Was listening to a plastic surgeon being interviewed and he was talking about a newer non-invasive procedure where they wrap something around you that freezes your fat cells which causes the fat cells to die and pass through your body. He claims it results in a 25% reduction in fat cells. Not sure how effective it is and he didn't mention the cost for the procedure but it sounds better then going under a knife.
It is better than surgery if it does what you want. But, that is entirely effective for someone who actually needs a tummy tuck instead. What most people don't understand is that a tummy tuck has very little to do with reducing fat. A tummy tuck is
not a weight or fat loss method. The main things that that a Tummy Tuck does is (1) remove loose skin and (2) repair the underlying abdominal muscle. Each of these have to be considered. For most women, it is the loose skin and muscle repair that is important.
I have personally lost 65 pounds and am at a normal BMI. I have consulted with two plastic surgeons who both agree that what I have is primarily loose skin, not excess fat. I have a little excess fat in my abdominal area but not much. So, the kind of procedure you are talking about wouldn't do much for me.
So, there are 3 parts to this:
Fat Removal - This is what you are talking about. This is also what liposuction does.
The procedure you are talking about can make things
worse for someone with loose skin. Procedures that remove fat only (such as liposuction) can be OK for someone who has a relatively small amount of fat they want to remove in an area and who have skin with good elasticity. And, if this is not someone who needs muscle repair.
Loose Skin - With pregnancy or excess weight the skin often stretches out. In some cases, with weight loss it springs back into place. My husband lost about 85 pounds and his skin did that. I lost 65 pounds and mine didn't. Pregnancy can also stretch out skin. Think of an elastic band that has been stretched so much that it loses its elasticity. Skin is the same way. Sometimes, it simply loses its ability to go back into place. Nothing will make my skin go back into place. The only way to get rid of it is through surgery. If anyone really wants to see what this looks like, send me a PM and I will send you a link to the pictures I have on my blog. You might think if you saw it that this was fat. But, in reality, it is mostly loose skin. In a tummy tuck that loose skin is cut away.
Muscle Repair - This is really, really important. Most women who need loose skin removed also need muscle repair. This is mostly due to pregnancy but can be due to excess weight. During pregnancy or times of heavy weight, your rectus abdominis muscle can stretch apart. Some people call this muscle separation. They don't actually separate but they stretch apart. This is called a diastasis recti. When you have this you tend to have a protruding abdomen because the abdominal muscles on one side are relatively far apart from the abdominal muscles on the other side.
This is another thing that often simply does not improve after pregnancy is over or after weight loss. Sometimes it does and that is fine. But, for many people it simply doesn't. No amount of diet or exercise helps in some instances (I work with a trainer twice a week and do other exercise...none of that has helped this problem). In a proper abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) the surgeon will actually stitch together the two sides of the abdominal muscles to bring them together as they were originally. I mention this because sometimes people are unhappy with their tummy tuck and find out later that the surgeon did not do muscle repair and only removed skin. The muscle repair is really important to do for lasting results if you have diastasis recti.
So -- things like Liposuction or Coolsculpting or other non-invasive methods may be perfectly fine for someone who has a little fat to remove. They do nothing whatsoever to help someone who has lots of loose skin or who has muscle laxity. And....that is why one of the procedures I will be having is a tummy tuck.
(I am not a doctor...just talking about what I have learned from my research for a tummy tuck and other surgery).
