For many of us, the New Year is a time to refocus our priorities and goals, especially when it comes to health and fitness. Whether you have already achieved your weight loss goal — big or small — in 2019 or are still fine-tuning your results, body contouring could be the push you need to cross the finish line in 2020.
These four surgical and nonsurgical body contouring options for the New Year are popular choices following weight loss.
1. Liposuction
Even after you have reached your target weight or fitness goals, you might find that small areas of stubborn fat remain. Areas like the abdomen, love handles and thighs tend to retain exercise-resistant fat that can be challenging to get rid of without the help of body contouring treatments like liposuction.
Liposuction breaks apart and removes these fatty deposits to reveal a slimmer, more contoured physique. However, it is important to understand that liposuction is not a substitute for eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. Instead, it is a tool that can be used in conjunction with these weight loss methods in order to refine your results.
2. Tummy Tuck
Liposuction and a tummy tuck make the perfect post-weight-loss pair: one addresses stubborn fat deposits and the other removes loose skin.
After achieving a significant weight loss goal, many people are left with loose skin, which can be uncomfortable and get in the way of fully enjoying their weight loss results. Abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck, is able to tighten and remove excess skin, as well as repair separated abdominal muscles. This condition, medically known as diastasis recti, can be caused by obesity and/or pregnancy and needs to be addressed through surgery in many cases.
3. CoolSculpting®
If you are not interested in a surgical body contouring procedure but have some areas of stubborn subcutaneous or “pinchable” fat, nonsurgical CoolSculpting® may be right for you. CoolSculpting uses a process called cryolipolysis to freeze and destroy unwanted fat cells without harming the surface of your skin or other surrounding tissues.
Like liposuction, CoolSculpting is a body contouring tool and cannot stand in place of traditional weight loss methods and healthy lifestyle changes.
Many people achieve their final outcome after a single CoolSculpting session, although additional treatments are occasionally required. Because CoolSculpting does not include any incisions, there is little to no downtime associated with this option.
4. Cellfina™
While cellulite is not caused by obesity and is very common among all body types, many people who have achieved weight loss or fitness goals are looking to finally get rid of those unsightly dimples. Cellfina™ is a minimally-invasive procedure that targets the underlying cause of cellulite in order to smooth away lumps and bumps on your thighs and buttocks.
Shortly after your Cellfina treatment, you should be able to resume your normal daily activities. You might experience some soreness or tenderness for the first few days, but these symptoms should gradually subside. Most people see full results after a single Cellfina treatment session.
Dr. David Kaufman earned a bachelor of science degree from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating with distinction, the highest academic honor. As an active duty naval special warfare officer, he served our nation for four years, including duty in Operation Desert Storm. He then attended Harvard Medical School, receiving his medical doctor degree in 1996. From there, he entered and completed postdoctoral surgical training in a combined general and plastic surgery residency at Stanford University Medical Center.
A board-certified plastic surgeon and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Kaufman’s diverse surgical experience and skill enables him to choose procedures and techniques to best suit each patient. Consider him and his practice, Kaufman Plastic Surgery, if you are looking for a plastic surgeon in the Sacramento area.
