At Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery in Portage, MI, our goal is to help our clients feel as confident in their appearance as possible. To accomplish this goal, we offer a number of cosmetic procedures and treatments. Today, we’re focusing on one of our most popular body sculpting treatments, TruSculpt iD. If you’re interested in learning about how body contouring works and whether it’s a good fit for you, read on to learn more.
How Does Body Sculpting Work?
TruSculpt iD is an incredibly safe, effective body sculpting technique that works in just a few painless steps. During your initial body contouring consultation, we will review your areas of concern, verifying that this treatment will be safe and effective for you. If it is, we will advise you on all of the preparation steps you will need to take to ensure your treatment goes as smoothly as possible.
On the day of your treatment, the skin in your targeted areas will be evaluated to verify that it is not irritated in any way. Then, we will ensure the targeted areas are free from cosmetics and apply the TruSculpt iD device. This device will pulse for several minutes at a time, painlessly penetrating down to the deepest depths of your dermis.
How Quickly Does This Treatment Work?
Each TruSculpt iD session is extremely convenient, and the treatment starts to work right away. If you’re only targeting one area for treatment, your session may only take around 15 minutes to complete. If you’re targeting several areas, especially if they are relatively large, your session may take closer to an hour. However, that’s the only time commitment you will need to make. There is no downtime required after the treatment.
While a large amount of localized fat cells can be melted to death in a 15-minute treatment session, it may be several months before you are satisfied with your appearance. Depending on several factors, including the amount of fat destroyed during each session, it may take you only four weeks to see your final results. However, if you need multiple sessions to achieve your desired results since sessions are spaced several weeks apart, it may take closer to seven months.
How Many Treatment Sessions Will I Need?
You should only anticipate needing one body sculpting session if you are happy with your weight but displeased with your contours. If you feel like you need to lose some weight in addition to improving your contours, you may need two or three treatment sessions. Individual experiences vary, but you may have your sessions spaced four to 16 weeks apart.
We will evaluate your areas of concern and discuss your goals during your initial consultation. If it seems likely that you will need more than one treatment session to achieve your desired results, we may advise you to come back a month or two after your first session so we can make a better determination regarding whether you need a touch-up session. We may advise you to wait another month or two so your body has all the time it needs to flush out the dead fat.
What Can I Do To See My Final Results Faster?
To see your final fat removal results as quickly as possible, you should commit to getting 30 to 60 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise five days per week. Aerobic exercise is important because it supports your cardiovascular system which supports your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system is ultimately responsible for your results. It flushes out the melted fat cells, slimming the treated areas significantly.
To see your final skin tightening results faster, moisturizing your skin daily is vital. Several key pieces need to be put into place for your skin to tighten itself. Skin tightening occurs after this body contouring treatment because the heat from the radiofrequency energy stimulates extra collagen production. For this production process to take place, your skin needs hydration, nutrients, and oxygen. It is advisable to moisturize once or twice daily depending on your skin type.
How Effective Is This Treatment?
This treatment is incredibly effective. Individual results vary, but you should expect this treatment to destroy roughly a quarter of the fat cells in your areas of concern assuming they are large. If you would like to target smaller areas for fat removal, roughly three-quarters of the fat stored in the targeted areas can be removed with each treatment session.
How Long Do the Results Last?
The fat removal results of this body contouring treatment are considered permanent. Fat cells are unique in that they are the only type of cell in the human body that is not constantly being produced. The human body only produces fat cells for roughly 25 years. After that point, there is a set number of fat cells. When you lose weight through a caloric deficit, you first burn stored glycogen as fuel. Then, your body turns to the energy stored in the fat cells.
The fat cells shrink as they release their stored energy, but they never leave the body. They remain, waiting for a caloric surplus that will refill them. This body contouring treatment melts the localized fat cells, killing them so they can never expand to store energy again. Even better, your body views these dead fat cells as waste and flushes them out. If you are at least 25 when you get treated, your body will never grow new fat cells to replenish its stores.
How Long Will the Skin Tightening Results Last?
You can generally expect the skin-tightening results of this treatment to be long-lasting. However, exceptions apply. For example, if you get this treatment to correct abdominal concerns and you become pregnant after treatment, you may need a follow-up session in the future. Similarly, pregnancy can cause you to store excess fat in the fat cells not eliminated during your course of treatments.
If you gain fat after your treatments are over, you may need to come in for a touch-up session in the future. To keep your skin tight, smooth, and healthy-looking for as long as possible, it is important that you wear sunscreen every day and refrain from smoking.
Am I a Good TruSculpt iD Candidate?
To find out for sure whether you’re a good TruSculpt iD candidate, you need to come in for an initial consultation with an aesthetic expert. If you are concerned about one or more of your contours, like your abdomen or your flanks, there is a good chance you will qualify for treatment. There is also a good chance that you will qualify for this treatment if you are worried about other areas, like the:
- Thighs
- Upper back
- Lower back
- Buttocks
- Submental region
It bears noting that this treatment is usually used to remove excess fat, but it is also sometimes used to tighten loose, sagging skin. If you have concerns about any of the aforementioned areas, regardless of whether it is related to stubborn fat deposits or loose skin, or both, you should strongly consider coming in for a TruSculpt iD consultation.
Who Is a Poor Fit for This Treatment?
After reviewing the results of several independent clinical trials, the FDA determined that this treatment is both effective and safe for most relatively healthy adults with concerns about excess fat or loose skin. However, this treatment is not safe and effective for everyone. There is a chance you will be deemed a poor fit for this treatment if you are underweight because there may not be enough subcutaneous fat for this treatment to be effective.
On the flip side of the same coin, you may be deemed a poor fit for this treatment if you suffer from obesity. This is because there may be so much excess fat in your areas of concern that you may not be satisfied with your results. Moreover, this treatment may be deemed wrong for you if you are in poor health due to an acute or chronic condition, like a viral infection or heart disease.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
TruSculpt iD sculpts beautiful contours thanks to the power of radiofrequency energy. The highly innovative device quickly and comfortably warms the targeted areas, eventually resulting in permanent fat removal and long-lasting skin tightening. To learn more, contact us now at Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery in Portage, MI to schedule an initial body sculpting evaluation.
