The Science Behind Non-Surgical Body Sculpting

More people are turning to non-surgical body sculpting to achieve the look they want. Here’s a closer look at the science behind this revolutionary treatment.

There were almost 16 million minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2018.

Among the many available non-invasive procedures is non-surgical body sculpting. You may have heard of it referred to as body contouring. A market that economists predict to increase to a $1 billion dollar industry by 2022.

Now that technology has advanced to give people the results they want without having to go under the knife, body contouring treatments are all the rage.

More and more people are turning to non-surgical body sculpting procedures like Trusculpt ID to achieve the look they want. Keep reading for a closer look into the science behind this revolutionary treatment.

What is Non-Surgical Body Sculpting and How Does it Work?

First of all, there are various types of non-surgical body sculpting. In this article, we’re going to focus mainly on a revolutionary new treatment called Trusculpt. But we’ll dive into that treatment in detail a bit later on.

For now, we’ll quickly cover the basics of the different types of non-surgical body contouring treatments.

All of these procedures work in a similar way, with a similar goal in mind. They all have the mission of targetting and destroying fat. Then, the destroyed fat tissue gets filtered away by the body’s lymphatic system.

The method used for targeting and destroying the fat varies based on the type of treatment you decide to go for. But the end result is essentially the same.

Cold Treatments

Temperature-based procedures treat the body with a cold treatment. This type of treatment works by freezing away fat cells without damaging external tissue.

Similar in some ways to liposuction, cold treatments are administered by suctioning the skin to gain access to fat tissue. Then, cold treatment is applied through the applicator that destroys the fat by freezing it.

Cold treatments are safe and effective to use on most areas of the body including double chin, arms, stomach, butt, and thighs.

Heat Treatments

Another temperature-based treatment, but in this case, it uses heat instead of cold to get results.

Heat treatments are administered using laser technology. Which is effective due to its ability to break down fat cells and essentially melting them away. The body’s natural healing process then kicks into gear to clear away the dead tissue.

Because heat treatments are generally applied with what’s known as a flat applicator, they are most effective on the stomach and thighs. Not so much the curvier areas on the body like bums and love handles.

Ultrasound Treatments

For this type of fat reduction treatment, ultrasound vibration energy gets applied manually to problem areas to break down fat tissue.

It takes a bit longer than hot and cold treatments. But it’s especially effective to reduce fat in the stomach and abdomen. It’s not really meant for use on any other part of the body.

Radiofrequency Treatments

This is where Trusculpt blasts into the picture. Radiofrequency procedures like Trusculpt and Vanquish use radiofrequency energy to heat up and burn away fat tissue.

This type of procedure works by targeting water in the fat cells. So patients are highly encouraged to drink plenty of water before going in for radiofrequency treatment. The procedure will not be as effective on someone who is dehydrated.

How Does Trusculpt Work?

As mentioned, Trusculpt falls under the radiofrequency category of body sculpting procedures. It uses energy known as monopolar radiofrequency to heat up and burn away fat cells through their water content.

These energy waves are applied using a hands-free applicator to targeted areas of excess fat, and the procedure only takes 15 minutes.

Is it Effective?

According to the developers of the Trusculpt technology, patient data has shown a level of 24% fat reduction after one treatment.

Patients have reported noticing a difference immediately after treatment is completed. Full results manifest around 12 weeks post-procedure.

Does it Hurt?

The best thing about non-invasive body sculpting procedures is that they are pain-free and have no downtime. It’s nothing like going in for surgery and then having to stay bed-ridden for weeks after to recover.

The Trusculpt treatment has been likened to what it feels like to get a hot stone massage. Because the procedure works by heating up the water in the fat cells, patients might experience a warming sensation.

But other than some redness and tenderness after the treatment, there are no other side effects or downtime whatsoever. You can even hit the gym right after your procedure if you want.

How Does it Differ From Other Similar Treatments?

Though Trusculpt is in the same category as other procedures like CoolSculpting and SculpSure, the brand touts some key differences.

Most similar in nature to SculpSure, another treatment that uses heat to destroy fat cells, Trusculpt uses radiofrequency energy rather than laser energy as the fat-destroying method and is much safer.

Radiofrequency energy is able to penetrate all the way through the skin tissue, through the fat tissue, and down to the muscles. Whereas laser treatments are only able to target the middle layer of fat cells.

Trusculpt differs from CoolSculpting for obvious reasons – one uses heat and one uses cold. They both work toward the same goals, but CoolSculpting uses cold to chip away at fat cells at a slow and steady pace.

Whereas Trusculpt’s radiofrequency technology is able to blast away fat cells faster, ultimately providing the potential for the patient to see results after one 15 minute treatment.

Who Can Get Body Sculpting Treatments?

Body sculpting treatments aren’t meant for everyone. They are designed for people who are already healthy and quite fit.

In most cases, body sculpting and non-surgical fat reduction procedures are only approved for people with a healthy body mass index (BMI). For your reference, a “normal” BMI is anywhere between 18.5 and 24.9.

To calculate your BMI, you’ll need to enter your height and weight. This will determine if you are a healthy weight for your height. If you have a normal BMI, you could be a candidate for non-surgical body sculpting.

These treatments are not meant to be a replacement for a healthy lifestyle. Most body contouring treatments are only able to reduce up to 25% of fat cells in targeted areas.

These types of treatments are meant for people who exercise regularly and eat healthy– they just have some stubborn, isolated fatty bulges they can’t seem to eradicate with exercise.

There’s One Exception: Trusculpt ID

Up until recently, there were no non-invasive body contouring procedures on the market who would approve a candidate with a higher BMI.

Trusculpt is the first treatment on the market that is safe to use on patients who have a BMI of 30 or higher.

Things to Consider

Before you book in your body sculpting appointment, there are a few things to consider.

All of the treatments we’ve mentioned, including Trusculpt ID, are relatively new to the market. Therefore, there is no long-term research available to prove their effectiveness in the long run.

Before any practitioner will perform a body sculpting procedure on a patient, they will have a lengthy discussion with the patient to ensure a complete understanding of expectations, risks, and results.

Who is Not a Good Candidate?

Though these procedures are safe and non-invasive, there are certain people who do not qualify.

• People with an unhealthy lifestyle or unrealistic expectations.

Even though Trusculpt ID can safely be performed on people with a higher BMI than normal, it’s still not recommended for people who don’t practice healthy habits or who have unrealistic expectations about what the treatment will do for them.

Anyone who thinks of any type of non-invasive body contouring treatment as a replacement for regular exercise and a healthy diet is not a good candidate for these types of procedures.

• People with heart or respiratory conditions

Anyone with a pacemaker or defibrillator or people who have had any type of respiratory condition or a history of aneurysms are not suitable for non-invasive body sculpting treatments– especially those involving radiofrequency.

Book a Consultation

If it seems like non-surgical body sculpting procedures are good to be true, they probably are.

It all boils down to your expectations. As we said, they are not a be-all, end-all approach to weight loss and should only be used as a supplementary tool.

Nothing happens overnight. Some patients have reported seeing immediate results from certain treatments.

But the full effect won’t happen until the body has some time to work its own magic at getting rid of the dead fat cells– usually 6 to 12 weeks.