Fat Deposit Frustrations? Freeze Them

When it comes to treating fat deposits on the hips, midsection, arms and back, liposuction has become the gold standard. However, this surgical procedure isn’t right for everyone. For men and women frustrated by love handles, muffin tops or tummy pooches, there’s a new non-surgical alternative to liposuction in Los Angeles, CA. It’s called CoolSculpting®.

CoolSculpting is easy, and effective:

• You can relax, read or listen to music during your procedure. No anesthetic, no incisions and no downtime is needed. A specially designed device draws up your skin and positions it between two cooling panels.
• Because fat cells freeze at a warmer temperature than surrounding tissue, this technology destroys your fat cells safely without affecting your skin.

During the weeks after your treatment, your body’s natural cleansing processes gradually eliminate the destroyed fat cells. Within a few months, you’ll notice that your clothes are looser and the targeted regions, such as your hips and mid-section, have become more sculpted. Studies show that fat in the targeted areas is reduced by up to 25 percent.

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The Facts about CoolSculpting® by ZELTIQ®

Women and men who lead healthy and active lifestyles frequent my office with questions concerning their options for non-surgical alternatives to liposuction in Los Angeles for small and often difficult to remove pockets of fat. CoolSculpting® by ZELTIQ® uses a controlled cooling process to freeze fat cells, which are then naturally eliminated by your body. Here are 5 facts to help you understand just how effective this popular procedure is:

• Patients can resume daily activities, even exercise, almost immediately after each treatment. This is a great option for people with an active family or work schedule.
• The entire procedure typically takes less than an hour, making it an ideal “lunch break” treatment.
• On average, patients who visit my practice experience about a 20% reduction of fat. Although one treatment may provide the results you desire, I commonly see patients who want to extend their results with continued treatments.
• Clinical studies on hundreds of patients have shown that the procedure is an effective way to reduce fat without the pain, risk, and recovery time of some surgical procedures.
• CoolSculpting only targets fat cells. The surrounding tissue and skin is left unharmed, and any redness will dissipate within a few hours of treatment.

No two people have the exact same body type or cosmetic goals, so I always encourage patients to visit my practice for personalized and professional advice. Whether you’re looking to achieve your ideal body, or simply want to enhance the results you’ve achieved in the gym, CoolSculpting is an excellent tool for looking and feeling great.

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Ready for Liposuction?

Women and men in Los Angeles considering liposuction may wonder how they can determine whether the procedure is right for them. This procedure is growing in popularity, and is an excellent option for many of my patients who want to eliminate small areas of fat, such as the “love handles.”

When patients come to my practice for a liposuction consultation, there are some quick and easy ways that I can check if this is the right procedure for their needs. Here’s a shortened version of my checklist to see if you’re ready for liposuction:

• Physical: One of the best ways to prepare for any surgery is to check that you are at a reasonable weight for your age and height. Since liposuction is not intended as a tool for major weight loss, check your cosmetic goals to make sure this procedure is right for you. Ideal liposuction candidates are people who lead active and healthy lifestyles, but who have stubborn pockets of fat, such as “love handles.”
• Mental/Emotional: Although advances in procedural techniques have made liposuction a safe procedure, it’s important to understand the mild risks associated with any surgery. A great way to ensuring the results you desire is seeking out a board-certified surgeon. That surgeon can help you set realistic expectations, and make sure it’s the right procedure for achieving your cosmetic goals.

Once you feel you are ready for liposuction, you can set up a consultation with an experienced board-certified surgeon. Together, you can create a treatment plan customized just for your needs.

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Understanding the Potential of Tummy Tucks

Women and men often come to our practice after spending countless hours in the gym and trying what seems like every diet available, yet they are still unsatisfied with the overall shape of their bodies. A tummy tuck in Los Angeles is extremely effective in creating a flat and toned abdomen, but the key to successfully using this popular procedure is understanding what it can and cannot achieve.

Tummy tuck procedures begin with a horizontal incision along the pubic line that is often easily covered by a person’s bathing suit. Once the incisions are made, a number of steps are utilized:

• Sutures bring the underlying muscles together to tighten the abdominal wall.
• Abdominal skin is pulled downward, and the navel is repositioned through a small incision.
• Remove excess skin to reveal a tighter abdomen and eliminate stretch marks.
• Liposuction may be used to improve the contour of the waist, flanks, and abdomen.

Tummy tucks often serve as a valuable component of many Mommy Makeovers, which combine the procedure with breast enhancement. This relatively simple procedure can help mothers regain their toned abdomens and bounce back after having children.

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Why You Should Combine Plastic Surgery Procedures

When I see patients in my office who have more than one concern, I often recommend combining surgeries. Combining plastic surgery procedures is a cost-effective way of achieving a more comprehensive makeover, and studies I have done over recent years suggest that the safety of combined procedures is on par with the safety of individual cosmetic surgery procedures.

Combined procedures for body and breast contouring are increasingly commonplace these days. For instance, some of my Los Angeles tummy tuck patients will benefit from combining liposuction of the midbody, hips or thighs. The removal of excess skin as well as fat can result in beautiful, smooth body contours.

Also, many tummy tuck patients choose to combine breast procedures with their surgery. These combined surgeries are often called Mommy Makeover procedures, addressing the specific areas that are of concern to women who have had children.

Combining surgical procedures has the added benefit of reducing total recovery time, when compared to having the procedures separately.

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Body Contouring 101

Body contouring is a way for women and men who have exhausted other methods of diet and exercise to contour and tone specific areas of the body. Typically, excess skin and fat is removed from targeted areas of the body.

While body contouring is never a substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle, it can help improve the body shape for people who find that the pounds won’t budge from certain areas. For instance, my Los Angeles tummy tuck patients choose the procedure to remove unwanted fat and tissue, while tightening the underlying abdominal muscles.

Below is some basic information about body contouring:

• Body contouring can help create a smooth body shape.
• Procedures such as a tummy tuck can help remove excess skin and tissue from areas that do not respond to diet and exercise.
• After significant weight loss, body contouring procedures can be particularly helpful for removing excess skin to reveal a slimmer shape.
• There are various body lifting procedures that exist for almost every area of the body – legs, abdomen, buttocks, back, arms, and chest.

Body contouring can consist of several procedures, but at the end of the day, all are meant to reshape and contour the body. The best way to see if you are a candidate is to talk with your surgeon.

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Will a Tummy Tuck Remove Stretch Marks?

For many people, stretch marks are a part of life. They occur when the dermis is stretched and torn, which can occur as we grow during puberty or as we experience fluctuations in weight. Particularly after pregnancy, many women experience these stretch marks. Unfortunately, there is no proven treatment that will completely remove these marks without excision. Other stretch mark removal methods usually just help improve the appearance of scarring, and do not actually remove the scar.

For women who experience stretch marks from pregnancy, a tummy tuck in Los Angeles can remove stretch marks below the belly button my removing excess or loose skin. But stretch mark removal certainly is not the only benefit of a tummy tuck. In addition, the procedure tightens loose abdominal muscles and can be combined with liposuction to remove unwanted fat in the midsection.

I’ve seen many women who feel self-conscious about their stretch marks and are looking for a solution that actually works. For now, stretch marks on the belly can be removed successfully with a tummy tuck, and I hope that sometime soon a less-invasive approach to stretch mark removal is developed.

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Tummy Tuck: Not a Weight Loss Method

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that can help remove excess fat and skin around the midsection. This procedure is helpful for contouring the body as well as tightening the underlying muscles of the abdomen. Tummy tucks are particularly popular among mothers who experience sagging or excess skin around the midsection following pregnancy. But while a tummy tuck can help Los Angeles women and men improve the shape of their bodies, it is not meant to be a substitute for eating a proper, healthy diet or exercising regularly. In fact, it is helpful for those considering the procedure to be close to their ideal body weight beforehand.

Some common benefits of a tummy tuck include:

• Removal of excess skin and fat
• Tightening of the underlying muscles
• Improvement in overall body contour

A tummy tuck can also be combined with liposuction for optimal results. Combining liposuction with a tummy tuck is particularly helpful for those who have lost a significant amount of weight and experience loose, sagging skin. A tummy tuck also can be combined with other cosmetic surgery procedures after weight loss for more complete sculpting of the body.

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CoolSculpting™ vs. ZERONA®

In my experience, there are plenty of women and men who are searching for liposuction alternatives in Los Angeles. With multiple options, confusion about which techniques can give optimal results is understandable. Some of the newest lipo alternatives – CoolSculpting™ by ZELTIQ™ and ZERONA™ – are making headlines and while these treatments share some similarities, their methods of treatment differ significantly.

CoolSculpting by ZELTIQ

CoolSculpting by ZELTIQ is a non-surgical liposuction alternative that freezes fat cells, which are then subsequently eliminated through the body’s natural cleansing process. People interested in this treatment usually are experiencing stubborn fat deposits that resist diet and exercise. In addition, common characteristics of CoolSculpting candidates include:

• People who are within 10 to 15 pounds of their ideal weight
• Those who want to look better without going “under the knife”
• People who want a procedure with minimal downtime

CoolSculpting uses a treatment method called Cryolipolysis™. This method targets, cools, and eliminates fat cells, without damaging the surrounding tissue. This procedure is relatively quick, with treatment lasting about 1 to 3 hours.

ZERONA

ZERONA is also a non-surgical liposuction method. It uses laser technology to liquefy targeted fat cells, which are subsequently removed through the body’s natural cleansing process. While this may sound similar to CoolSculpting, ZERONA uses laser technology instead of Cryolipolysis to eliminate the fat cells. However, like CoolSculpting, this treatment is worth considering for people who are close to their ideal body weight and have bulges of fat that do not respond to exercise and diet. Some of the benefits of ZERONA include:

• No bruising or swelling after treatment
• No scars
• No recovery time
• Minimal to no discomfort

Which Method Is Right for Me?

To find out whether you could benefit from one of these treatments, find a practice near you that offers both CoolSculpting and ZERONA. A practice offering both treatments will be most likely to give you an honest opinion about which one is most likely to provide the greatest benefit given your cosmetic goals.

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Liposuction – More Than Just Fat Removal

Liposuction has become one of the country’s most popular cosmetic surgery procedures, because when performed properly by a skilled surgeon, it is quick, safe, and it works. With the tremendous growth in the demand for this procedure, it seems like doctors everywhere are offering liposuction. In Los Angeles, it is not uncommon for dermatologists, gynecologists and general practitioners to offer liposuction procedures. Although liposuction may seem simple, it isn’t, and you should trust only a board-certified-plastic surgeon to perform this procedure.

Liposuction involves so much more than fat removal. My Los Angeles liposuction patients come to me for body sculpting, not just fat removal. What’s the difference?

• Fat Removal is just about extracting fat from the body. On its own, it does not require an artistic eye or a technique that minimizes bruising, swelling, or scarring.
• Body Contouring requires a combination of knowledge, technical skill and artistic vision to sculpt targeted areas of the body. These come only through extensive education, training, and experience dedicated to liposuction – not a weekend course.

Other considerations involved with liposuction include evaluation of skin tone, the patient’s weight, advanced sculpting techniques, treating smaller or more difficult areas, and above all else, patient safety. All of these factors are additional reasons why it matters a great deal who is performing the liposuction procedure.

There are also numerous types of liposuction available, and it important that your doctor understands the best type of liposuction for your particular needs. I teach liposuction courses to other surgeons, and cannot emphasize enough that the combination of a skilled, knowledgeable surgeon with the right contouring technique for your cosmetic goals is essential for a pleasing outcome.

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