Those Last Few Pounds…

Struggling to lose those last few pounds or inches? Unfortunately, diet and exercise can’t influence where you lose weight-doing hundreds of sit-ups a day may tone your rectus abdominus and oblique muscles, but will not burn fat specifically in the stomach region - similarly, squats and lunges may tone your quadriceps muscles, but will not cause you to burn that jelly-like fat in the inner thighs, or slim down saddlebags on outer thighs…. The best we can hope from such exercises- as with all aerobic exercise- is by burning calories in excess of our daily intake, that we will lose weight overall..

The storage of fat is influenced by hormonal and genetic factors- for women in the pre-menopausal years, excess weight is stored as subcutaneous fat deposits in the thigh and hip areas- locations where they will act as a energy reserve, eg for breast feeding an infant. Unlike the deposition of fat around abdominal organs- visceral fat- this subcutaneous fat reserve will not cause undue derangement of lipids and blood sugar….For males, and post menopausal women, excess calories are stored primarily in subcutaneous deposits around the waist, and internally, around the abdominal organs,(visceral fat) with potential adverse effects on lipid profiles and glucose metabolism. Losing weight, and aiming towards a more ideal body composition (percentage fat) then becomes an essential part of reducing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and diabetes…

Spot Reduction of Fat

When we are at or near our ideal body weight (*BMI 19-25) our attempts to spot reduce small remaining deposits of fat in cosmetically unsightly areas, -eg inner/outer thighs, waist, lower abdomen, upper arms, below shoulder blades- can be frustratingly disappointing- ie by effort of caloric restriction, and lots of exercise, we may continue to burn off fat, but that may result in emaciation of the face, or a skin-and-bones look to the upper body, while we hang on to those “love handles”, “saddle bags” or pesky wobbly thighs…leaving us with the option of surgery- liposuction- with its attendant risks and downtime, or the non-invasive laser treatments described below….
*for a discussion of the difference between BMI and percentage body fat in determining ideal body composition- see section on weight loss

Accent XL Laser - Shrinks, Firms and Smoothes Fatty Tissue

The Accent XL laser emits radiofrequency waves which are converted into thermal energy in the subcutaneous fatty tissue, resulting in

• Shrinkage of fat cells – volume loss of the fatty layer
• Remodelling of the storage matrix for the fat cells – collagen- this is an especially important aspect of the treatment of cellulite- the abnormally lumpy/bumpy fatty tissue that often is seen in the buttock/thigh areas of women. One of the key histological features of cellulite on microscopic examination is disrupted collagen fibres – some fibres may remain intact, pulling on the upper layers of the skin, causing dimpling, while broken collagen fibres allow out pouching of fingers of fatty cells, appearing as lumps, or rolls, under the skin.
• Improved microcirculation to the fat cells – this allows the drainage of toxins and excess fluids through the lymphatic channels, thus further relieving congestion and orange-peel texture in the cellulitic areas.
  [ insert before/after of actual patient KW, both profile, and front view of abdomen and label Actual Clinic Patient]

Painfree Treatments, Ongoing Improvements, Long-lasting Effects

This remodeling of fatty tissue occurs over time with a series of Accent treatments; with ongoing improvements occurring up to 6 months after a course of therapy, as subsequent renewal of healthy collagen fibers add to the smoothing and firming effect of the initial treatments.. By drinking plenty of water to ensure adequate hydration, and thus continued flushing of toxins, in addition to establishing and maintaining healthy eating patterns and regular exercise , one can expect to maintain these improvements for a considerable period of time .

Depending on the degree of cellulite, or the volume of fatty tissue to be reduced, an initial series of 6-8 treatments performed at 2-weekly intervals may be recommended. The area treated at a given session would generally not exceed the size of a dinner plate for maximum effectiveness; for larger volumes of fat or stubborn deposits, the treatments may be combined with LipoDissolve, or mesotherapy, for its synergistic effect (see section below).
Accent treatments are generally well tolerated- often described “like getting a hot stone massage”- skin temperature is monitored with an infrared sensor to ensure that it remains in a safe and therapeutic range. No analgesia is required, and there is no downtime following treatments- the skin may appear red immediately following a session, but this will quickly fade, and there are no restrictions on activity. All skin types can be treated, and the Accent laser is not photosensitizing- thus treatment can be undertaken before or immediately after, sun or UV exposure.

Contra-indications to treatment

• Pregnancy
• The presence of cancer or undiagnosed tumour
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Electrical devices – pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, or other devices implanted in the body
• Metal plates in the proximity of the area to be treated – eg extensive dental implants,(face), metal hip replacement (buttock) plate for repair of fractured bone (thighs)
• Severe multiorgan disease – eg renal impairment, advanced circulatory problems
• History of thrombo-embolic disease
• Active auto-immune disease
  

Additional applications of Accent XL Laser –

• post surgical liposuction,
• treatment of lipomas,
• skin tightening- face, neck, arms, abdomen
• Body after Baby

The Accent XL laser has 2 heads –

• Unipolar – which causes thermally-induced changes, and hence REMODELLING, of the deeper layers of the subcutaneous fat; and
• Bipolar, which delivers energy only millimeters below the surface, resulting in shrinkage of the very superficial tissue- SKIN TIGHTENING - above the layer of shrunken fatty tissue:
  

If we did not employ this dual approach to treatment, shrinkage of the fat would result in wrinkling and folds of the overlying skin – as sometimes happens in surgical liposuction – where a chunk of fatty tissue is broken up and siphoned off, leaving the overlying skin intact, but redundant.

In fact, the Accent laser can be employed to smooth tissue irregularities post liposuction, and to shrink benign fatty tumors – LIPOMAS – in thighs, arms, and abdominal areas.

The Bipolar head may be employed alone in areas where purely SKIN TIGHTENING is required; ie the skin is loose and wrinkly – eg

• Neck (see facial services- skin tightening)
• Upper arms ( here we often use a combination of Unipolar and Bipolar – Unipolar to shrink flab, and Bipolar to tighten loose skin),
• Abdomen- post weight loss or post pregnancy – BODY AFTER BABY- (often employing a combination approach, using a cocktail of vitamins, peptides, and growth factors delivered via mesotherapy or a dermal roller technique to accelerate the development of healthy collagen in stretch marks, plus Accent Bipolar treatments to firm and tighten the wrinkled skin)