are well into your adulthood and have gone through either a surgical or non-surgical body-sculpting treatment, the fat cells that were blasted off either by cryolipolysis or radiofrequency body-sculpting technique are gone for good. The remaining fat cells in other parts of the body only expand or cut down in size as you gain or lose weight. It means that with proper diet and exercise, it’s possible to preserve body-sculpting results permanently. If you put on a few extra pounds, your doctor may suggest another round of treatment.

The Benefits of Body-Sculpting Treatments

• They are a minimally or non-invasive way to get the body you’ve always wanted.
• They do not involve incisions, stitches, general anesthesia, or plastic surgery scars.
• They can enhance the smoothness, firmness, and overall quality of the skin.
• Body-sculpting treatments are a fast and convenient method to shave off a couple of inches in a matter of weeks
• They can tighten lax and loose skin under the chin and abdomen.
• Body-sculpting results also include improving the appearance of cellulite on the legs, buttocks, and inner thighs.
• They are versatile and can be used to target and address different areas of the body.
• CoolSculpting has no downtime so you can get back to your daily routine, feeling your best self after each session.
• Body-sculpting results are subtle at first and become more visible gradually, allowing you to keep your treatments a secret if you want to.
• You can enjoy the beautiful results of body-sculpting permanently as long as you maintain your weight.

Who Is An Ideal Candidate for Body-Sculpting Treatments?

Body-sculpting treatments are not substitutes for healthy weight loss solutions like proper diet and regular exercise. They only offer 25% body fat reduction. They are best suited for individuals close to their ideal body weight or have a body mass index that’s no higher than 30. It will not work on anyone who is overweight or obese.

They should be considered a complementary approach to targeting fat pockets that won’t budge despite intense workout or calorie restriction efforts or as a little help to tweak or refine one’s body shape. For instance, you’ll appreciate body-sculpting results more if you’re only looking to get rid of the flab around your arms or baby fat under the chin, as opposed to a sizable bulge around the belly.

What Is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is the brand of a revolutionary body contouring method that uses cryolipolysis. This aesthetic technique uses a controlled cooling method to reduce subcutaneous fat. In simpler terms, it means deep-freezing stubborn fat pockets and flushing them away via the lymphatic system. Approved by the U.S. FDA in 2010, this non-surgical procedure was then developed by experts at Harvard University.

CoolSculpting Procedure

The treatment requires no incisions or needles – it uses a vacuum-like device that exposes fat cells to freezing temperatures to kill them off and flush them out of the body while keeping your skin and surrounding tissues safe. This body-sculpting technique promises no downtime and a comfortable treatment experience that lasts about 35 minutes to an hour, depending on the treatment area’s size and scope.

Your doctor or aesthetic practitioner will expose the treatment area to the CoolSculpting device for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. It will feel intensely cold for the first few minutes, but the skin will eventually numb. The treatment area with the frozen fat will be activated by a vigorous massage afterwards.

Multiple treatment sessions may be advised. On average, clients usually need two to three sessions spaced six weeks apart.

How Long Do CoolSculpting Results Last?

Like most body-sculpting treatments, CoolSculpting offers long-lasting results. A study published on PubMed has shown that cryolipolysis can decrease the treated fat layer by 25% and the results are still visible six months post-treatment. The full body-slimming benefits become more apparent within three months when the frozen and dead fat cells are eliminated from the body.

Research published in a 2016 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology revealed that body-sculpting results last for six to nine years post-treatment, establishing its long-term efficacy after documenting two patients who had only one flank treated.

Body-Sculpting Results Are Not Instantaneous

Body-sculpting results are a “slowly but surely” kind of treatment. Manage your expectations after wrapping up your treatment sessions. Do not expect to see significant changes immediately as technology takes a few months to work its magic. Based on studies and a personal account of someone who has tried CoolSculpting, subtle but stunning enhancements will become more obvious three to six months after your last treatment.

How to Maintain Your Body-Sculpting Results

1.Complete the Number of Treatment Sessions Recommended by Your Doctor

Some clients say they notice fat reductions after a single session of their chosen body-sculpting treatment. However, for more targeted and permanent results, we strongly encourage our clients to finish Dr. McLean’s recommended number of treatments, especially for larger treatment areas like the abdomen or flanks.

2. Stick to a Healthy Diet

Avoid consuming calorie-rich, non-nutritious snacks like junk food and processed foods. We strongly advise against doing fad diets founded on severe caloric restriction to the point of starvation, which may do you more harm than good in the long run. A filling and nourishing diet composed of fruits, vegetables, and quality proteins are encouraged.

3. Stop Being Sedentary and Move More

Nowadays, almost everyone is stuck with a sedentary lifestyle, one of the biggest culprits of weight gain. If you’re spending most of your day sitting on your desk at work, make an effort to squeeze in a bit of exercise by jogging in the morning or doing home workout videos. Doing this will help you maintain your figure and give you a surplus of happy hormones, too!

4. Keep Your Stress Levels in Check

Too much stress can wreak havoc on your hormones, leading to unhealthy food cravings and weight fluctuations. Find healthy ways to manage your stress. It can be something as simple as going for a walk or taking deep breaths.

5. Get Sufficient Sleep

Sleep deprivation is another factor that can put your body-sculpting results to waste. When you don’t get enough sleep, your hormones fluctuate, making you eat more and slowing down your metabolism.

Get that beautiful body you deserve with the best body-sculpting procedures. Schedule a free consultation today with Dr. Hugh McLean to discuss available treatment options and strategies on how to keep the results of your body-sculpting permanent.

Contact us today!