How long does body contouring last? That’s the question most of our clients with busy schedules ask when they’re considering body contouring. Some of them have tried different diets and HIIT workout routines, but the stubborn pockets of fat just won’t go away. Sadly, the fats are in regions where people don’t want them to be, such as the chin, abdomen, and arms.
Sometimes in the past, people had no choice but to rely on surgical fat reduction methods like liposuction or keep trying diet and exercise pathways. Today, body contouring offers an excellent alternative to getting rid of stubborn fats with little downtime. So, if you’re thinking about starting your body contouring treatment, read on to find out everything you need to know about it.
What is Body Contouring?
Body contouring, body remodelling, or body sculpting, is a non-surgical procedure that targets and reduces excess fats (cellulite appearance) in specific areas of the body. The biggest advantage of this treatment over traditional methods of reducing fat is that it’s painless and doesn’t need recovery time. Rather, this innovative approach uses a combination of advanced technology (radiofrequency, ultrasound, and laser) to break down stubborn fats. The body then gets rid of the broken-down fat cells naturally over time. The result is a smooth, contoured body.
So, if it reduces stubborn fats, does body contouring work for weight loss? Nope, it can’t. We’ve seen some of our clients asking the same because they were under the impression that they could use body contouring as an alternative way to reduce weight. The truth is, there’s no easy route for weight loss other than proper diet and exercise. Body contouring only destroys fat cells to tighten loose skin, and the results are long-lasting as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
How Long Does Body Contouring Last?
After the treatment and the perfect contoured body you dreamt of eventually start to show, how long will the result last? The results are considered permanent because once the fat cells are destroyed, it’s often much more difficult for the body to create new ones, especially after puberty.
But this doesn’t mean the remaining fat cells cannot bulge; without maintaining a healthy lifestyle, your body can still stock more fats. This is why you may need some maintenance treatments to ensure your results last even longer.
Your body transformations usually don’t show immediately after the treatment. Unlike traditional methods of fat reduction such as liposuction, it takes a bit more time to start seeing the results of body contouring. What determines the time it takes is the size of the part being contoured and your lifestyle. But generally, it can take 3 to 6 months for the results to be visible.
This calls for every client to have realistic expectations. For most people, the results will start to be evident after several treatment sessions.
At Cernova Aesthetics we offer personalised consultations to determine the ideal number of sessions you need for optimal results. Our treatment plan considers your aesthetics goals, level of fats, the body part being contoured and other personal preferences to achieve the best outcome.
Surgical vs. Non-Surgical Body Contouring: Which Body Contouring Last
It’s completely natural for clients to seek a solution that offers the most benefits. How long does body contouring last when choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatments? Surgical methods like abdominoplasty and liposuction often remove larger amounts of fat within a single session, with results showing immediately and lasting longer. However, the recovery period takes weeks, something that can prevent you from continuing with your daily routines.
Non-surgical body sculpting requires multiple sessions spread over time, and the results show slowly. But just like the non-surgical methods, they are long-lasting with proper lifestyle and maintenance. The reason why this option is more popular is that it’s painless (no anaesthesia needed) and has zero downtimes.
Factors Influencing the Durability of Body Contouring
Non-invasive body sculpting treatments usually last several months or even years for some people. To achieve impressive results with body contouring, there are a few factors that determine the extent of success.
Skin Elasticity
Natural skin elasticity is directly related to age. Younger people tend to have more elastic skin than older ones. So, this means that if you’re younger, your skin will adjust much better to the new contours and therefore you’re likely to keep the results for longer. For older people, non-surgical body contouring may need to be combined with other treatments that tighten the skin to increase durability.
Weight Fluctuations
Those who experience weight changes regularly may not keep the results of body contouring for longer. So, it’s important to strive for a stable weight after your treatment to help you preserve your newly acquired shape. If you gain or lose weight significantly, then your results will also be altered. For this reason, you may consider maintenance treatments from time to time to help extend the longevity of your results.
Treatment Area
Body contouring is effective at reducing cellulite appearance and excess fat around the chin, neck, arms, and abdomen. Some of these parts can retain the results for much longer than others. For example, the arms and thighs can maintain the results for a shorter period compared to regions like the abdomen.
Lifestyle and Maintenance
To further answer the question “How long does body contouring last,” you need to consider your post-treatment care and lifestyle in general. Your aesthetician may advise you to wear compression garments, avoid stressing activities, and also attend follow-up treatments.
In addition, exercising regularly and eating balanced diets can help maintain a stable weight and prolong your results.
Treatment Method
As you already know, there are different types of non-surgical body contouring, including ultrasound, radiofrequency, and low-level laser therapy. Each of these treatments has a different action mechanism and the longevity of the results also vary.
Tips for Maintaining Your Body Contouring Effect Longer
After your body contouring treatment, what do you do to maintain your results for longer? First, adhering to your post-treatment care and leading a healthy lifestyle will go a long way. Here are more effective ways to improve and prolong your new body contour:
Drink Water
Water is an important medium for getting rid of waste in the body, either through sweat or urine. So, staying hydrated is important to help you eliminate the broken-down fat cells and improve your body’s detoxification mechanism. Drinking plenty of water also helps to maintain your skin elasticity and enhance your overall contoured look.
Exercise Regularly
Once your body takes a new shape, you need to push it further to fully integrate it. That’s where regular exercise comes in. Working out regularly complements body contouring to lead to well-defined and strong muscles. It’ll also help you keep your weight in check, which is important in maintaining the results for longer.
Get Enough Sleep
Lack of sufficient quality sleep is associated with slower metabolism, which eventually causes the body to store more fats and gain weight. Plan your sleep schedule to ensure you get at least 8 hours of quality sleep. Create a more conducive sleep environment and avoid electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime.
Eat Balance Diet
A balanced diet ensures your body gets all the necessary nutrients and minerals in proper amounts. Include lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits in your diet to support healthy skin and further prevent gaining weight. Avoid excess salt, sugar, processed foods, and fast foods to maintain and optimize your results.
No Smoking and Alcohol
Nicotine from smoking is one of the most disruptive elements in the body. It can ruin the body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients, as well as cause dehydration. Similarly, alcohol dehydrates the body and ruins your overall health. Reducing alcohol intake and smoking ensures you’re in your perfect state to maintain the results.
Follow Post-treatment Instruction
Following your body contouring treatment, your aesthetician will give you a list of post-care guidelines to live by to ensure your results are long-lasting. These may include avoiding strenuous activities, wearing compression garments, and regular follow-up appointments. If you follow those instructions as required, your healing process will be faster and your body contouring results will be long-lasting.
How Long Does the Body Contouring Process Take
We’ve answered the question “What is body contouring” and looked at how to prolong your results. The next important thing to consider is the treatment process and how long it takes. Cernova Aesthetics offers a personalised approach to meet your specific body sculpting goals.
Appointments
Every non-surgical body contouring treatment begins with an in-depth consultation with a professional aesthetician. During your consultation, the practitioner seeks to understand your goals, what you expect, the attainable results and the suitable type of treatment for you.
At Cernova Aesthetics we take your measurements and photos to help us monitor your progress in the course of your treatment. Through a comprehensive consultation, your aesthetician customises your treatment to your needs and ensures you get the best achievable results. A typical consultation lasts between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on your needs.
Initial Results
Each body contouring session may use more than one technology, depending on the treatment area and your goals. For example, your aesthetician may perform cryolipolysis (CoolSculpting) to deal with love handles and then perform ultrasonic cavitation, or radiofrequency for a comprehensive reduction of fat. The sessions can last between 30 and 60 minutes per area.
The results don’t show immediately, but can take several weeks, up to two months to start noticing the changes. This is the period when your body processes and gets rid of broken fat cells. Initial results may start to show after a few treatment sessions, but this will vary from one person to another.
Final Results
Generally, it can take between 3 and 6 months to achieve the final desired results. This can be after several treatment sessions as recommended by your aesthetician. However, if you started your treatment after a significant weight loss, it might take much longer to finally see the desired results.
During this period, if you experience a big lifestyle change that disrupts your progress, your aesthetician may recommend additional sessions or a specific type of treatment.
Conclusion
Are you thinking about non-surgical body contouring? It’s the perfect treatment to get rid of excess fats when you’re just within 10 to 20 pounds of your ideal weight. How long does body contouring last? Non-surgical body contouring produces permanent results. However, longevity depends on your skin elasticity, weight fluctuations, lifestyle, treatment area, and treatment method.
Ready to start your journey to a perfect contoured body free of cellulitis appearance? Book your consultation with Cernova Aesthetics today and experience our personalised body sculpting treatment today.
