Today, patients are looking for non-invasive and customised aesthetic procedures with no downtime. They want a global body treatment for a natural and harmonious result.
To get the best possible results, treatments have to be combined. It is rare for the fat element to be the sole culprit; often, saggy skin or muscle is also present.
360° body contouring is a new body treatment approach in aesthetic medicine that allows a redefinition of the body contours in a targeted and harmonious manner. For the first time, it is possible to treat adipocytes, muscles and skin.
Results of the CRISTAL® programme after one session of cryolipolysis
and four sessions of electromagnetic stimulation.
The first step: fat
The aim is to redefine the patient’s figure and eliminate unsightly fat deposits. To this effect, I use a cryolipolysis device equipped with four handpieces, making it possible to treat global areas. For example, it is possible to treat love handles and the superior part of the stomach, or even the inner and outer thighs in one session.
The cold crystallises adipocytes and triggers the apoptosis process. Macrophages eliminate the crystallised fat cells, which will be permanently evacuated through the lymphatic system. Once freed of this excess of adipocytes, the body progressively transforms over the following weeks until the final results are reached, within two months. It is important to explain to the patient clearly that the improvement in the figure changes with time.
This treatment is suitable for men and women of all ages suffering from localised fat deposits. A session lasts between 45 and 90 minutes according to the protocol used. One to three sessions per area with two month intervals are necessary according to the volume of the fat deposits and the patient’s response to treatment.
The efficacy of cryolipolysis has been proven by multiple clinical studies on the topic; however, this technology only works on the fat cells and must be combined with other techniques to get a global redefinition of the body.
The second step: muscle
High intensity electromagnetic stimulation is one of the latest innovations in body contouring.
This technology uses a focused electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field goes through the body in a non-invasive and non-ablative manner. It interacts with the motor neurons to trigger forced muscle contractions. Unlike voluntary muscle contractions, these forced contractions are independent from brain function and more effective. These contractions will increase the volume of the existing muscle fibre and create muscular hyperplasia, to develop the muscle mass over the treated area.
This technique is different from simple electrostimulation because of its intensity. Four to six sessions of 30 minutes are recommended with one to two week intervals according to the muscle soreness suffered by the patient after treatment.
This technology tones and strengthens muscles and the figure is more defined.
The third step: skin
Once the fatty tissues and muscles have been treated, the skin must also be worked on to perfect the results. Various technologies are available for this purpose, aimed at tightening the skin and reducing cellulitis. High intensity focused diode (HIFD) and radiofrequency devices are some of these technologies.
The high intensity diodes’ infrared thermal energy stimulates the fibroblasts to induce the neocollagenesis process. At the same time, the modular aspiration stimulates the fibroblasts through mechanical stress and stretches the septa to reduce the appearance of cellulite considerably.
Six to eight 30-minute sessions (taking place twice a week) are recommended. A minimum of 72 hours must be followed between sessions to give the patient’s skin and body time to recover properly.
Today, body contouring must not be seen as a single choice of technology according to the application, but rather as a 360° treatment plan taking all the elements necessary for a harmonious figure, in order to reach durable global results. Convincing results for our patients will only be obtained through a combination of these techniques.
Declaration of competing interests: None declared.
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