Will Body Contouring Help Me Lose Weight?

Body contouring – the elimination of fat in certain body parts – has become a very popular treatment both in our practice and throughout the country. Body contouring represents a relatively low-risk and non-invasive way to eliminate some of the unsightly fat accumulation that we develop due to getting older. While we believe in body sculpting as a viable option for patients who wish to improve the appearance of their bodies without surgical intervention, it is also our responsibility to ensure our patients understand the limitations of these procedures and the expectations they should have when choosing whether it is suitable for them.

• First and foremost, many patients believe that body sculpting will allow them to lose a significant amount of weight. This is not the case, and nothing can replace good diet and exercise habits.
• Second, patients who have lost significant weight and have excess skin should not expect body sculpting to correct their skin issues. Typically, this sagging skin can only be repaired surgically; however, building muscle can also help fill some skin.
• Lastly, patients should understand that to maintain results over the long term; patients must maintain a relatively consistent weight. This is not to say that small fluctuations are problematic. However, yo-yo dieting, gaining, or losing significant weight can make the body contouring results inconsistent. As such, patients should be at a weight that they are happy with (at least for now).

With some of the considerations out of the way, it’s time to talk about body sculpting benefits.

Body sculpting is ideal for those who have the focus and dedication to their health resulting in significant weight loss. However, almost invariably, that leaves us with just a little bit of excess fat that can’t be burned off with exercise alone. Instead, targeted fat destruction procedures like Coolsculpting and Emsculpt target these areas, smoothing them out. In addition, the precision of these devices allows us to maintain those curves that you certainly wouldn’t want to lose.

While Coolsculpting is very effective at destroying fat cells, Emsculpt takes it one step further. Not only does Emsculpt destroy fat cells, but it uses magnetic technology to stimulate the muscles in areas that are not often targeted by standard exercises. Emsculpt sessions offer the equivalent of thousands of repetitions without ever lifting a weight. During your consultation, your dermatologist will suggest which sculpting procedure is best for you and ensure that your expectations are in line with what the system can offer.

We encourage you to schedule a consultation with one of our dermatologists to understand why sculpting procedures have become so popular and how these noninvasive yet highly effective procedures can improve the tone and shape of your body.