Ask any woman, in any part of the world, whether they are happy with their body, and chances are that almost all of them will say that they are not. They will almost always talk about how they feel fat and have these love handles or thunder thighs! While many of them might try to diet or eat right, work out or even try herbal remedies, chances are that they might be unable to lose those fat deposits.

There is a misunderstanding that if you are fat, it has to be only fat, but the fact of the matter is that there could be cellulite deposit as well and cellulite is not as easy to lose. Studies have shown that cellulite does not melt away, in the manner in which fat can, and when there are cellulite deposits, those areas of the body are incredibly tough to tone down.

However, with the advancements in modern medicine, there are now several methods of getting rid of the cellulite, and perhaps the most popular method of them all, happens to be liposuction. Liposuction is a minimally invasive surgical procedure, wherein a small incision is made and with a vacuum suction device, the cellulite is all sucked out. Normally, when the cellulite is sucked out, the treated part of the body continues to remain flat for a long time.

There is however, a large section of people, who are scared of surgeries, no matter how non-invasive they might be. It was perhaps having understood this that doctors, surgeons and medical professionals, all over the world have spent years, trying to develop methods of removing fat and cellulite, without surgery.

In this and the next article, we will look at alternate methods of removing fat and cellulite, without surgery.

In theory, ultrasound can help with the removal of excess fat, because when ultrasound waves are directed in a concentrated manner, it can agitate the molecules of the cellulite, leading to their removal. The procedure can be used on several parts of the body such as the thighs, stomach and hips. Because its ultrasound, there is no incision and once the session is over, most people are able to return to their normal routine.

It is important to remember that such procedures are meant mainly for, and work best for areas of the body, where the fat or cellulite does not go away, despite exercise and carefully planned out diets. These procedures will not remove large amounts of fat, in the manner which a traditional liposuction will. However, there will be a reduction, nonetheless and within a few sittings, the same will become obvious too. Generally, three to four sessions will be required, for any obvious results to become visible.  The basic tenet of the ultrasound fat removal method is this – a special probe will massage the skin, and the fat cells right beneath the skin will burst and die. The body will get rid of these dead blood cells in a natural manner.

There are also other methods, such as Mesotherapy, wherein specially formulated chemicals will be injected into your body on a repetitive basis, and the fat cells, which lie right beneath the skin, will be killed. Other methods include radiofrequency, laser energy, ultrasound and cryolipolysis. In most of these methods, the device being used it applied to the area of the skin, that needs to be treated and the heat or the cold will melt the fat away. It is imperative to remember that the weight loss and fat reduction will be a lot more subtle, in comparison to the surgical methods. Certain methods, such as radiofrequency and laser will also offer the benefit of skin and tissue tightening.

Here is the comparison between surgery and non-surgical procedures of fat removal:

A surgical procedure, no matter how minor, will cost you a lot, but you need to remember that when you go for multiple sessions of a non-invasive treatment, you will still have to shell out a lot. However, there is the fact that since there is no surgery, cuts, incisions or sutures, you will be able to return to your normal routine much faster. As a matter of fact, in many procedures, there is no downtime at all, and people are able to return to their normal routine, immediately. Even if there is any discomfort, it will disappear in a matter of days.

These are the things you will have to consider, before deciding on a non-surgical fat reduction treatment:

The when:

• If there are pockets of fat on your body, that refuse to go away, even though you have dieted and exercised regularly
• If there are limited fat deposits on your thighs, abdomen or calves
• If you want to look slimmer, without any surgery

The Pros:

• The procedures can reduce fat, which is very stubborn in nature
• The procedures are mostly outpatient, which means that there is minimal downtime and discomfort
• There are no cuts or incisions, which means that there are no stitches, staples or sutures either

The Cons:

• There could be the need for multiple sessions, for the results to become visible
• When the ultrasound procedure is being used, there could be the chance for minor burns
• There could be numbness, redness or skin sensitivity

However, not everyone is a good candidate for such procedures:

• You have to be in a reasonably good shape
• The bulges you have should be modest
• The pockets of fat that are troubling you should have proven resistant to diet and exercise
• You really want to look slimmer, without having to undergo the pain of a surgery

In the continuing article, we will look at other aspects of non-surgical fat reduction treatments.