You've tried everything to lose your love handles and cellulite: eating right, spending countless hours in the gym, maybe even hypnotism (no judgments) -- with zero luck. To be frank, sometimes getting rid of fat is just effing hard. No matter how hard we try to lose fat in problem areas like the thighs, stomach and butt, sometimes it feels like our body just keeps giving us more to "love." While liposuction is always an option, the idea of going under the knife to lose our love handles can feel a bit extreme. That's where a new line of treatments called body contouring comes in.
This new, non-invasive fat loss method, which includes fat-freezing procedures like CoolSculpting, involves zero surgery, minimal pain and very little recovery time (if at all). For those reasons, New York-based plastic surgeon Lawrence Bass, MD, says there's been a 43 percent increase in the number of body sculpting treatments within the last year alone. "Everyone is in a rush to lose weight, and they're looking for ways to do it without surgery," he explains. "Body contouring isn't a weight-loss method, but it does allow you to manipulate the problem areas by killing fat cells." It's a procedure, he says, that can take off two to five inches from problem areas.
But there is a catch. If you're an instant gratification kind of person like me, the procedure might test your patience: All body-contouring procedures take at least six weeks to show changes, and full results come at two to three months. So don't save this procedure for the week before a big event. Also, you'll achieve the best results if you adhere to a healthy lifestyle. While body sculpting treatments can reduce the appearance of existing fat, they can't prevent new fat from forming -- that part is up to you.
We spoke with three body contouring experts to get the inside scoop on the best procedures out there so you can finally get rid of those love handles -- without going under the knife.
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