Spot fat reduction without surgery used to be an impossible feat. No matter how much you exercise one particular area of your body, you simply cannot guarantee that the fat in that area will decrease. For many years, liposuction was the only possible solution. Later, new techniques made lipo less invasive and sped up healing time, but they were still surgical procedures. Now, there are several non-invasive ways for people to reduce the size of fatty deposits without ever going under the knife or feeling the sting of a needle prick. VASER Shape is one of the newest and the results are just now coming in.
"We have some patients who just don't want surgery whatsoever and those are the patients to whom we recommend VASER Shape," says Denver aesthetic physician, Dr. Tahl Humes. The device uses dual ultrasound heads to disrupt fat cells. The heads are positioned so that they meet at a point under the skin. When the two combine, the fat is disrupted and dies. The dead cells are then absorbed into the body and passed naturally.
Actual Before and After Results of Dr. Tahl Humes with VASER Shape
"We're seeing great results," says Dr. Humes. "We are very impressed the results have exceeded our expectations. We're actually seeing a stomach circumferential decrease of about two inches after three treatments. We're currently recommending six treatments just because it's pretty new to market, but that's generally the most that a patient would need. The majority of our patients are returning to do additional areas because they are so pleased with their results"
It is important to understand however, that though some patients are losing up to 2 inches, these results aren't guaranteed for everyone. Some people are better suited to VASER Shape than others. It's especially useful for those who are in generally good shape but just want a little bit of extra help. "VASER Shape is great for somebody who's had traditional liposuction and they have that bumpy appearance. Also, somebody who runs on a regular basis but still has that little bit of a belly or their thighs are just not where they want them to be. It's not going to be for somebody who is trying to lose a lot of weight. It doesn't take the place of diet or exercise but VASER Shape is for that person who does exercise but does still have fat."
According to Dr. Humes, they looked at other non-surgical spot fat reduction devices such as Zerona and VelaShape but felt that VASER Shape offered the most reliable option. "When I looked at a lot of the other machines the problem was that nobody could tell me that there was permanent fat loss because they couldn't tell me how it works.... With VASER Shape we know the fat stays away as long as we don't go out and start eating Big Macs. As long as you keep up your lifestyle - whether that was eating healthy or not, exercising or not - then with that same lifestyle the fat that's gone is gone."
Actual Before and After Results of Dr. Tahl Humes with VASER Shape
There is no downtime associated with VASER Shape. Patients can undergo the procedure and return to regular activity immediately. Most patients report no pain and say the treatment feels like a hot rock massage.
Talk with your aesthetic physician about whether or not VASER Shape is right for you. For many patients who would prefer a more dramatic result, surgery is often the best option, but those willing to trade results to avoid surgery, this may be their best option.
