The latest body sculpting treatment is perfect for dealing with hard-to-shift fat pockets. Here’s what Sally thought about the treatment.
An office-based role and having a baby (ahem, six years ago) has meant I have a bit of stomach slackness as well as an annoying fat pocket around my lower stomach. While I’m not completely worried about my stomach, who would say no to a bit of a tighten up? So I happily booked into Elite Body Contouring to try out LIPOcel Body Sculpting, the latest in fat melting. Here’s the lowdown.
The Treatment: LIPOcel Body Sculpting.
What it is: LIPOcel uses medical grade High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) heat energy to permanently reduce subcutaneous fat (the stubborn fat that sits above the muscle and below the skin). It also works to tighten the skin. You can zap an impressive 20-40 percent reduction in fat in the treated area.
What to expect: First I was put on a body scan (call the InBody 770) to find out exactly what was going on underneath the surface and how much surface body fat I stood to lose. All I had to do was hold two handheld devices and stand still for a couple of minutes to get a full assessment of my muscle to fat ratio around my entire body. Seeing the numbers in black and white was enlightening and frightening at the same time – with a body fat percentage of 25%, it definitely inspired me to strengthen up my muscles. Once in the treatment room, I lied down and got comfortable. Based on my scan results, I opted for the tightening mode for my first treatment, then a more fat-melting mode for my second treatment. During the treatment, my therapist sprayed my stomach area with water then slowly moved the LIPOcel machine head around my stomach. Despite the fat “melting” descriptor, this machine actually feels cool and is virtually pain free. The only thing I felt was the odd deep-down tingle or ache; it felt sort of like a mild cramp but certainly wasn’t painful. The big plus with this machine is it is able to tackle large parts of the body in a single treatment – I found I got little niggles around my hip bone but really I was very comfortable. My therapist even gave me Netflix while I relaxed for the 30 minute or so treatment. Afterwards my stomach was slightly pink and I was told to drink lots of water, abstain from alcohol for three days and not do any strenuous exercise for 24 hours. Other than that, I could just get on with my day.
From the expert: “LIPOCel can target large areas of the body such as the stomach in one single treatment, as it is not limited to applicators,” says Danielle Smith, founder of Elite Body Contouring. “You can also leave the treatments with absolutely no bruising or scarring.”
It’s particularly good for: The stomach, love handles, thighs, arms and bra rolls.
Time between sessions: Two to four sessions, one month apart to get best results; I followed up my first treatment with a second a month later. You can book in for a body scan in between to gauge your progress.
My results: After my second treatment which was a bit deeper than the first, I had a bit of aching in my stomach for a couple of days. I liked the sensation though because it felt like something was going on under there. This treatment can’t get rid of the visceral fat stored round organs inside the body (which can be dangerous if there is too much of it) but it does help make you look and feel more streamline. While I wasn’t interested in losing a lot of weight, I found this treatment was great for tightening up a bit of jiggle, which I haven’t been able to shift with exercise. It can take a few weeks to show results so I am keen to see how things progress but I do feel tighter; in fact, I wore a pair of jeans the other day, which, if I’m honest, have never really fit, and they fit me comfortably. I call that a win.
Cost: from $998 depending on the area being treated
Get it here: Elite Body Contouring; elitebodycontouring.com.au
