Photo Credit: Jonathan Colon
Let’s face it, Los Angeles is the home of plastic surgery procedures. Because of this, everyone is constantly looking for the next best thing—the most non-invasive, the quickest, the best. Here, we’ve whittled down the craziest new weight loss procedures on the market that—yes—you can do during your lunch break (lunchtime lipo, as those in the know say). Here, we explore five procedures—and what you can expect from each.
SCULPSURE
WHAT IT IS: SculpSure is the world’s first FDA-cleared laser treatment for non-invasive lipolysis of the flanks and abdomen. It’s a state-of-the-art, controlled light-based technology, ideal for patients looking to get rid of stubborn fat.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE: 25 minutes per area after your initial consultation.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Paddles will be attached to you for 25 minutes. You’ll initially feel some heat, and then a cooling, but it isn’t uncomfortable and you can even work while you’re attached to the machine. It’s completely easy, painless and fast. The downside: like most weight loss treatments, you’ll need 4-6 sessions before you see any truly noticeable results.
Available through Dr. David Amron, 450 N Roxbury Dr #400, Beverly Hills, (424) 394-1610
VENUS FREEZE
WHAT IT IS: The Venus Freeze is a non-invasive treatment that is highly effective in reducing circumference, improving cellulite, tightening skin, and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. This device combines Multi-Polar Radio Frequency and Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields, which produce a soothing and therapeutic heat matrix over the skin. Skin tightening, wrinkle reduction, and cellulite reduction occur because the radio frequency causes a thermal reaction in the tissue, which stimulates the body’s natural healing response. This restoring response causes new collagen to form, along with the increased production of fibroblasts and new elastin fibers. The active collagen in the skin contracts, achieving a tighter appearance, along with softening of wrinkles and reduced cellulite.Body contouring is essentially achieved when the temperature of the skin is elevated, as the body releases stress hormones. These hormones pass through the bloodstream and attach themselves to specific receptors on the membrane of the fat cell in the hypodermis (the deepest layer of the skin). The stress hormone, once attached to the receptor, activates an enzyme called lipase, which is what helps to break down triglycerides into free fatty acids. The free fatty acids exit the fat cell through the bloodstream and the volume of the fat cell is thus reduced, giving the body a smoother, more contoured shape.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE: Each treatment can take anywhere between 15 to 40 minutes, depending on the area.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This is actually our favorite treatment in terms of ease and comfort. In fact, it feels a bit like a massage. An always-present technician will first apply gel and then the device to your skin, which heats up, but not uncomfortably. Because this device works for both tightening and fat loss, you’ll see results right away—your clothes will actually fit better—though you’ll need eight treatments to make sure fat loss actually occurs.
Available through Dr. Harold Lancer, Lancer Dermatology, 440 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, (310) 278-8444
BTL VANQUISH ME
WHAT IT IS: BTL Vanquish ME is an FDA-cleared body contouring procedure, which uses radiofrequency energy to heat and kill fat cells in a non-invasive way. The treatment is not intended for massive weight loss, but for the reduction of the abdomen from flank to flank.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE: Realistically, about an hour. Leave a good two hours for your initial consult though.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This process is virtually painless—and the upside is that you can catch up on all those magazines you’ve been meaning to read. The BTL Vanquish ME uses heated constructs that are placed around the area you want to reduce. FYI: they DO get hot, so any doctor worth his or her salt will make sure there’s a fan nearby that cools you (we recommend Dr. Annie Chiu, who does make sure her patients are taken care of). You won’t notice a drastic difference after your first treatment, but you’ll be able to see a definitive result halfway through your 4-6 treatments. For best results, make sure to engage in some light to moderate exercise immediately afterwards.
Dr. Annie Chiu, The Derm Institute, 1636 Aviation Blvd #201, Redondo Beach, (310) 939-9800
COOLSCULPTING
WHAT IT IS: The CoolSculpting fat-freezing procedure is the only FDA-cleared,* non-surgical fat-reduction treatment that uses controlled cooling to eliminate stubborn fat that resists all efforts through diet and exercise.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE: Roughly an hour.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Coolsculpting, while effective, is the most painful of the procedures. The freezing sensation is so extreme that those who are truly sensitive to pain might not be able to bear it. The upside of this is that you’ll need far less treatments than a laser or heat-specific device (one to two sessions will suffice). Coolsculpting gets rid of stubborn fat via blasts of shocking cold via clamps, and changes the overall shape of your body, so those who need more fat loss than tightening should strongly consider this procedure first.
Available through Dr. Paul Nassif, 120 S Spalding Dr #315, Beverly Hills, (310) 275-2467
WHAT IT IS: This machine, like its predecessor, uses Dual Wavelength Lasers to create a chemical signal in the fat cells, breaking down the stored triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol to then release them though channels in the cell membranes. It always goes one step further by by incorporating a new patented technology that instantly measures body fat, while providing a detailed analysis including Basal Metabolic rate and body fat percentage.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE: 20 minutes.
WHAT TO EXPECT: After 4-6 treatments, your body will be smoother, stretch marks less defined and cellulite less noticeable. While it’s always meant to be a device for fat loss, after two treatments what we noticed most prominently were the improvements to the surface of our skin.
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