Vaser Assisted Lipo/Cellulite Reduction

Cellulite, with it’s bumpy look, is an appearance that we wish we could just melt away.  Unfortunately, even with dieting and regular exercise, stubborn cellulite just stays on our abdomen, buttocks, thighs and other areas anyway.

Liposuction is one option to reduce cellulite bumps but it is very invasive and does have quite a bit of risk, especially for a cosmetic procedure.  There’s a new procedure to reduce cellulite that has recently been approved by the FDA and it is non-invasive.  

This new procedure is called the VASER Shape MC1 and it is designed to address the problem areas for cellulite.  The VASER Shape utilizes ultrasound and massage therapy through special frequency ultrasound waves. 

The device used has a dual head and it warms the fatty tissue thus creating a space for the fat cells to release their lipids and triglycerides.  The result is a reduction of fat deposits and cellulite and a tightening of the surrounding skin.

Usually, the areas the VASER Shape is used on include the abdomen, hips, arms, love handles, buttocks and thighs.  Treatment with the VASER Shape is done in the office and takes about an hour. 

The beauty of this treatment is that it requires no anasthesia and there is no recovery time.  After a few days, a follow-up visit is done for a twenty minute lymphatic massage to promote the absorption of the released fat.

Most patients can see and feel the effects of the VASER Shape after the first session.  Usually, it takes four to six treatments for the optimal results.  The thing that appeals to many patients is that after an hour of treatment, most people notice that their clothes fit better.  The outcome to this procedure is a smoothing and shaping of the problem areas of your figure.

Instead of damaging the surrounding skin, you have a tightening more desirable result with this procedure.  VASER Shape is now available at cosmetic surgery centers and medical spas throughout the country.  Patients can resume all of their normal activities immediately after treatment with the VASER Shape.

Body Wrap for Cellulite : My First Experience

So, I had my first experience with an herbal body wrap that is designed to reduce cellulite, contour your problem areas by helping to “pull them in” and minimize their size, while simultaneoulsy streamlining the lumps and bumps that go with excess fat, and tone the skin

I found this place near where I live in Ohio via the infamous “Groupon”, which by the way is a fantastic way to try out local businesses without the threat of wasting a lot of money if you simply don’t care for their product or service.  Since they offer deep, deep discounts on services, food and products, I got a body wrap package that’s normally a $110 value for $20.

With this package, I got an herbal therapy body wrap, as well as a sea clay facial wrap.  This was my very first experience, and I had always wanted to try a professional body wrap. It was a very pleasant and easy experience.

The most surprising part of the experience was the surge in energy I felt all day long after I got the wrap.  I wasn’t sure if this was just psychosomatic or not, but I definitely felt a lot more “pep” in my step.

Here’s how the process went the first time.  I will keep you filled in on my ultimate results once I complete the whole package that I ended up purchasing, which was ten wraps.  But I wanted first to tell you about the first one. 

It started with me being led back to a small room, one of their wrap rooms, where I got down to undies and bra and had a nice warm pair of socks as well as a new pair of bra and panties since you will get them wet in the wrap.

The woman who did my wrap was great. She was warm and friendly and very knowledgeable. She told me that I could expect to see some results after about wrap four, but I may see some immeidate inch loss from the first one.  She told me to drink tons of water over the next three days, which was the period of time where my body would likely flush out the most toxins from the fat cells.

She proceeded to warp me, midriff to shins, in warm, slightly wet bandage-like wraps.  I didn’t get cold at all like I thought I would because she was really fast.  The wraps had some visible herbs on them, and had a pleasant, earthy smell to them.

I then was put in a warm sauna suit, and led to a dark, warm room and laid on a cot for forty five minutes.  I then had the wrap taken off by the same woman, who then measured me again. She said I lost abotu a 1/4 inch from each arm (another of my target areas) and a little from each thigh as well. 

I’m really looking forward to the results from the series I purchased. I booked a few more a week apart from eachother, so I will keep you posted after my fourth one and let you know what kind of results I get! 

I mostly want to sculpt my thighs, arms and belly and butt, and get rid of the cellulite on my thighs and butt.

New Zerona Laser Approved for Localized Fat Removal

We’ve been entranced with the newer, seemingly miraculous treatment that zaps fat cells in localized areas and then either sucks them out or allows the body to safely transport them out called Smartlipo.

Smartlipo, much like the newly FDA approved laser fat removal treatment Zerona, is very similar in that it uses a laser to destroy fat cells so that they may be removed from the body via the body’s natural waste removal process (urination, defacation).

The Zerona laser is similar, except is actually zaps the fat out of the fat cell, thereby collapsing it so that it may be flushed out of the body via the natural waste elimination process.  There is no suction involved, while there may be suction involved in Smartlipo (in fact, if I ever got Smartlipo, that’s the method I would choose, that way you are guaranteed that destroyed fat is gone instead of reabsorbed some how into your body).

The Zerona laser looks promising, but doctors do warn that it may not have the same effects on everyone. As with everything else in the world of cosmetic surgery and enhancement, results vary per patient. Some patients notice dramatic inch loss from their waist, hips and butts, while some may not be as happy with their results – it truly does depend on the person and I’m sure a number of other influencing factors as to what type of results you may get.

The Zerona treatment appears to not have any bodily invasion at all, whereas with Smartlipo, although it is minimally invasive, you do still receive small cuts in the skin and there is something that is actually inserted into your body. The Zerona sounds like it is all done on the outside of the body, via lasers that help flatten the fat cells externally.

The treatment needs to be done for about 40 minutes, and it must be done for at least 6 times, every other day or else the fat cells will apparently have the chance to re-form.  So this sounds like it’s a sort of ongoing treatment, not in and out in one visit.

But the upside of course is no invasive procedure, and no scarring, bruising or other possibility for pain or discomfort.  I’m waiting for more info to come out about this laser procedure and will share it with you, because there’s not a whole lot out there yet on this one.

Traditional Lipo Versus Laser Lipo

There are two types of liposuction available today. One is traditional, suck the fat out with a cannula and vacuum like device, and the other is less invasive and with less recovery time and pain and swelling and bruising, but does not allow the removal of as much fat as traditional lipo, and that is laser lipolysis.

Laser lipolysis goes under several different names now. The most well known perhaps is Smart Lipo, which uses the principle of lasering and melting the fat cells, and then either vacuuming them out gently or allowing them to be expelled from the body through the body’s natural elimination process.  That last part is what makes a lot of patients nervous.

What if you get this done and your body fails to rid itself of these destroyed fat cells?  Well, that’s why some patients prefer to go to the docs that will also vacuum this fat out with this method.  LAL as it is called (Laser Assisted Lipo) is a great option though for those that are of a pretty normal weight that have stubborn problem areas like saddlebags or a double chin, or maybe love handles or centralized belly fat, or perhaps too much upper arm fat that all the tricep extensions in the world and dieting won’t help.

The additional benefit of laser lipolysis, or SmartLipo is that it may help some patient’s skin tighten and tone in the areas where it was performed.  This may mean less cellulite appearance, which is obviously a huge benefit, especially in the hips, buttocks and thighs area, where we all tend to have cellulite issues. Essentially, it acts as somewhat of a cellulite treatment as well.

This fact, combined with the faster recovery period, has made LAL a popular choice for those that have localized fat they want removed.  Now, if you’re looking for much more dramatic results, and need to have a lot of fat removed, then you may want to look into traditional liposuction. I’m sure it’s come a long way, however, this used to be one of the most painful recoveries for cosmetic surgery out there.

Doctors can typically remove up to five qts. of fat with traditional liposuction. You’d think that might result in actual weight loss, but usually it doesn’t amount to much at all, because fat in and of itself does not weigh all that much.

Patients definitely want to keep the fat off their bodies by maintaining a healthy diet after they get either one of these procedures done, because they still can gain weight, it will just be in different areas than the lipo was performed.  They may notice other areas expanding, and of course that is not desirable.

Vela Shape and Vela Smooth : The Difference?

I was curious what the difference between two very similar sounding cellulite treatments, Velashape, and Velasmooth were, so I looked it up online and then of course I got sucked in. Awed by many of the impressive before and after photos for Velashape, I though the treatment really did a good job not only at getting rid of cellulite, but also with contouring the body and minimizing body part circumference – basically “downsizing” your problem areas in other words.

I instantly thought of the body parts I’d love to downsize like my upper arms and my thighs, but of course if you tried to fix everything on your body that you thought was imperfect, you’d go broke!

Velashape and Velasmooth are actually cellulite treatments that are made by the same company, it’s just that Velasmooth is the latest and greatest version of the treatment, and it combines a couple different technologies that really work together to break down cellulite and minimize fat cells.

Velashape combines manual stimulation, via roller-like contraptions, much like the other popular cellulite treatment endermologie. But it also adds infrared heat as well as radio waves that penetrate deep down into the skin’s layers and reach the fat cells, supposedly helping to sort of “compress” or shrink them.

It does not break them down in any way and flush them out like Smartlipo does, just so you’re clear, but it is more of an upkeep sort of treatment that works for a while, then needs maintenance to keep the results up and keep the shape and tone you got out of the initial sessions.

Most places that perform this treatment say that it takes 4-6 treatments to obtain optimal results, and these are spaced about one week apart. The average cost I found, at least in my geographic area was about $200 per treatment.

So you’re probably looking at a cost of about $1200 for your initial treatments, then an additional $200 a pop for the maintenance treatments, which are supposed to occur every 3 months approximately, to ensure you keep your results. Of course, weight gain is not recommended after this powerful and often reportedly effective cellulite treatment, and may negate or reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.

Conquering Cellulite in Time for Summer

Around 90% of post adolescent women (and in very rare cases men) worldwide are encountering or will encounter cellulite at some point in their lives. Such encounter is very unpleasant especially during the summer.

What is a cellulite?

Cellulite is the dimpled skin that appears on the lower abdomen, buttocks and thighs as a result of the pockets of fat placed under the dermis and the epidermis. It shouldn’t be related only to fat, chubby or obese women as it can appear on thin women as well. The cellulite gives the skin a lumpy appearance due to the budges and hollows. It shouldn’t be considered just as an aesthetic problem because it affects body tissues, blood circulation and the lymphatic system.

Women affected by cellulite find the symptoms subtle at first, tingling feeling, red capillaries, varicose veins, cold feet and while in the latter stages these women feel pain when pinched. Cellulite affects the person on a psychological level too, as it can result in insecurity and anxiety.

Cellulite creams are designed to help break this up and penetrate into the skin to help reduce the puffy, pitted look with various ingredients, and of course combined with vigorous massage into the skin.  The best cellulite creams come in a thick formula that allows the user to massage it and get a good grip on the skin for maximum breaking up of the fatty deposits manually.

How to conquer cellulite in time for summer?

There are various ways to conquer cellulite, some being more effective than others:

Diet

One of the effective methods in preventing and, in some hand conquering cellulite is the consumption of the sufficient amount of water. Experts usually recommend that a healthy person should drink at least 2 liters of water per day, and even more in summer!

This will flush toxins, improve nutrition and reduce the size of the pockets of fat for a longer period of time.  One shouldn’t expect spectacular results just from drinking water but its good to know that it is beneficial for the skin. In this type of diet, the consumption of fruits, vegetables and products that contain Lecithin (soy products, eggs etc.)  is also very important.

Some of the Best Cellulite Creams Out There

There are various creams for skin care on the market that can reduce or completely remove cellulite. The good thing is that these creams not only have there initial result in approximately 2 to 4 weeks but they prevent new cellulite forming.

Exercise

Everyday exercise is also very beneficial in conquering cellulite, especially jogging, climbing, fitness, aerobics etc.  Besides these, there are a few medical and cosmetic procedures that are believed to conquer or lessen ‘the orange peel’ skin such as massage, dermal fillers, skin brushing and spa body treatments. By far more extreme methods than the previous but also effective are the following: liposuction, lasers, lymphatic drainage, peels, iontophoresis and mesotheraphy.

The last one is actually a microinjection of conventional, homeopathic medicine of vitamins directly into the skin (middle of the dermis).

Cellulite on the Forefront Again as Summer Nears

It’s almost that time. You know, that time when you find yourself standing in a dressing room mirror, trying on a new bathing suit, in that terrible florescent lighting that would probably even make a supermodel look indelibly flawed?  Yeah, we all know how trying on revealing clothes can make us feel, let alone a bathing suit. Bathing suits expose every little flaw your body may have, love it or hate it, and one of the biggest problems women report with their derrieres, even if they are skinny everywhere, is cellulite.

That’s right. Cellulite is the bain of every woman’s existence, from thin to overweight, and sadly cellulite only tends to get worse with age. Why do women get cellulite more and worse than men?

Well, it all has to do with estrogen, and the abundance of it that we have flowing freely in our system.  Our hormones and the fact that we are the sex that gives birth to children actually contribute to the fact that women tend to have more body fat than men. Men are naturally more lean than women are, and because of this, they have less of that “air pocketish” fat that deposits around key areas like the thights, buttocks, and even sometimes the upper arms and belly.

It is true that if you lose a portion of your body fat, the your cellulite tends to look much better. This is because your fat cells are not as large and “well fed” and they therefore do not bulge out against the collagen bands that are there to sort of hold it all in. This is what causes the appearance of celluilte – that dreaded, spongy, pitted look that women get around their outter thighs, butt and other areas.

Now that summer time is approaching, it’s time to kick your cellulite treatment regimen into high gear. Get yourself a good cellulite massager. Just one of those pronged, manual ones that you can buy online (I like the Seqhora and Philosophy brands). Also get yourself a good cellulite treatment cream and use that in conjunction with the massager on your problem areas. Try to do it every night after a hot shower, when your skin is most pliable and susceptible to manipulation.

If you want even better results in smoothing out the lumps, then try doing it twice a day, moving back to once after you’ve achieved good results.

Lulum Energy Treatment : What Is It and How Much Does it Cost?

I was in our break room at work the other day, and someone always brings in the newspaper and leaves it in there, and I noticed a flyer/insert that was sitting out about a new technique to help reduce wrinkles, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and overall just rejuvenate the tissues with increased collagen production and smoothing, called the Lulum technique, or the Lulum energy treatment for body rejuvenation.

The before and after pics were pretty impressive on there, which is what made me take notice. The place that offered it out here in Ohio was in Avon called Stags Family Chiropractic/Wellness, and it was a chiropractic clinic, which it appears is the only offices that offer it so far, as the only other place I found was in Texas and it too was chiropractic practice.

They had one of a woman’s mouth before and after, it was less lined and her lips appeared a tad fuller, one of a woman’s neckline, which was more taught and smooth after, and one of a woman’s thigh with dimpled cellulite allover it before and very smooth “after first treatment”. The process is non surgical, non invasive, and there is no downtime at all, so I thought, wow, if I were rich, I’d be signing up for this! I couldn’t find the cost for the Lulum energy treatment anywhere online though. In fact, I could find very little on the treatment at all, it must be so new.

My guess is it might be kind of like microdermabrasion or most other cellulite treatments for body, maybe a hundred bucks a pop, although I don’t know how many treatments you need to maintain or even achieve results. If any practitioners read this, please leave comments with this information and your office info for interested people, that would be great.

I was able to find out how the Lulum energy treatment works though. It is a device that uses several different types of electrical currents, color therapy, and heating therapy, to deeply stimulate the tissues, which probably explains how it rejuvenates collagen production. This is probablyl also how it breaks up cellulite formation and is useful as a cellulite treatment as well. Oh, there was also a pretty amazing before and after picture of a woman with crows feet who looked very smoothed out after treatment.

This treatment, like most other rejuvenating aesthetic treatments for anti aging and body sculpting, probably requires ongoing maintenance to maintain any achieved results, but hey, if you get great results, it may be something you choose to use in your anti aging and wrinkled reduction arsenal, and also your body shaping and cellulite treatment regimen. Anyone who has experience or knowledge of the Lulum energy treatment, please comment and share. Thanks!

Fat Dissolving Mesotherapy Safety Questioned

One of the many fat dissolving procedures that has grown in popularity and recognition over the past few years is one that originated in Europe called mesotherapy. Not only has it’s effectiveness been called into question many times, and some patients complained that it did not work at all on them, but now French researchers are questioning it’s safety and citing several instances of infections that result from the treatment that can get pretty serious.

The mesotherapy treatment consists of several stages of injections of a fluid directly into the fatty deposits that patients want to get rid of. They claim that this “all natural concoction”, which still remains unclear as to what exactly it contains, breaks up and destroys fat cells. The whole premise is that the fat cells, after they have been destroyed, are basically absorbed by or expelled by the body through natural waste elimination efforts. The areas that are treated may become noticeably smaller within either weeks or months, depending on the patient.

However, some patients end up with almost disfiguring areas of oozing and bacterial infection in the areas where they were injected, and that has caused some concern over the safety of this increasingly popular procedure that has been performed for years in Europe by practitioners. Some of the patients identified as having serious infections actually had to be opened up to drain absesses that developed because of the infections, while other were successfully treated nonsurgically.

Most of the cases identified as serious were from a specific clinic where patients were given several rounds of mesotherapy, which is now closed, so it is unclear whether this procedure is just plain dangerous no matter who performs it, or whether this one particular clinic had exceptionally high rates of infection in their patients.

Mesotherapy is still a popular option because it is often cheaper than other methods of fat removal like liposuction and Smartlipo, both of which usually use suction to get the fat out, with the latter using lasers to melt the fat first. Other methods of cellulite removal and fat removal have gained popularity amongst women who often struggle more with cellulite and fat deposits because of hormones.

Sephora Cellulite Massager Review

I purchased the Sephora brand cellulite massager about one month ago now, and have been using it pretty regularly, at least once a day, if not several times a week after my shower before I go to bed, to help reduce the appearance of my cellulite. I use a good cellulite cream with it as well so that I can really get the most benefit out of it. Cellulite creams have a further firming effect, so using them in combination with high pressure massage is one of the best ways to reduce your cellulite in my opinion and experience.

There are a few things I really like about this Sephora cellulite massager. First off, it’s very easy to handle. It it a solid constructed product with a larger round rubber head that covers a lot of surface area, so you get a lot of area covered in a shorter amount of time. It also has a great handle that allows you to put the full pressure of your arm strength on the treated areas which is ergonomically well constructed so you can get optimum pressure without all the effort. You hold it basically as you would hold a loofah sponge, to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

The pink massager part is very well constructed, and it’s not made in such a way that over time it will peel off of the handle, like a lot of other cellulite massagers do. I have used it with very high pressure for numerous days now with no signs of stress or breaking, so that’s already better compared to a lot of the other cellulite massagers I’ve used in the past.

The pink massagers are small little bumps that are contoured in such a way that they will help break up the fat deposits topically by applying pressure to them and manually forcing them apart, which is basically what cellulite is, fat deposits that are intermittently dispersed with excess water weight and therefore they look spongy.

You do have to use it with a very good, thick emollient cellulite cream, which is how most cellulite creams are made, because if you use it with a cheaper normal cream, it does not glide as easily and makes it much harder to put a lot of pressure on the areas you’re targeting. All this was less than twenty bucks on Amazon, so I consider it to be well worth the price thus far, and by the way, I have noticed a visible reduction in the appearance of my cellulite. Oh, and don’t be surprised if you notice you have a lot of little bruises at first, this is just from the pressure and you’re skin getting used to it.