Do you have stubborn cellulite that won’t go away no matter how hard you diet and exercise? Would you like to shape and slim your body while putting those problem spots in the rearview mirror? VelaShape treatments at Mariposa Aesthetics & Laser Center in Oklahoma City, OK, could be just what you’re looking for. This FDA-approved treatment contours the body and reduces the appearance of cellulite, improving your appearance. It’s part of a new class of non-invasive treatments that can reliably erase fat without surgery or downtime.
What Is VelaShape?
VelaShape treatment is designed to reduce the appearance of cellulite as well as the circumference of the thighs and abdomen. Using a combination of technologies, including radiofrequency waves, infrared light, vacuum, and massage, this treatment targets trouble spots on the body.
By smoothing out the skin while delivering heat precisely where it needs to go, this treatment gets optimum results. The technology used in treatment also encourages energy that’s stored in the body to metabolize and prompts the lymphatic system to drain away excess fat. Skin in the treated areas will appear smoother, firmer, and more youthful.
What Areas of the Body Can It be Used On?
Many parts of the body are candidates for this treatment, including the buttocks, hips, upper arms, abdomen, and the area of the legs above the knees. Any part of the body with excess fat and cellulite can be treated to achieve a more toned and contoured look. This treatment is also popular among women who are looking to tone their bodies after pregnancy.
What Happens During Treatment?
If you’re interested in pursuing this treatment, we’ll start by scheduling a consultation with you. During that consultation, we’ll review your medical history and any medications you’re taking. We’ll also talk with you about your treatment goals and work with you to determine whether or not this treatment is the best option for you.
Once your consultation is complete, the next step is to schedule your treatment. In preparation for your appointment, you’ll want to shave any hair in the treatment area the day before. It’s also a good idea to avoid waxing or other services that irritate the skin for at least 7 days before your treatment.
On the day of your appointment, we’ll apply a lotion-type spray to the treatment area. The treatment machine will then be placed against the skin, and you’ll feel a rolling massage sensation that will gradually become warmer. The treatment is not uncomfortable, and many of our patients compare it to a warm, deep tissue massage. Most treatments can be completed in around 25 minutes.
What Will I Need to Do After Treatment?
One of the great things about Velashape is that this non-invasive treatment involves no downtime. You can resume your normal schedule immediately after treatment.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
We often recommend that patients undergo five treatments to get the full effect, but we’ll give you a more individualized treatment recommendation after reviewing your areas of concern and determining what your needs are.
How Long Will My Results Last?
Most patients are able to enjoy their results for an average of 3 to 4 months. Repeat treatments may be necessary after that to maintain your new look. Making good lifestyle choices — including regular exercise and healthy eating — will help you manage your weight going forward and preserve your results.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
This treatment can be used on a wide range of candidates, including those who are looking for modest toning and those who value safe, convenient treatment options.
You’re Looking for a Tuneup
This treatment won’t radically overhaul your body or your figure, but it will smooth and tighten your skin, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and target some areas for contouring. The best candidates are fairly close to their ideal weight with a body mass index of less than 30, have mild to moderate cellulite, and have small areas of their body that they want to contour. Most of our patients report a high degree of satisfaction with this treatment. They also say treatment gives them renewed confidence about their appearance.
You’re Not Looking to Lose Weight
Although it contours and firms up the body, while also attacking stubborn fat deposits, Velashape is not a weight loss treatment. Patients who are looking to shed pounds should explore more traditional weight loss options, including diet and exercise and, in certain cases, weight loss surgery.
You’re Realistic About the Outcome
The ideal candidate is patient with the treatment process and understands that it usually takes several appointments to start seeing results. The ideal patient is also emotionally stable enough to understand that the treatment will result in subtle changes and improvements in the body.
You’re Healthy Overall
Patients should generally be in good health and should not have pacemakers or metal implants in the area being treated. The skin in the treatment area should be unbroken and healthy. This treatment is safe for all skin colors and types.
You’re Looking for a Convenient Treatment
Velashape is a non-surgical and non-invasive treatment that involves no anesthesia and no downtime. It’s perfect for those who want to tone up their body and address some problem areas but can’t commit the time or energy to a surgical cosmetic procedure with a lengthy recovery. Many of our patients schedule this treatment for their lunch hour or during other breaks in their day and then get right back to their schedule afterwards.
You Want Something Safe
This treatment relies on an FDA-approved device to safely and effectively contour and slim the body.
What Is Body Contouring?
Having a toned body used to mean spending hours at the gym and carefully watching what you eat. But body contouring treatments like VelaShape, which non-surgically reshape the contours of the body by removing fatty deposits under the skin, are on the rise. These types of treatments have become popular because of their ability to target stubborn pockets of fat that even diet and exercise can’t always effectively address.
These treatments are also popular among busy patients who can’t commit the time and financial resources to a more involved surgical cosmetic procedure. VelaShape and a separate treatment called Coolsculpting are two of the most popular body sculpting treatments. The two treatments work in different ways to achieve similar results. While VelaShape uses radiofrequency energy, CoolSculpting relies on an FDA-cleared freezing technique to get rid of fat deposits.
Yet another treatment called ZWave Therapy uses a technology known as acoustic radial wave therapy to reduce the look of cellulite.
Which Body Contouring Treatment Is Best for Me?
Given that there are multiple body sculpting treatments available, the decision about which option to pursue is best made with one of our health care providers.
What Is Cellulite?
Cellulite is a condition in which the skin becomes dimpled or lumpy, sometimes to the point that it resembles the surface of an orange peel or cottage cheese. Cellulite is caused by the fibrous bands that connect the skin to the underlying muscles. As fat starts to build up beneath the skin, pressure builds on the fibrous bands, creating a dimpling or puckered look on the surface of the skin.
Cellulite is not a medical or health threat, but many patients find it bothersome and annoying from a cosmetic standpoint. The difficulty in getting rid of cellulite has helped give rise to the popularity of treatments like Velashape.
What Causes Cellulite?
Little is known about the specific causes of cellulite, although age and genetics certainly play a role. Weight gain can sometimes cause cellulite to be more visible on a body, although it’s not the sole determining factor in whether or not cellulite develops. In fact, many slender, fit patients have cellulite.
The truth is that almost every women has at least some cellulite, particularly once they’ve reached adulthood. Women are much more likely than men to experience this condition, simply because men store fat differently since they don’t need it in their hips, thighs, and buttocks for childbearing.
Can Exercise Prevent Cellulite?
Adopting a healthy lifestyle — including regular exercise, healthy eating, refraining from smoking, and drinking plenty of water — can help fight cellulite. Strength training in particular can firm and tone up your body, making cellulite appear less visible. However, exercise is not always a foolproof solution when it comes to cellulite. Some fat can be easily burned off with cardiovascular workouts, but other fat deposits are stubborn and tricky to rid yourself of, even if you work out religiously.
How Does Body Sculpting Compare to Other Cellulite Treatments?
There are an almost endless number of cellulite treatment options, many of which offer little in the way of results. There are dozens of cellulite creams and lotions on the market, for example, but none offer long-term results. Even foam rolling, which has been touted as an all-natural way of fighting cellulite, has only a temporary effect.
There are also a handful of minor surgical procedures that can be done for cellulite, but they tend to be pricey or involve a recovery period. Body sculpting treatments are unique because they are effective, non-invasive, and do not require an extensive recovery period.
Is Liposuction Still Used?
Liposuction used to be a popular treatment for cellulite, but it’s no longer highly recommended for that purpose. In fact, some say liposuction can actually increase the dimpling of the skin. Liposuction, because it involves anesthesia, is also a more involved procedure with a longer recovery than many of today’s popular body sculpting treatments.
How Can I Tell How Severe My Cellulite Is?
Health care professionals often turn to a cellulite severity scale that was first published in 2009 to rank the severity of cellulite cases. Grade 1, or mild cellulite, involves an orange peel-like appearance and as many as 4 superficial depressions. Grade 2, or moderate cellulite, involves as many as 9 medium-depth depressions and a cottage cheese-like appearance to the skin. Grade 3, or severe cellulite, involves 10 or more deep depressions and a mattress-like appearance on the surface of the skin.
Why Choose Our Practice?
If you’re ready to kiss cellulite goodbye and get a slimmer, more defined silhouette, call Mariposa Aesthetics & Laser Center in Oklahoma City, OK today and ask about VelaShape. We offer complimentary consultations and our medical program is administered under the supervision of a licensed physician. In addition to body contouring, we offer a wide range of aesthetic services, including wrinkle erasers, laser skin rejuvenation and resurfacing, injectables and fillers, as well as Kybella, the FDA-approved treatment for the double chin.
