If you’ve been looking for a way to shape up some of your body’s ‘problem areas,’ there are now novel ways to achieve this without surgery. While diet and exercise are never negotiable when maintaining weight, there are some ‘add on’ options with cosmetic treatments to get rid of unwanted fat. You may have heard of CoolSculpting. But did you know CoolSculpting is not the only option? There is also hot sculpting, which is achieved through fat melting.
What is fat melting with hot sculpting?
Fat melting with hot sculpting to achieve body contouring is a cosmetic procedure that uses heat energy to melt and remove unwanted fat in specific areas of the body. The procedure is typically performed using a device that delivers heat energy, such as from radio frequency waves.
This is different from weight loss in that the machines remove fat cells altogether. Weight loss is merely the shrinking of fat cells.
How does hot sculpting work?
Hot sculpting delivers heat through the skin and into the underlying fat tissue. The skin is left unharmed in the process.
The heat causes the fat cells to break down and die off. They are then eliminated by the body’s natural processes.
Hot sculpting can be achieved through laser energy or radio frequency waves.
Is hot sculpting painful?
Whether or not hot sculpting will be painful for you can depend on the technology that is being used to remove fat. Sculpsure has been known to be painful. It uses laser heat energy and is called laser lipolysis.
However, truSculpt iD feels like a hot stone massage and requires no anaesthetic. It uses radiofrequency energy.
Does hot sculpting require downtime?
Hot sculpting is also known as non-surgical liposuction. It is considered a minimally invasive procedure and recovery time is relatively short.
Potential downtime usually depends on which technology was used to melt the fat. Most people return to normal activities right away with the most modern options.
There is a difference between hot sculpting non-invasively and hot sculpting with laser or radiofrequency assisted devices. For example Smartlipo®, ThermiRF® and BodyTite require making an insertion into the skin, where a device enters into the fat tissue beneath the skin to do its work. This will require some time for the incision site to heal after the procedure. There are at least two days of downtime with Smartlipo®.
What areas of the body can be treated with hot sculpting?
Again, this depends on the technology being used. For example, a radio frequency fat melter called Vanquish is not able to treat all areas of the body – it can only treat the flanks. But tools like truSculpt iD or Sculpsure use paddles that can be configured in different ways to treat different types of fat in one cycle.
truSculpt iD can treat arms, flanks, stomach, back, legs, chin, bra fat, buttocks and most areas where someone wants their fat removed.
Should I get fat freezing or fat melting?
Hot sculpting may not be suitable for everyone and it’s important to consult a qualified medical professional before considering the procedure. For example, if you have an implanted pacemaker or medical device, the radio waves from radiofrequency devices may interfere with your medical device. This can be dangerous.
One benefit of fat melting with radio frequency is that it can also tighten skin while getting rid of fat cells.
Some people prefer the feeling of being warm or hot, rather than cold, and that can determine whether or not they choose CoolSculpting or hot sculpting, when they are an eligible candidate for both.
Ultimately, it’s best to let a qualified, medical aesthetic provider with multiple tools evaluate your case and recommend the best treatment path for you. They can analyze your type of fat (such as if it is hard or soft). They can then decide which technology, or mix of technologies, is suitable for you.