At The Medispa at the Gynecology Center in Ormond Beach, FL, Dr. Whitney Shoemaker prides herself in her ability to help all of her clients feel better about themselves. One of the most common concerns she hears about is stubborn pockets of excess fat that refuse to respond to regular exercise and a healthy diet. If you’ve been struggling to achieve your ideal figure, you may be considered a good candidate for laser fat removal. Keep reading to learn more about it.
How Does Laser Fat Removal Work?
Laser fat removal, sometimes referred to as laser lipolysis, permanently reduces the number of fat cells in an area of concern by melting them to death. Typically, treatment sessions take only 30 minutes to complete. This can vary, though.
The more areas of concern you are targeting, the longer your session will take. Similarly, your session will take longer if you have a lot of excess subcutaneous fat. For example, your treatment session may take around 45 minutes if you are treating a large area with a lot of excess subcutaneous fat. As another example, you may need to dedicate an hour to your appointment if you are targeting two large areas.
How Does This Compare to Liposuction?
There are a number of advantages this treatment has over liposuction. One of the most compelling advantages is that it is a lot more convenient than liposuction. While the former can be completed in under an hour, the latter requires four to seven hours to complete. The procedure itself usually takes three to four hours. Then, one to three hours are required for observation while the general anesthesia wears off.
How Many Treatment Sessions Will I Need?
If you’re already at your goal weight, you’ll probably only need a single treatment session to achieve your desired results. However, if you have a dozen or more pounds to lose to get to your goal weight, six to eight sessions may be necessary.
How Quickly Does Laser Lipolysis Work?
Laser lipolysis works extremely quickly. By the time your appointment is over, a significant percentage of your localized fat cells are melted. Due to the fat cell walls liquefying, you may feel slimmer as soon as your treatment is complete. However, it will probably take around three to six months for your final results to materialize. This is because your lymphatic system needs time to flush out the fat cells destroyed during treatment.
What Can I Do To See My Final Results Faster?
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is one of the most effective things you can do to see your final results as quickly as possible. How much you need to drink to stay hydrated depends on several factors, including your body mass, activity level, diet, and other factors. Typically, women need to drink six cups of hydrating fluids daily to stay hydrated. Men usually need to drink half a gallon of hydrating fluids daily to stay hydrated.
The higher your diet is in water-dense foods, the less hydrating fluids you will need to drink. The more active you are, the more you will need to drink to replace the water lost through sweating and extra exhalation. If you’re struggling to achieve pale urine, set regular reminders on your phone or computer to drink. For instance, if you don’t sip on water or tea throughout the day, set hourly alarms reminding you to drink six ounces of water.
Eat Well
Maintaining a healthy diet will also help you see your ideal results as quickly as possible. For the most part, your diet should be full of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. You should make an effort to get your recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals from whole foods. While dietary supplements can help you stay nourished, they are not as bioavailable as fresh or frozen produce. It is highly advisable that you minimize your consumption of processed foods.
It’s okay to buy pasta from the store instead of making it yourself. However, it’s a good idea to opt for whole grain or whole wheat pasta. Similarly, it is a better idea to eat brown rice than white rice. If you decide to indulge in a premade meal from the grocery store, read the nutrition label carefully. You should not eat or drink anything that has trans fats in it. The less processed food you eat, the more time and energy your body will have to dedicate to eliminating fat.
Get Cardio Most Days
You can also help your lymphatic system flush out the destroyed fat cells faster by getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderate cardio most days. Walking is one of the most popular forms of cardio because it is so accessible. Walking is great if it works for you, and you’ll do it consistently. If you think it’s a boring chore and you find reasons to not do it, look for a form of cardio that you find fun.
Maybe running is more your speed. Look into joining a local running club to help you stay accountable. You may make great friends with people you otherwise would have never met. Swimming and indoor rowing are also great forms of cardio. They are low-impact, so you don’t have to worry about joint pain during or after exercise. Furthermore, they work virtually every muscle in your body.
Try To Stay Healthy
It is also extremely important that you do your best to stay healthy if you want to see your final results as quickly as possible. Your lymphatic system will prioritize eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses over dead fat cells. To reduce the likelihood that you become ill, make sure that you wash your hands before you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes. Also, be diligent about washing your hands after you sneeze or blow your nose.
Get More Quality Sleep
Another very effective step you can take to make your final results materialize faster is to get more quality sleep. Ideally, you should sleep for seven to nine consecutive hours per night depending on your age. As a general rule, people between the ages of 18 and 60 should sleep for no fewer than seven hours per night. If you are between the ages of 61 and 64, you should aim to sleep for seven to nine hours nightly.
Seven to eight hours of consecutive sleep is generally recommended for seniors. Note that lying on your left side is the optimal position for lymphatic drainage and elimination. If you don’t feel comfortable sleeping laterally, you may want to look into getting a better pillow. If you get a supportive latex pillow, your neck will remain aligned with the rest of your spine. Also, make sure that your chin, neck, shoulders, and hips are aligned.
Get a Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Getting a lymphatic drainage massage is another effective way to facilitate faster lymphatic drainage. This type of massage helps to move lymph to your lymph nodes from your tissues.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
Laser fat removal will probably be considered right for you if you have a moderate volume of extra adipose tissue in at least one region of your body. If you don’t have a lot of subcutaneous fat in an area of concern, you may not be able to get satisfactory results. Similarly, you may not be able to get satisfactory results if you have an extreme amount of excess adipose tissue. We will verify this treatment will be effective for you during your initial consultation.
During this consultation, we will also verify that this treatment will be safe for you. Fortunately, due to the non-surgical nature of this treatment, most people who are within 20 pounds of their goal weight qualify. Some of the most common contraindications for this treatment are severe skin laxity, pregnancy, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.
Give Yourself the Gift of Slimmer Contours Today
Laser fat removal works by melting fat cells in an area of concern to death. Once the fat cells are dead, it is only a matter of time before your lymphatic system notices them, sweeps them up, and flushes them out of your body. Are you ready to finally get the body you’ve been working towards for years? If so, contact us now at The Medispa at the Gynecology Center in Ormond Beach, FL to schedule an initial evaluation with Dr. Whitney Shoemaker.