Bodysculpting

I've been going down the rabbit hole learning about noninvasive body sculpting. Ever since I saw an advertisement for a local body sculpting business, I wanted to learn more! Recently, I've been enjoying working out and how good that makes my brain and body feel. We've been going on walks as a family, and I've been doing a lot of the Peloton strength training classes. No offense to the bike crowd, but I just can't get into the bicycling. One thing I think is really cool right now about body sculpting is that it allows people to open their own businesses since a lot of the devices don't require certain licensing.

Anyways, while learning about ways to reduce specific areas I'm personally not happy with, body sculpting came up. There are a lot of things that fit into the realm of "body sculpting."

There's lymphatic drainage and woodwork, there's electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), there's injectables that dissolve fat, there's injectables that add volume aka "fillers." There's cryotherapy, ultrasound cavitation, radiofrequency (RF), and light or low-level light laser therapy.

Honestly, a lot of it sounds too good to be true. So, I decided to look at the evidence behind it and share it with you. Hope you find this interesting and helpful!

Lymphatic drainage, massage, and wood therapy

The process of a massage type service that moves lymph around in your body or face and neck to move it into the lymphatic system and drain it away through your blood and liver. This reduces puffiness and swelling. Wood therapy reportedly loosens up fascia, which might reduce cellulite appearance. There have been several studies examining the effects of body work and most have shown that it is able to reduce thigh circumference and abdominal fat thickness.

Article 1, Article 2

Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS):

Electrical impulses stimulate your muscles to contract. There are devices to wear on your abs, on your glutes, on your arms and legs. There are also whole-body suits and gyms that offer EMS workouts with a trainer.

Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4

Ultrasound cavitation:

Ultrasound waves at specific frequencies go into the tissue and vibrate the fat cells so they heat up and rupture. There are several studies demonstrating abdominal circumference reduction, lower leptin levels, reduced abdominal fat thickness, and improved waist/hip ratio with ultrasound cavitation treatments.

Article 1, Article 2, Article 3

Radiofrequency:

Quick bursts of energy are sent into the tissue, heats up the fat cells to destruct them and tightens the skin. Several studies have reported that RF treatment leads to reduced waist circumference, lowered BMI, and visual improvement of skin laxity.

Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4

Popular brands include: Vanquish, Thermage

Low-level light laser therapy:

Low amplitude light goes into the tissue and disrupts fat cell membranes. This lets the fat store leave the fat cell as triglycerides. This may improve the appearance of cellulite and reduce waist circumference.

Article 1, Article 2, Article 3

Popular brands include: SculptSure

Injectable fat dissolvers:

Chemicals are injected into regions of the body to dissolve fat cells.

Article 1, Article 2

Popular brands include: Kybella (deoxycholic acid)

Cryolipolysis:

Cold devices are applied to areas of the body, and cools the tissue in a specific temperature range below normal but above freezing. This crystallizes them and makes the fat cells undergo apoptosis which kills the fat cells. Then, over the next few days to months your body responds by removing the damaged and dead fat cells through the lymph system and liver. Studies have reported that this reduces subcutaneous fat deposits.

Article 1, Article 2

Popular brands include: CoolSculpting.

Additional Resources:

Review of non-invasive body contouring devices for fat reduction, skin tightening and muscle definition by Daniel Mazzoni, MD. Matthew J Lin, MD, MPH. Danielle P Dubin, BA. Hooman Khorasani, MD. Published in The Australasian Journal of Dermatology.

Noninvasive body contouring by dermal fillers, radiofrequency, and focused ultrasound: A review by Marwan Alhaddad MD, Monica Boen MD, Sabrina Fabi MD, Mitchel P. Goldman MD. Published in Dermatological Reviews.

The Evidence Behind Noninvasive Body Contouring Devices by Reza Nassab, MBA, MSc, FRCS published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal.