Two patients can weigh the same and want the same results, but walk away from the same treatment with different outcomes. There is a wide range of factors that impact candidacy and results when it comes to body contouring. At U | 180 Medical Spa & Wellness, it is our job to identify good candidates based on skin quality, fat placement, overall health and more. We will help you weigh whether our body contouring services are right for you.
What Is Body Contouring?
Body contouring is a type of nonsurgical treatment that reduces fat in a specific area and often firms the skin above it. We use a device called V-Form, which sends radiofrequency energy through the skin to heat fat cells until the body clears them while also prompting new collagen. V-Form sessions are quick, and patients can drive themselves home afterward. Using this treatment, we can also offer cellulite reduction.
Physical Signs That You Are a Good Candidate
Being Near Your Goal Weight
Body contouring reshapes, but does not lower your overall weight. Usually, good candidates are within a few pounds of their goal weight, but are frustrated by one area that has not responded. Stable weight also helps you maintain results from any body contouring treatment.
Skin Laxity
Skin that has lost some snap but still springs back when pinched responds well. Removing fat from under skin that no longer retracts can leave the area with some loose skin. Some skin laxity can be improved by our body contouring treatments, since radiofrequency heat builds collagen, but those with severe sagging may not be good candidates.
Good Expectations of Body Contouring Results
Results build over weeks as your body clears the treated fat cells, and most patients need a series of sessions rather than one. The change usually shows up in how clothing fits. Patients who want a visible improvement in one area tend to be happy, but those who want surgical-level change without surgery are not.
Does BMI Impact Body Contouring Results?
Most providers recommend that patients have a body mass index of 30 or under for best results. BMI is not a hard and fast rule for V-Form, but it can give us valuable information about the type of results our patients are likely to see from nonsurgical body contouring.
Life Stages That Bring Patients Through Our Doors
Post-Pregnancy Body Changes
Pregnancy stretches the abdominal wall and the skin over it, and fat frequently redistributes to the lower abdomen and flanks. Once nursing has ended and your weight has settled, contouring can address the pockets that are left. It is usually a good idea to wait until you are done having children, since additional pregnancies can cause fat pockets to return and stretch skin again. We ask patients to wait until they are finished having children, since another pregnancy may reverse the result.
Hormone Shifts During Perimenopause
Falling estrogen shifts fat storage toward the midsection and thins the collagen that keeps skin taut. Patients often describe a body that changed while their habits did not. Because the cause is hormonal, we frequently pair contouring with an evaluation for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
Weight Loss Plateaus With Isolated Trouble Spots
Patients who have lost a significant amount of weight often reach a point where the scale stops moving but one or two areas still bother them. Fat does not leave the body evenly. Contouring addresses what stayed behind, which is why it works better as a finishing step than a starting point.
Active Patients With Stubborn Areas
Some of our most satisfied patients are already active. Genetics decides where your body stores fat, and focusing on specific areas during training does not reduce fat specifically in this location. A patient who works out five days a week and still carries fat along the flanks is not doing anything wrong. That area simply needs a different tool.
Health Factors We Consider Before Body Contouring
Skin Elasticity and Tissue Quality
We use different strategies to check skin quality, such as gently pinching and releasing the skin over the area to see how fast it returns. We also check for scarring from past surgery and gauge fat thickness. This exam happens in person.
Medical History and Current Medications
Some conditions rule out radiofrequency treatment, including pacemakers or other electrical implants, active infection in the area and pregnancy. We also ask about blood thinners, autoimmune conditions and any hernia in the abdominal wall. Because U | 180 is a medical practice, we always pay close attention to your health.
Timeline and Maintenance Commitment
Most patients complete a series of sessions spaced roughly a week apart, then wait two to three months for the full result. After this, there should be a commitment to keeping your body healthy and maintaining your current weight to avoid reversing the results.
What to Expect From Body Contouring in Winnsboro, LA
Your first visit is a consultation where we examine the area, ask what you want changed and give you an estimate of how many sessions it will take. You can review before and after photos from patients treated in our office to see what you might expect. We care for patients from Winnsboro, Monroe, Columbia, Delhi, Tallulah and Sicily Island, many of whom drive in because individualized aesthetic care is hard to find nearby.
Take Your Next Steps to a Contoured Body
If you are close to your goal weight and one area still bothers you, a consultation will tell you whether contouring is worth your time. Contact U | 180 Medical Spa & Wellness online or call 318-412-2261 to schedule. You can also book an appointment through our online scheduler.
