Often considered the gold standard in body contouring, Smartlipo has once again won the title of Best Body Contouring procedure for the 3rd year in a row in the American Health and Beauty Readers' Choice Awards. Using laser technology, Smartlipo has changed how liposuction is performed and according to physicians who offer Smartlipo, have changed it for the better.

A type of laser lipolysis, the most recent version of the Smartlipo device is the Triplex, which uses 3 wavelengths to offer optimal fat disruption and melting and therefore more precise body contouring. According to San Jose SmartLipo surgeon Dr. Daryl Hoffman, "Laser lipolysis uses a laser to melt fat cells while simultaneously heating and tightening the skin. It's a very smooth treatment which is especially important for areas such as the abdomen."

A benefit of Smartlipo is it is performed under local anesthesia versus general anesthesia, thus mitigating any risks that are typically associated with being put under. A tiny fiber optic cannula is inserted into the top layers of the skin through a small incision and the lasers cause the membranes of the fat cells to rupture. The melted fat is then aspirated through the original small incision.

Actual Before and After Photos of Smartlipo by Dr. Robert Burke

It has been theorized that while the laser is melting the fat, it is also cauterizing blood vessels, which may result in less bruising, swelling and bleeding - cutting downtime to 1-2 days. In addition, the laser may offer a modicum of skin tightening which is beneficial to patients after having fat removed.

Actual Before and After Photos of Smartlipo Neck Shrink Lift by Dr. Thomas Barnes

Not only is Smartlipo ideal for removing fat, it may be used to sculpt delicate areas such as the neck, arms and chin in lieu of major surgical procedures such as a neck lift or arm lift. "Going under the knife is not the first choice any more," states Newport Beach neck lift surgeon Dr. Thomas Barnes, "Due to technological breakthroughs, there are so many options to help people take years off their appearance without undergoing large surgeries. And the best part is we can perform these procedures that yield dramatic results without the risks of anesthesia."

According to Ann Arbor SmartLipo provider Dr. Robert Burke, "An ideal candidate is a woman whose family is complete, close to her ideal weight with a body mass index under 30, and in good health." Dr. Burke continues to say, "People tell me the best thing is they get back to work quickly and there is minimal disruption in their activity." If patients work at it and eat healthy they can maintain their results. He performs about 100 SmartLipo procedures per month, and Dr. Burke states, "It is a team effort on the part of the patient - they have to be well motivated, want to take good care of themselves, watch their diet, get the exercise, and do the things that they need to do to maintain their Smartlipo results."

The American Health & Beauty Reader's Choice Awards are based on a running tally of all information accessed on www.americanhealthandbeauty.com from January 1, 2011 to December 26, 2011. The awards are based on the number of page views for each particular procedure. The awards in no way reflect a judgment or declaration of one procedure or product being better than another, merely what visitors to the website searched for and/or read about. The awards are a representation of consumer interest regarding these particular procedures and/or products and are in no way an endorsement of American Health and Beauty, LLC. For more information regarding these procedures please contact your local physician