How to Remove Belly Fat with No Downtime

Posted on: January 1st, 2017 by csiaccess

Patients who visit California Skin Institute for belly fat treatments often express feelings of frustration and insecurity about this problem. They may exercise on a regular basis and eat in a healthy manner. But even though they can be considered in overall good health, they still have a hard time losing extra pounds around the abdomen. In such cases, California Skin Institute providers can offer a number of minimally-invasive belly fat treatments that can visibly improve the contour around the abdomen with little or no down time.*

Let’s take a closer look at some of the minimally-invasive belly fat treatments offered by California Skin Institute experts and the potential outcomes.*

CoolSculpting for Belly Fat

California Skin Institute providers have helped many patients lose excess belly fat with CoolSculpting treatments.* At the very core, this process works by cooling fat cells to a point where they suffer irreversible damage.* The body identifies the damaged cells and gradually removes them via lymphatic processes.* This, in turn, leads to a reduction of belly fat and waist size.*

During the procedure, the patient sits in a comfortable chair, and the CoolSculpting applicator is positioned on the treatment area. The applicator uses gentle suction to tug on the pocket of fat, to cool the area more efficiently.*

A typical treatment session takes 30-45 minutes and is very comfortable for the patient.* In fact, most individuals can return to regular activities, and even sports, right after treatment.*

For a typical patient undergoing belly fat treatment with CoolSculpting, several sessions will be needed.* After the first session is complete, the patient will need to wait a few weeks for the body to remove the damaged fat cells.*

A follow up appointment will help you and your provider determine whether more treatments are needed.*

Vanquish for Belly Fat

Vanquish for belly fat is also performed with no down time for the patient.* In some ways, it’s similar to CoolSculpting in that it works hand-in-hand with the lymphatic system to remove damaged fat cells.* However, instead of cooling the cells, Vanquish relies on radio frequency waves to damage the cells with heat.*

One of the benefits of Vanquish is that it can treat a larger area at a time, and is therefore more suitable for treating the entire abdominal area, including the sides of the trunk (commonly referred to as “love handles”).* Treatments are relatively short, about 30-45 minutes, and a typical patient will need to undergo several sessions to achieve optimal improvements.*

Lipsonix for Belly Fat

Another procedure that can be utilized for removing belly fat is Liposonix.* This treatment relies on focused ultrasound waves, which damage fat cells by heating them up.* Similarly to CoolSculpting and Vanquish, this procedure relies on the body’s lymphatic system to remove the damaged fat cells.*

California Skin Institute providers have helped many patients using the Liposonix device.* Of course, as with all minimally invasive belly fat treatments, the improvements appear gradually as the dead cells are removed.*

When Minimally Invasive Treatments are Not Enough

Though minimally invasive treatments for belly fat can be highly effective in some cases, they are not right for everyone.* Some of the core considerations include evaluating whether the skin has enough elasticity and whether there has been stretching in the structures beneath the skin.*

For patients with excess adipose tissue, tumescent liposuction or SmartLipo liposuction techniques are offered at California Skin Institute.* Both of these techniques are performed with local anesthesia and provide dramatic contour improvements that far exceed the minimally invasive techniques described in this article.* While SmartLipo offers a laser component that melts fat and stimulates skin contraction, it has limitations in certain patients with loose abdominal skin.*

For example, patients with significant weight gain will have experienced stretching of the skin that cannot be repaired by the body even after the weight is lost.* Therefore, minimally invasive treatments will not help achieve aesthetically pleasing outcomes, as surgical removal of excess skin may be required.* In this case, your California Skin Institute provider may recommend liposuction combined with a tummy tuck.*

Another common situation we see at California Skin Institute is the stretching of abdominal muscles experienced by women during pregnancy.* Unfortunately, minimally invasive belly fat treatments cannot address this problem. In this case, a tummy tuck (which involves the tightening of the skin and the underlying muscles) may be more appropriate.*

Schedule Your Consultation

If you feel like you need a little extra help to lose stubborn pockets of belly fat, we’re here to help in a patient-focused and compassionate environment.* Schedule your appointment by calling a California Skin Institute practice near you, or use the online scheduling portal now!

*Individual results may vary and are not guaranteed.