Excess Body Fat
When it comes to excess body fat, we’re not talking about obesity or being overweight in general. Instead, we’re talking about pockets of fat on your body that are disproportionate to the rest of your body or just stand out to you. These areas are sometimes referred to as “saddle bags,” “muffin tops,” the “pooch” below your belly button, “love handles,” back fat, etc.
If you have pockets or areas of fat that make you not want to wear certain clothes or cringe when you see pictures of yourself from certain angles, you might want to consider non-invasive fat removal. To learn about the treatments we use to target excess body fat, schedule an appointment with Steele Dermatology online or give us a call at (770) 464-6000.
Cosmetic Dermatology: Body
What causes excess body fat?
A lot of it is genetics. Your body shape and fat distribution are largely pre-programmed in your DNA. You may be “hippy”, carry your weight in your mid-section, or have bigger thighs or arms, and you can’t help that. If you gain or lose weight, you’ll always have some areas where you collect fat more than others. Of course, diet and exercise are critical to maintaining a healthy weight, but for many of us, you may be a relatively healthy weight, but those stubborn areas will always be more affected than others.
Where do you get excess body fat?
Typical areas that you might see excess fat include your chin, belly, back, around the bra area, thighs or arms. Really though, it can occur on any area where you collect fat.
How do we treat excess body fat?
Suck it out, freeze it, or dissolve it. Once fat cells are removed or destroyed, they are gone. The type of treatment we will recommend depends on your lifestyle, how much area you have to treat, if you can take downtime or not, etc.
Precision Liposuction
Precision liposuction is a form of tumescent liposuction, which is the safest way to achieve immediate and permanent fat removal. In tumescent liposuction the numbing solution is actually infused under the skin prior to suctioning, so there is no need to be “put under” and undergo general anesthesia. Specifically, with precision liposuction, the smallest possible canulas/tubes are used for suctioning out the fat to allow for precise fat removal as well as body sculpting.
CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting is the safest and most reliable non-invasive way to remove fat cells. An applicator is placed over the fat bulge(s) to be treated and the bulge is suctioned into the applicator, the area is cooled to the point of freezing the fat cells while the skin and other tissues are protected. The fat cells are irreversibly damaged and over the next 4-8 weeks, they get permanently flushed out of the system.
Kybella
Kybella is a solution that can be injected into the chin area to dissolve excess fat cells. The solution consists of an enzyme that breaks down fat cells. The solution is FDA approved for the area under the chin, but a few other areas can be treated in an off-label manner. Several treatments are generally necessary and there is a period of inflammation and swelling that follows treatment.
Schedule an Appointment
With offices conveniently located in Atlanta and Alpharetta, Steele Dermatology offers expert treatments and skin care regimens for our patients. To learn which treatment may be right for you, schedule an appointment or give us a call at (770) 464-6000.