Body sculpting or contouring is a way that many adopt to get rid of extra fat, bring certain areas of the body into the desired shape, and tighten loose and sagging skin. There are different types and techniques both surgical and non-surgical that are used to do body sculpting. While non-surgical options involve fewer risks, lesser/no recovery time, and the use of heat, cold, lasers, and other methods, surgical options provide faster and more noticeable changes.

What is body sculpting?

Body sculpting is a medical procedure that helps get targeted areas of the body into the desired shape. The procedures may include eliminating excess fat tissue, reshaping the area, or getting rid of extra skin. Body sculpting or contouring is different from losing weight, nor does it aid in the process of weight loss. On the contrary, if a certain area of the body refuses to respond to your efforts at losing weight, body sculpting may be your answer. Alternately, if a certain area of the body, after excessive loss of weight, has ended up with loose skin, a body contouring procedure can get rid of it. Some of the common areas where body sculpting is performed are the back, arms, buttocks, thighs, belly, neck, and chin.

Types of body sculpting

Body sculpting can be done by either surgical or non-surgical procedures.

Surgical body sculpting

• Tucks and lifts: The procedures here may include tummy tucks, facelifts, double chin surgery, or breast lifts.
• Liposuction: this involves an incisive surgery to take out excess fat tissue.

Non-surgical body sculpting

• Cryolipolysis: involves the use of very cold temperatures to destroy fat cells
• Laser lipolysis: this uses lasers to destroy fat cells
• Radiofrequency lipolysis: here the use of ultrasound waves and heat is made to target fat cells
• Injection lipolysis: here deoxycholic acid is put into the body to aim at the fat cells

Is body sculpting beneficial?

Body sculpting procedures make use of controlled processes under the skin surface. This eggs the body on to get rid of fat cells in the affected areas through as natural a process as possible. While people who are obese or overweight need to undergo some amount of weight loss before they can embark on this program, healthy individuals who are otherwise wrestling with specific pockets of fat, can benefit from the treatment.

Are there any side effects and how painful is it?

If you opt for one of the invasive treatments such as mesotherapy or injection lipolysis, the amount of pain induced is minimal. All you will feel is a prick when the needle is pushing its way under your skin’s surface. However, if you wish to avoid even this amount of discomfort, you may check with your physician about using an anesthetic. If you go for one of the non-invasive procedures like coolsculpting, there is some amount of discomfort that you may feel when the device in question does the suction on your skin and the fat cells there begin to freeze. There is, however, no pain involved, except for some inconvenience.

How to ensure proper care after a body sculpting procedure?

A body sculpting procedure, even the surgical ones, does not require you to stay in the hospital for more than a day after the treatment. In case of a surgical procedure, however, you may need to be driven home and you will have a tube near the incision(s) to preclude chances of swelling by draining out the liquid. Other recuperative instructions may include:

• Taking good care of the drains and the bandages
• Report any complication promptly to your surgical team
• Staying out of the sun
• Refraining from over-activity but keeping small movements on to avoid any clotting of blood
• Diligently using any medication prescribed by the surgeon like ointments or pills to prevent infection and also to control pain

You should watch out for certain untoward developments, albeit uncommon, and inform your doctor immediately. These may include,

• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Redness, bleeding, leaks at the site of incision
• Fever, especially if it goes beyond 100.5 degree F
• Nausea and vomiting
• Wrenching pain, that does not go away with medication

In Conclusion

Body sculpting is a great solution if you are unable to achieve the body shape you want. There are a host of new treatments and technologies, both surgical and non-surgical that you can opt for to get the appearance you have always wanted.