Body Treatments: Indulgence, Fad or Necessity

Q&A with Dr Jonathan Lee on the who, what and why for Body Treatments

Saddlebags. Love handles. Banana rolls. We’ve invented phrases to make stubborn fats we wish could vanish sound less mortifying and more pleasant. But can we ever get that slender silhouette of our dreams? 

Dr Jonathan Lee, of The Aesthetic Studio, thinks non-invasive body treatments harnessing advanced technology and protocols can do the job for sure, but not without first aligning expectations and coming up with a plan. Dr Lee answers some pertinent questions about the who, what and why when it comes to body treatments.

What’s out there in the world of body treatments?

Technology is certainly very advanced these days, and we’ve got body treatments that help with muscle tightening, body sculpting and skin smoothening. Here are some that we use at The Aesthetics Studio Wellness and The Aesthetics Studio:

• Biostimology Bodysculptor - combines the action of pressure therapy and BioEnergetic fields to target visceral (intra-organs) fats, improve lymphatic drainage, blood circulation and cellulite

• TruSculpt Flex - uses multidirectional micro-electric currents  electrodes to stimulate muscle function akin to doing 54,000 crunches in 45 minutes

• Clatuu Alpha Cryolipolysis Fat Reduction - freezes pockets of stubborn fat deposits to improve the overall body shape and silhouette

• TruSculpt iD - features real-time temperature control to comfortably and permanently eliminate fat cells and tighten loose skin at the same time in 15 minutes using monopolar radiofrequency

So who gets to do what and why?

It’s always important to find out the why before doing the what and what it might mean to the who. Meaning, I would need to take time to understand each unique individual that comes. There may be changes that they see in their bodies which they don’t like. Or a particular area that they have been working on but see no results in. I take time to listen and have patients talk about their lifestyles, share what their ideal is, and then list out some of the barriers preventing them from achieving their ideal. What is their ideal? Ideals can be anything from I want to look like I didn't have kids before to I want to look younger and fitter, or even wanting to fit into a dress of a certain size, say pre-pregnancy size. Different patients have different goals. Next, we have to plan. Are there non-surgical treatments that can help to address all their issues? If the answer is yes for non-surgical procedures, then do we consider one procedure or different procedures, with each one addressing different components? Many times, in order to get the best possible result, you need to combine treatments.

Who’s an ideal patient to come for body sculpting?

In some sense, the ideal patient is someone who's already exercising and leads a healthy lifestyle and eats well, but has this stubborn fat that just won't go away. Then we can treat pockets of stubborn fat. So those are the key words -- pockets of stubborn fat. If you plan the treatment correctly, you can get a nicer shape. Basically, I would need to pick out the correct areas that are going to ultimately give you a nicer contour and silhouette. There are many ways to cause disruption of the fats. If you freeze it below a certain temperature for a certain length of time, the fat cells actually start to switch off. That’s using Cryolipolysis. Or we could go with selective heating body treatment with radiofrequency where there is actual cell death as we are destroying the cells. We have different technologies to control the amount of fat, to selectively choose which areas to work on. Also, very importantly, for patients to be satisfied, they can’t be grossly overweight. There will be a disconnect between expectations and what this body contouring technologies are actually designed for.

Can muscle stimulation be achieved through exercise?

You can exercise, of course, but it can be very difficult and very slow. Getting a solid core is extremely difficult and requires a degree of commitment that most people don't have. But we're not saying that you shouldn't exercise! With muscle stimulation technologies, we can improve muscle tone. I personally would still encourage my patients to continue to activate those muscles by having some kind of regular core exercise regime after the muscle stimulation treatment. Perhaps twice a week to focus on the core with a good set of core exercises to do for 20 minutes. That will enhance the results of the muscle stimulation and help you maintain. The muscle stimulation treatment allows you to achieve something that you can’t otherwise, with just exercise alone. And, it really helps motivate our patients because they see improvements in a very short span of time. In my opinion, dovetailing your treatment with activation and using those muscles in a functional way is vital.

What can we do with loose skin?

If it's very loose skin, you do have to remove it through surgery, but for lesser degrees of loose skin, there are a variety of non-invasive techniques we can use to stimulate collagen in the skin incrementally, over a few sessions of laser treatment or radiofrequency treatment, or ultrasound treatment, or microneedling with radiofrequency treatment. We also have some heating technologies for the surface skin and to improve skin laxity to improve the tightness.

So are body treatments a fad, an indulgence or a necessity?

As a doctor, my approach and philosophy is, I want it to be functional for you. I want it to be sustainable for you. I don't want people to call it vanity, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to look good for your age, right? In my view, I think it's all about body treatments  being functional, useful and keeping my patients healthy. And as a plus point, providing anti-ageing effects too. It takes effort, commitment and time to look and feel good. You may be busy, have kids to look after and a host of other responsibilities so it's important to find a reasonable solution to be fit, not just look fit.

Whether it’s something you absolutely think you need to “dovetail with your current lifestyle” as Dr Jonathan Lee says, or simply something you’re curious to learn more about, book a consultation to talk to Dr Lee about body treatments today.