Saddlebags, pot-belly, love handles, pooch, “How do I get rid of this?” my clients ask me as they pinch the area of offending fat pockets. As both a certified personal trainer and esthetic body contouring specialist at JUVA Skin & Laser Center, I understand well the frustrations of my clients, who despite their adherence to a dedicated and often rigorous gym regimens, cannot seem to shed certain troubling areas of body fat.
While I’m a big proponent of exercise, coupled with diet, as the first course of action for weight maintenance, the idea of “spot reduction” via exercise has been thoroughly debunked by science. Muscle building is site specific, fat loss is not. If you want to build a muscle, you have to activate it highly. The same does not hold true for fat loss. Exercises performed in a targeted region, do not preferentially burn away fat in that region. That’s why endless crunches alone will not whittle away a small waist. (1,2)
Until recently, invasive costly procedures like liposuction were the alternative, when exercise did not produce the desired symmetry. But with the recent FDA clearing of Cynosure’s SculpSure, that is about to change. With SculpSure, we can achieve, non-invasively, what we cannot through exercise—localized fat reduction. SculpSure uses light-based energy to disrupt and destroy fat cells in a targeted region, which are then removed via the liver and lymph system, permanently. Treatment time is half an hour, with no surgery, anesthesia, or downtime. Patients usually schedule the procedure on their lunch break and return to work, or sometimes even head straight to the gym.
SculpSure is not a treatment for obesity, but rather a solution for spot reduction. MRI scans indicate a typical reduction of 24% in the area from one treatment. (3) Because apoptosis (cell death) of the fat cells occurs naturally, the results are gradual, becoming noticeable at 6 weeks, with the full effects visible after 3 months. It has a tightening effect on the skin; and because of the gradual loss of fat, there is no loose hanging skin, which can happen with rapid weight loss.
Ideal candidates are those who maintain a healthy lifestyle, but have reached a plateau and cannot achieve their desired physique goals through exercise and diet alone. To see if you’re a candidate for this treatment, please contact a JUVA representative to schedule a consultation. See SculpSure FAQ's
Jennifer Kramer is a medical esthetician and body contouring specialist at JUVA Skin & Laser Center. She is also a personal trainer certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA).
References
1. The Effect of Abdominal Excercise on Abdominal Fat. Vispute SS et al. J Strength Cond Res. 2011
2. The Effects of Situp Exercise Training on Adipose Cell Size and Adiposity. Frank I Katch et al. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. Volume 55, Issue 3, 1984
3. Average Reduction in Fat Volume in Following Single Treatment as Measured by MRI; John W Decorato et al. Clinical and Histological Evaluations of a 1060nm Laser Device for for Non-Invasive Fat Reduction, 2014
