Losing Inches and Contouring Your Body by Design
By Kimberly Moskowitz, MD, MS | Photography provided by Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center
In today’s society, women and men live at a frenetic pace, having little time to take care of themselves. When we’ve maxed ourselves out with work, kids, diet, and exercise, many of us still look in the mirror and sigh, thinking, “If I could only get rid of my love handles, ab flab, sagging arms, neck waddle, thunder thighs—” Just fill in the blank with the body part that frustrates you most.
I saw a forty-nine-year-old patient today for her bulging thighs, heavy waist, and baggy upper arms. She perfectly described what I hear every day: “I eat mostly organic, I watch my caloric intake, and I exercise three or four times per week. I just have to believe there’s a difference between growing old gracefully and ‘giving up’ on myself.” Smartlipo TriPlex™ was designed for this type of person—someone who works reasonably hard at being and staying healthy but is not willing to just “give up” on feeling good about herself (or himself).
People are genetically gifted with a body type that takes shape sometime around adolescence. In a woman’s case, the body morphs again after childbirth and continues to change with the inevitable downward pull of gravity and aging. For many, these body dysmorphisms are subtle or have little impact on self-esteem and overall well-being. If you are one of these people, consider yourself blessed. However, most women—and some men—have at least one thing that keeps them uneasy in a bathing suit or from feeling content with their physique. Because of this, cellulite and body contouring are hot topics, and Smartlipo has become a fat-melting fantasy.
In an hour or two, under local anesthesia, and using a tiny laser fiber, Smartlipo destroys unwanted fat cells while smoothing out cellulite and tightening overlying skin. The liquefied excess is gently suctioned out of the area to create a new shape with soft natural contours that redefine your waistline, your thighs, your arms, your jawline—and your life. The results are permanent because the fat cells are taken away and the body never regenerates them.
Understanding how your body creates and distributes fat and cellulite is essential to understanding why Smartlipo TriPlex™ is today’s most amazing body-contouring miracle. Up until puberty, your body makes new fat cells that are genetically programmed to accumulate in certain areas. In some people, it distributes to the thighs; in others, it goes to the abdomen or neck. When you gain or lose weight, you notice it predominantly in those areas.
At the end of puberty, that “fat making” machine shuts off and the number of fat cells (adipocytes) remains the same for the rest of your life. From then on, fat cells don’t come and go: they just get bigger or smaller. The distribution and proportion will never change unless you physically remove cells from that area. Laser liposuction is designed to redistribute fat and reshape the body with slimmer and more appealing curves. Downtime is minimal and most patients return to work in a few days with only mild bruising and soreness, which last about a week. Volume reduction and contouring results are seen immediately, and skin tightening is seen in about two or three weeks.
What makes laser liposuction better than other “fat removal” devices?
Traditional liposuction forcefully breaks up pockets of tough fat that are then sucked out through a large metal tube. Neither traditional liposuction nor fat-freezing devices address the structure of cellulite; thus, both can leave behind loose, saggy skin, making cellulite look even worse. The Smartlipo TriPlex™ and Cellulaze™ harness three specific laser wavelengths to safely liquefy fat deposits, seal blood vessels during the procedure, and stimulate collagen to tighten and lift overlying skin.
Smartlipo TriPlex™ has an unmatched safety profile, and minimal swelling and bruising occur. Slow, gentle, and accurate movements are used to break up cellulite and permanently remove unwanted pockets of fat, resulting in firmer, tighter, and smoother skin not seen with other fat-reducing devices. If you gain or lose weight, you will continue to maintain this new ideal shape and proportion.
It is important to know that choosing laser liposuction doesn’t mean “giving in,” and it doesn’t mean “giving up” a healthy diet and regular exercise. As we age, we tend to gain a little around the waistline, our thighs become a bit lumpier, and our knees and buttocks sag as we lose that bouncy elasticity that we once took for granted. We may find ourselves avoiding bathing suits, shorts, and sleeveless shirts. Aging gracefully doesn’t seem quite as easy as we once imagined. Just because your love handles and cellulite are resistant, that doesn’t mean you have to be. Most of life’s important answers come not from fighting one screaming truth, but rather from surrendering to the peace that comes with knowing how to create balance—an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain steady. We must realize that things do not always balance by themselves; after all, our bodies are imperfect. Sometimes we can create balance with strong will, diet, and exercise—and sometimes we need a laser fiber and Smartlipo TriPlex™ to help us maneuver the curves.
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