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Many men and women try to tone their bodies through healthy diet and exercise. While these are both necessary for a healthy lifestyle, they are not always enough to create the trim and firm lines that many desire. Whether the excess pockets of fat were a result of age, pregnancy, or leftover from significant weight loss, some fat does not respond to regular diet and exercise.

While being unable to achieve the definition you are striving for can prove frustrating, the unwanted fat pockets do not have to be permanent. Both surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are available to help you get and maintain the sculpted body that you desire.

What Is Liposuction?

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that targets unwanted fat on the abdomen, hips, thighs, back, knees, ankles, arms, and neck. This procedure allows for the safe removal of localized pockets of excess fat and can provide lasting results and a firmer contour after one treatment.

There are several different liposuction techniques available, one of which is the SAFELipo® technique. SAFELipo® utilizes a three-step process that first separates the fat from the surrounding tissues so there is less heat damage to the surrounding cells. Then, the fat is removed through a suctioning device known as a cannula. After that layer is removed, SAFELipo® performs its final step: fat equalization. This step allows the remaining layer of fat to be smoothed for the most natural-looking and highest-quality results. This technique is highly specialized to the patient and can provide long-lasting tone.

*Actual Patient* Results May Vary

What Is BodyTite™?

BodyTite™ offers non-surgical fat removal as well as the firming of mild to moderate skin laxity. BodyTite™ uses radiofrequency-assisted liposuction, a minimally invasive technique that does not require liposuction-sized incisions.

Instead, a tiny incision is made that is just large enough to insert the BodyTite™ probe. This probe administers thermal energy to the underlying tissues that eliminates fat and tightens skin.

The radiofrequency introduced liquefies the fat so it can be removed easily through a microcannula, allowing for the safest removal of unwanted fat. BodyTite™ offers noticeable body contouring and smoother skin after one session with no downtime or scars and comes with a reduced chance for surgical-related complications.

How Does Liposuction and BodyTite™ Differ From Weight Loss?

When an individual loses weight through diet and exercise, the fat cells in the body are reduced in size, not removed. Every person is born with a specific number of fat cells—a quantity that will not be altered regardless of weight fluctuations.

This is where liposuction and BodyTite™ differs from weight loss. When a patient undergoes cosmetic body contouring, fat cells are physically removed from the body, thereby lowering the total number of fat cells present in the body. Since the fat is removed, cosmetic body contouring offers lasting results.

What Are the Limitations?

Liposuction and BodyTite™ provide noticeably slimmer contours; however, even they have their limitations. Cosmetic body sculpting is designed to do just that: sculpt and enhance. They are ideal for patients who have localized pockets of fat but who are otherwise in good shape and are physically healthy. These procedures are not intended for significant weight loss, nor should they be considered as an alternative to a healthy lifestyle. For patients who are looking to remove a more considerable amount of excess fat, they will need to look elsewhere before considering cosmetic body contouring.

Both of these procedures provide long-lasting results since the fat cells they target will not reproduce in the body. But even though the removed fat cells are gone, the remaining fat cells can still expand, and, therefore, it is possible to gain the weight back if a healthy lifestyle is not followed.

Occasionally, patients also experience a decreased amount of skin elasticity after weight loss or because of aging. Liposuction does not tighten the skin, and the skin tightening available with the BodyTite™ has limitations. For patients with a more substantial amount of laxity, additional cosmetic surgeries such as an abdominoplasty, brachioplasty, or thighplasty may be necessary.

If you are experiencing frustration due to the inability to tone and sculpt your body contour, contact Dr. Corbin today by calling his Beverly Hills office at (310) 284-8384, his Brea office at (714) 671-3033, or by filling out his online contact form.