1. Fish Oil or Flax Seed Oil: Fish oils and flax seed oils are the most important supplements you should be taking because of the remarkable health benefits they have been proven to contain. Flax seed oils have even been put in baby formula to help strengthen infants.

• Both contain the recommended omega-3 fatty acids that the body cannot naturally produce.
• Omega-3 fatty acids are great for your heart and protect you from stroke and heart attack by breaking up clots.
• Improves memory and focus.
• Reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer.
• Reduces inflammation.

2. Vitamin D: According to Dr. Gavin, a lot of people are unaware that they are vitamin D deficient. You can get tested for your own vitamin D level by your physician, who can then recommend the amount of the supplement you should be taking.

• You won’t get all the vitamin D you need from the sun.
• May prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
• Regulates the immune system to protect you from illnesses like the common cold.
• Protects against rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Resvertatrol: Resvertatrol is the active ingredient in red wine and is linked to numerous health benefits.

• Helps maintain a healthy heart.
• Proven to be a wonderful antioxidant.
• Reduces age related diseases such as inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
• In low doses, helps produce cell growth.

Similar to Resvertatrol is the acai berry. The supplement comes from acai berries that grow in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil and is growing in popularity thanks to celebrity endorsers like Britney Spears who credits the supplements with helping her lose weight. Any dark berry, says Dr. Gavin, has wonderful antioxidants.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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One of these multi-use hormones is human chronic gonadotrophin, more widley known as HCG, and it is now being used in an unconventional way. HCG is originally produced during pregnancy. It is made by the developing embryo soon after conception. Early detection of a pregnancy is actually determined by the level of HCG found in a woman’s urine.

HCG protects the fetus from malnourishment. If the mother is underfed or starving, she will suffer but her fetus will still be able to thrive and develop off of the hormone. It is one of a mother’s first instinctual ways to protect her unborn child.

Now, Monica Gavin, M.D., of the Azani Medical Spa, and diplomat of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine is using HCG to help patients who have had trouble losing weight in the past. Medically prescribed, the hormone works to block hunger and cravings and allows the user to survive off a caloric intake of just 500 calories a day. While most people’s stomachs may growl from just reading the figure, those on Dr. Gavin’s plan feel nourished.

HCG also works as an energizer by breaking up fat and turning it into energy. So, if you partake in the diet plan, you will have no fatigue and not have to worry about low blood sugar the way you might if you were drastically reducing your food intake otherwise.

The weight-loss process starts by giving yourself an intramuscular injection once a day for 42 days. Dr. Gavin guides her patients through the correct way to give the injection so that it can easily be done at home. About 99% of Dr. Gavin’s patients choose their upper thigh as their injection site.

The 42-day cycle is then followed by a six-week restricted diet. Some patients return after completing the six weeks to start receiving the HCG injections again if they are having a particularly difficult time keeping the weight off or if they had a large amount of weight to lose.

HCG injection cycles can be used up to three times for weight loss and control but most patients are able to successfully keep off the weight after just one 42-day treatment cycle.

The hormone is best recommended for use after your body has completely matured. For women, patients this is usually at age 18 and for men it is 21. There is no age limit for the treatment and as long as your medical workup indicates that you are healthy enough to start the diet plan, you can use HCG well in to your 60s and 70s.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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The first step in creating a specialized weight loss program is to find out more about your regular routine and what hasn’t worked for you in the past.

• Do you exercise regularly?
• What do your typical meals consist of?
• What foods are hard to resist?
• What diets have you tried that have failed in the past?
• What are stress triggers that drive you to eat?
• What times of the day are you most likely to binge?
• What parts of your schedule have made it difficult to stick to diets in the past?

Next, Dr. Gavin will review your medical history as well as any diseases that run in your family that may be attributing to your weight loss struggle.

• Do you or any relatives suffer from diabetes?
• Do you have a thyroid problem that could be making it difficult to lose weight?
• Are any heart conditions or physical disabilities limiting the amount of exercise you can do?

In conjunction with discussing medical issues, a complete medical workup will be conducted including various blood tests. Your weight-loss specialist should also be in contact with your primary care physician so he is aware of your efforts to shed weight.

If you are a good fit for the plan then you can begin.

The secret to Dr. Gavin’s weight-loss program is HCG, a medical prescription hormone that is found naturally in pregnant women. While you will also be required to stick to a specific diet and caloric intake of 500 calories a day, the hormone works to stifle hunger and cravings.

For the first phase of the program, which lasts 42 days, you will inject the hormone into your muscle, usually the thigh, once daily.

Phase two is considered the transition phase and is a six-week guided diet. During this phase, you will be reintroduced to proteins and fruits. This is followed by phase three which allows you to slowly work in complex carbohydrates and some fats into your diet.

While the HCG makes this plan remarkably easy to stick to, it also takes a conscience effort on the part of the dieter to continue the habits he learned while on the program. For people who want to lose a significant amount of weight or find that they are starting to regain some of the lost pounds, phase one can be repeated six weeks after the completion of phase three.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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Definitely, one of the biggest things people ask about when they are coming in for liposuction is the risk that is involved. But I can definitely say that liposuction is safe—especially in an office like OKC Lipo where we use conscious sedation rather than a general anesthetic that would put the patient completely under.

As a physician, one of the biggest things I can do to make the liposuction procedure safe is to pick the correct patients. Surgeons shouldn’t be agreeing to perform procedures on anyone who is risky whatsoever. So as a doctor, you want to be picking patients who are medically stable, and those who are relatively healthy. Just doing that alone, making sure you have patients who are going to thrive, is an important step in terms of safety.

One of the biggest things patients can do, in terms of looking out for their own safety, is finding a doctor who they believe in and trust. A lot of doctors out there promise wild things, but patients need to find someone who they can talk openly with about their goals for the procedure, and someone who is going to be honest and realistic with them about what outcome they can really expect. Usually, making a consultation with a couple doctors is the best way to find the physician who is the best fit for you, specifically.

Like I said before, another way that we make liposuction especially safe here at OKC Lipo is by using what is called conscious sedation. We are doing these liposuction procedures without any general anesthetic drugs, which means that patients are able to remain awake during the procedure. In fact, some patients choose to read their emails or check their Blackberry while the procedure is going on, and for others, I like to just talk to them and find out about their families during the liposuction itself. So the fact that we are able to do all these great liposuction procedures without knocking patients out and putting them under general anesthesia makes what we are doing here an even safer option for patients.

The truth of the matter is, a lot of these horror stories that circulate about liposuction really have nothing to do with normal situations. A lot of these stories involve people who are taking crazy drugs regimens and dealing with unlicensed doctors. Or, they are trying to take off too much fat rather than going with a doctor who is willing to tell them honestly what they are going to be able to safely accomplish—like I mentioned before. Or, even in some cases, these horror stories happened because a doctor did not properly work up a patient before the surgery. There can be any number of factors, but what is important to take out of it is that these are not things that are going on at quality practices where safety is a top priority.

When it comes to making sure you are going to be safe during a liposuction procedure, it is really just about being smart. Patients have got to be smart about it when they are choosing the doctor who is going to treat them. And at the same time, physicians need to be smart about it, as well. They need to be choosing patients who are healthy and stable enough to do well in a liposuction.

Some type of risk is in every single procedure that is out there, cosmetic or otherwise. But when you are talking about liposuction specifically, as long as those safety mechanism are in place and everyone is comfortable with what is going on, I can confidently say that liposuction is a safe and highly effective procedure.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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What Is It?

Bariatric surgery, sometimes called weight-loss surgery, is a procedure that is designed to reduce the size of the stomach. This way, less food and calories are taken in, enabling weight loss. Anyone who has struggled with weight loss knows the most effective and healthiest way to lose weight is to change your lifestyle permanently. Bariatric surgery forces those changes. Your digestive system is altered, which helps to discourage overeating.

There are two main types of weight-loss surgery. Roux-en-Y closes off a part of the stomach and bypasses part of the intestine. This means that not only is the stomach smaller, food is able to bypass a portion of the area that takes calories and nutrients from food. Gastric Banding acheives similar results with a different method. A band is put around the stomach to reduce the size and prevent food from passing all the way through. In both cases, food not only bypasses part of the stomach, less food can enter the system to begin with since the size of the stomach has been reduced. The patient’s brain sense they are full earlier in the eating process.

Following surgery, a patient will be required to eat a liquid-only, sugar-free diet until the digestive tract has healed. For two weeks following the reintroduction of more solidified foods, patients will eat blended and pureed sugar-free foods. This may include things like milk, protein drinks, and mashed potatoes. Once a person has returned to a full diet, he will be eating a lot less than before. It may still be necessary to avoid sugary foods, especially alcohol.

Who Needs It?

The National Institute of Health typically recommends bariatric surgery for those with a body mass index greater than 40. Those who have serious medical conditions and a BMI greater than 35 are also candidates. Some doctors require their patients to have been obese for more than five years. Patients are typically 18 to 65 years old and have unsuccessfully tried other weight loss methods. They suffer from no untreated psychiatric disorders and they do not have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.

Benefits

There are a number of health and cosmetic benefits to weight-loss surgery. The surgery is often the only way some people are able to lose weight. Following surgery and the subsequent weight loss, people find themselves healthier, more active, and leading a happier, more fulfilled life.

Some doctors and researchers believe the surgery may offer a cure for diabetes. The weight reduction helps the body cope better with insulin production and patients are able to reduce their symptoms, sometimes to non-existent levels. According to the Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery, an online weight-loss resource, obese people have double the chance of developing type II diabetes, and the severely obese have ten times the risk. Even though it can be costly, many believe that having bariatric surgery is cheaper in the long run, reducing the risk of weight-related complications, and astronomical medical costs. For this reason, many medical insurance companies, at the moment, are often willing to cover some or all of the $17,000 to $35,000 charges associated with the surgery.

Risks

While bariatric surgery could  save a life, risks are associated with it, as there would be for any surgical procedure. Immediately following surgery, a person may develop an infection at the site of the stapling or banding. There have been some rare instances of pulmonary embolism, which is a blood blockage in the lungs leading to death. There is also the risk of leakage at the surgery site, incisional hernia, and pneumonia.

Once the surgery has healed, a number of lifestyle changes must be observed to avoid complications. If someone eats too much, he will experience nausea and may become ill. A common problem with those who have had bariatric surgery is gastric dumping syndrome. If food passes through the system too quickly, as it sometimes does when it is bypassing a large portion of the digestive tract, it may result in bloating and diarrhea. Gastric dumping syndrome can be uncomfortable, but it can be avoided by keeping meals very small and eating slowly. Many doctors recommend patients take a daily multivitamin to make up for the vitamins they will miss out on with their drastically reduced diet.

Once a person has lost a significant amount of weight in a relatively short period of time, he may find his  skin is sagging. This can be remedied with an operation known as panniculetomy. Some believe this is a cosmetic procedure, but the sagging skin can lead to both health and hygeine issues. So it is often considered a necessary final phase of weight-loss surgery.

Those who are suffering from obesity may be desperate for assistance with their weight loss. If dieting and exercise have not worked, bariatric surgery may be the solution. To avoid costly and fatal health conditions, speak with your doctor about your weight-loss surgery options.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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Well, Tricia did what many American girls do all the time – and some American boys as well. She went on a one-week detox and lost 12 pounds How did she manage to do it? She went on the Cabbage Soup Diet, took a couple of vitamins and drank loads of water. Although she smelled like a rank diaper, her eyes had lost all their luster and her skin looked sallow, she just managed to fit into the dresses she needed to wear.

Needless to say, when Tricia went off her diet she quickly regained all the weight – with an extra 3 pounds on top. And her gut two three weeks to recover. “You are supposed to do the Cabbage Soup Diet for not more than three days, and I was on it a bit more than a week,” she admits. “I had a constant tummyache and was farting all the time. It was nasty!”

The idea of a detox sounds too good to be true – and many health professionals say it is. Yet many of us, especially those who are overweight, lack energy or both, are enticed by the idea of a good old detox to eliminate bad toxins in our diet and cleanse our systems from top to bottom. But are the claims really worth the hype?

Detox Legends and Myths

If you are considering a detox of your own, here are a few legends and myths about detoxing which you may not have been aware of…

TRUE: Nature has a way of detoxing our bodies naturally, without us resorting to starvation or other fad diets to do the trick for us. That way is called our natural digestive systems, with the help of the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin and other necessary organs. And don’t forget the bowels.

TRUE: Drinking water can help me flush out bad toxins. Yes, but don’t overdo it… 64 ounces a day is usually considered enough. And drinking fancy bottled water or herbal concoctions will not speed up elimination any faster – stick with plain old water, as it’s healthy and a lot cheaper.

TRUE: Eating raw foods is good for me. Yes, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables are great. But some foods are actually better for you when cooked such as tomatoes, which release lycopene, a natural anti-carcinogenic.

TRUE” Good habits are better than detox. Up your fluid intact, cut out recreational drugs, nicotine and alcohol, lower your caffeine levels and eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies while avoiding consuming too much sugar, fat and processed foods (see below).

FALSE: Detoxing is great as a quick fix to kick-start a diet. While you may initially seem to lose loads of weight, you will actually be losing primarily necessary fluids, which you will regain back quickly once you start eating normally.

FALSE: Long-term detoxing can be good for me. While a healthy person can survive on a short-term detox of just a few days and emerge relatively intact, anything longer can be dangerous. Most detox diets mean you are depriving yourself not only of necessary vitamins and minerals, but also of the fluids your body so desperately needs to be healthy and function to the best of its ability.

FALSE: Colon-cleansing products are wonderful – and necessary. The problem here is that detox diets intended to flush all “harmful” bacteria from your colon will also unwittingly get rid of all the good bacteria as well, leaving you more susceptible to certain types of infection.

FALSE: Colonic irrigation is a great way to get rid of nasty bacteria quickly. Under the supervision of a qualified professional, a rare irrigation should do no more harm that result in a nasty yeast infection, as the good bacteria disappears with the “bad.” Too often, people are often left with unexpected surprises they hadn’t bargained for, such as a punctured colon.

FALSE: I am sure my doctor would encourage me to detox, as I am overweight. As no scientific evidence supports detox plans, virtually all traditional doctors do not encourage their patients to try them, although alternative naturopaths often do.

Healthy Yet Cool

If you need to lose weight quickly or are looking for a way to start a healthy, balanced diet under the supervision of a medical professional, Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D. and C.N.S., a well-known diet and nutrition expert, recommends these simple steps for a healthful detox:

1. Stick with unprocessed foods

2. Eat at least 7 to 9 servings of produce a day (fresh or frozen)

3. Choose vegetable proteins over red meat, poultry, or fish

4. Gradually cut back on caffeine (to avoid severe headaches)

5. Eliminate alcohol

6. Drink half your body weight for ounces of daily water (150 pounds, drink 75 ounces water) or at least 64 ounces.

Most people don’t stop to ask if there is any scientific proof that a detoxing plan will actually have any positive health benefits or if anything is dangerously inherent in the plan. There is little evidence that detox programs really work, despite their growing popularity. So next time you think about trying a detox yourself, keep in mind that a healthy diet combined with long-term healthy eating habits and regular exercise will have much more far-reaching results.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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1. It’s not just about diet. Many weight-loss clinics are founded on the premise of educating clients about nutrition. The idea is that weight can be controlled once the client knows how to eat adequate, balanced portions. For some people, this is true. The problem is that many people who truly cannot lose weight have tried to lose weight many times, already regulate their diet, and know “how” to eat. Rather, they have other medical or psychological reasons for being heavy. In those cases, a psychologist or doctor is needed, not a physical trainer or nutritionist. (To be fair, good clinics do offer extensive consultation with psychologists and physicians in addition to trainers and nutritionists, but not all do.)
2. They feed into the system. In cases where it is a medical necessity to lose weight, clinics may provide the physical monitoring or procedures a person needs. However, there currently is no real standard across the board about who is a good candidate for weight loss program treatment or how the clinic operates. For example, Medi-Weight Loss Clinics, a physician-supervised weight-loss program are promoted almost entirely as medical weight-loss clinics, while Wellspring Camps, a weight-loss camp for children, won’t accept any applicant whose weight is severe enough to require hospitalization. Admittance into the clinic thus can be determined by a physician’s individual philosophy of operation and perception of what the applicant should look like or weigh. As a result, they may directly or indirectly perpetuate the social idea of what beauty—or even “thin” or “healthy”—is.
3. People aren’t educationally isolated. As pointed out above, weight-loss clinics have a foundation of education. They make their money by convincing people that they have information to which the client doesn’t otherwise have access. In reality, most of the nutritional and physical education information the clinics give can be located easily at local libraries or online.
4. The best motivators don’t get paid. Weight-loss clinics attract clients partially by claiming that they will be supportive to the client during their weight loss endeavor. This may be true, but it is also true that the family and friends of those who want to lose weight or solve an eating issue may be just as (if not more) supportive as professionals. The book, Bulimia: A Guide to Recovery, found that support of loved ones and friends was 84% effective in recovery, compared to a recovery rate of only 62% with support from professionals. This is significant when one considers that various types of eating problems (overeating, bulimia, anorexia, etc.) related to weight often are connected (such as one may switch from one type of eating problem to another). A 2006 study indicated that a family behavioral approach to weight loss–that is, an approach that involves family in the weight loss attempt and treatment–provided better results than other treatments for children.
5. Heavy doesn’t always equal the need for change. In the United States currently, there is the notion that being heavy signifies a health risk and that the individual who is heavy needs to change their lifestyle and physical shape to “get back on track.” In actuality, people with high body mass indexes (BMIs) and who are “overweight” according to BMI charts may not have any medical problems. This is because a BMI chart doesn’t accurately take into consideration that body fat percentages may vary by ethnicity or fitness level (such as a  fit individual will have a high BMI if he is extremely muscular), according to Steven Halls, M.D. Most of these people have stable weights and actually could become ill or weak if they started to diet.

The Bottom Line

Many weight loss clinics are well equipped, but for the reasons listed above, you should consult with your physician, friends, and family to determine what weight loss option is right for you. Weight loss clinic or not, the most important things are gaining and maintaining health and happiness.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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What Is It?

Gastric bypass is the procedure of making the stomach smaller. A small pouch is created at the top of the stomach with staples or a plastic band. The path of digestion is then routed around the small intestine, bypassing that part of the stomach. The creation of the smaller stomach makes it difficult to consume more than a small amount of food and calories. People that have had the surgery feel full faster than if they were just monitoring their food intake.

The food eaten also bypasses the small intestine where most nutrients and calories are absorbed. This enables someone to eat a smaller than usual serving and absorb fewer calories.

The procedure is done in a hospital and is an inpatient surgery. The full recovery time can range anywhere from 3 to 5 weeks. Initially, patients need to be monitored closely by health professionals. There will be frequent follow-up visits at a certified medical facility or a private physician’s office if returning to the hospital is not an option. Patients will also be counseled on how to treat their altered body, how to supplement their decreased diet with vitamins and minerals and how to cope with their surgery and the aftermath emotionally.

Who Needs It?

Adults age 18 to 65 that are severely overweight and considered obese are eligible for the procedure. A doctor will typically speak with them concerning their lifestyle and whether or not gastric bypass is an option for them. People whose body mass index (BMI) is over 40 make good candidates for the procedure. Those who have tried more traditional methods of weight loss and failed in their endeavor often find that gastric bypass is their only option. They may have developed debilitating or threatening conditions related to their weight and the gastric bypass will save their life.

A person should have been obese for at least five years prior to considering the surgery. They must be relatively healthy and not suffer from untreated depression or any other major psychological disorders. It is also important that they not have ongoing problems with alcohol because untreated alcoholism will lead to severe problems once the surgery is complete.

Benefits

The main benefit of gastric bypass surgery is that it allows someone to lose weight relatively quickly. Those having the surgery typically drop about one third of their excess body weight over the course of one year. They may continue to lose for up to four years. The procedure helps them to learn proper eating habits, and reduce their serving sizes by force. Due to negative reactions to certain foods, people will also be able to train themselves to avoid highly processed and refined foods. While it is best to manage an eating plan without forcibly altering your body, gastric bypass patients have been unable to do so. The surgery may mean the difference between life and death for them, and it will most certainly effect their quality of life for the better.

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The benefits of having an abdominoplasty is that the surgery should leave you with a smoother, flatter, firmer abdominal region.

Abdominoplasty, commonly referred to as a “tummy tuck,” is a major cosmetic surgical procedure.  An abdominoplasty is performed in order to create a flatter, smoother, firmer look for the abdominal region.  This is achieved through the removal of excess skin, body fat, and the tightening of the abdominal muscles.   There are several different types of abdominoplasty, including the “traditional tummy tuck,” the “endoscopic tummy tuck” (to minimize scarring), the “circumferential tummy tuck” (usually performed after gastric bypass surgery, bariatric surgery, or significant weight loss), the “extended tummy tuck” (which also targets the “love handles”), and the “mini tummy tuck” or partial abdominoplasty.  Most abdominoplasty is performed under general anesthesia, but in some of the less invasive types of procedures (such as the partial abdominoplasty) can be performed under local anesthesia in conjunction with a sedative.

People seek abdominoplasty for a variety reasons.  Many women who have had children find themselves dissatisfied with their post-childbearing bodies because they still have an excess of skin and/or fat in their abdominal region leftover from their pregnancy, so they choose to have an abdominoplasty, sometimes as part of a larger “Mommy Makeover,” which combines multiple cosmetic surgeries to help women counteract some of the changes that child bearing imposes upon the female body.   If a woman is still considering having more children, she should wait until after her final pregnancy to have an abdominoplasty performed because pregnancy weakens and stretches the abdominal muscles.   People who have experienced a significant weight loss (usually 100+ pounds) also often require an abdominoplasty to remove the excess skin that still remains.  Some people, though physically fit, find that they are unable to rid themselves of the dreaded “belly flab” through diet and exercise alone. The overall shape of the body is largely determined by genetics, so some people are genetically pre-disposed to have a tendency to accumulate fat in their abdominal region.  These otherwise physically fit people who are unable to lose their “belly flab” through diet and exercise often elect to have an abdominoplasty. Some men and women also choose to have an abdominoplasty to counteract the effects that aging has on the body.  Even if they do not have an excess of fat in their abdomen, their skin may be sagging and their abdominal muscles may have become too lax.

As with any major surgical procedure, some significant risks are associated with abdominoplasty.  It is of the utmost importance that you carefully follow your surgeon’s pre and post-surgical instructions.   Whenever a person undergoes anesthesia they risk possibly having a reaction to it, which in rare cases can result in death. During surgery there is also the risk of excessive bleeding. Post-surgery, there is an elevated risk of blood clots for the first few days following the procedure.   There is also an increased risk of infection, so it is important that you only use sterile bandages and dressings and that you closely monitor any drainage for changes in colors.  Infections are usually treatable with antibiotics, but they often slow the healing process.  In some rare cases, slow or uneven healing can lead to tissue death, so that person may require a skin graft or additional surgeries.  It is important to note that an abdominoplasty will result in a permanent surgical scar.  Usually the surgeon will attempt to place the scar below the “bikini line” so it will not be visible to others.  In the year following your abdominoplasty, the scar should flatten out a bit and lighten in color.  However, if you are prone to keloids, your scar may be more prominent. Your surgeon will also advise you to avoid heavy lifting and other vigorous activities for an average of four to six weeks.

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Body contouring includes a variety of procedures all designed to reshape the body through the use of the latest technology. There are several methods people can choose from depending upon whether they want to remove extra fat or extra skin.

Body contouring is a term often used to describe the changing of the body through medical procedures. Originally, body sculpting was an option for people that had just undergone a dramatic weight loss. The extra skin and mis-shapen form that significant weight loss leaves a person with can sometimes make them even more self conscious than the excess weight did. This loose, sagging skin can create hygiene problems and is prone to chafing, rashes and infection. New procedures now exist that do not involve surgery. Doctors consider body contouring a less invasive method than traditional plastic surgery. Because the procedure is non-surgical, it allows a patient to transform their body shape, size, and look without cutting the skin.

What Is It?

Body contouring includes a variety of procedures all designed to reshape the body through the use of the latest technology. There are several methods people can choose from depending upon whether they want to remove extra fat or extra skin. Liposuction and other means of sculpting the body are often the final step after gastric bypass surgery, which causes people to lose a significant amount of weight.There are a number of different procedures from which a person can choose.

Lipotherapy rids the body of fat and cellulite. The procedure involves a solution injected in the fatty tissue just under the skin. The solution dissolves fat, which the body then absorbs naturally through the metabolism. Another method of ridding the body of cellulite and fat is Ionithermie. It is an advanced method of detoxifying the body and lessening the appearance of cellulite.

Mesotherapy uses multiple injections of a cocktail of fat reducing chemicals. It uses pharmaceutical and homeopathic medications, vitamins, plant extracts, and other ingredients to dissolve fat.

Those wanting the effects of a facelift without the risk and long recovery period may want to try Thermage. This procedure uses radio frequency to tighten facial skin around the eyes. It is sometimes called ThermaLift, Thermal Lifting, Therma Plasty, and Thermoplastic. The face is numbed prior to the procedure and pain medication may be prescribed after.

Who Needs It?

Those who are searching for the effects of liposuction or a facelift without the long receovery period or the invasive surgery of those procedures may want to consider body contouring. When researching the procedure, be sure to spend a great deal of time determining which medical spa will work best for you. Experts agree that the skill of the clinician determines how successful the procedure will be. Someone that has access to a talented body contouring facility should consider the procedure.

In addition to a shortened recovery time and access to quality care, body contouring offers someone with lowered self esteem a chance to recreate their look. The procedure does not require as serious and risky a committment as plastic surgury, so it is a great way to significantly freshen one’s look. Keep in mind it is still a medical procedure, but because it is non-invasive, a lot of people may be more willing to try it.

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