Are you unhappy with the way your arms look? You aren’t alone. A surprising number of women are dissatisfied with the appearance of their upper arms. They hate the excess fat that hangs down and causes the “bat wing” look. Many women are so uncomfortable about their arms’ appearance that they never wear sleeveless tops. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that there is little you can do in terms of diet or exercise. No matter how many weights you lift or how few calories you consume, your arms remain stubbornly fat. This is because upper arms are well-known for retaining stubborn fat pockets. It’s clear to see why so many women consider having an arm sculpting procedure.

However, there are lots of other options that are being advertised these days to improve the appearance of the arms. Treatments, such as CoolSculpting, Vanquish, truSculpt or SculpSure, are rising in popularity. Some work by using radio frequencies or ultrasound heat energy. Some work through freezing the fat cells. They promote themselves as a targeted method for reshaping the body. However, can these options really be safe? Do they cause permanent improvements?

Here, we take a look at the minimally invasive options for body contouring to see how effective they really are.

Will Nonsurgical Procedures Work for Me?

Nonsurgical options are minimally invasive. This means they only produce mild side effects. Nevertheless, it’s still important to ensure you’re in a good physical state before having treatment.

All the nonsurgical body contouring methods work best on people with a normal BMI (18.5 to 24.9). While they do destroy the fat cells permanently, the effects are far from dramatic. You won’t find the same impressive results from nonsurgical options as from liposuction. In fact, lipo removes around 10 times more fat. A nonsurgical option will destroy cutaneous fat, but not subcutaneous fat.

How Do Noninvasive Methods Work?

Most noninvasive procedures work in roughly the same way – targeting and destroying fat. Your body’s lymphatic system will filter away the fat over time. It will take several months before you notice the difference.

CoolSculpting is a cold treatment. It uses a temperature that is so cold it kills the fat cells without damaging the skin. The device will pull the skin in using suction. Then, it cools it down and destroys the fat beneath. This procedure is usable on lots of body areas, including the arms. While it is safe for most people, patients with vascular conditions that increase sensitivity to cold cannot have this procedure.

Heat treatments, such as SculpSure, use energy from lasers to destroy the structure of the fat cells. Then, the body eliminates the dead fat cells. The device is flat and, therefore, doesn’t function properly on any curving area, such as the arms.

Ultrasound energy treatments, such as UltraShape, use the energy of ultrasound to break the fat down. This is a very time-intensive method. Each session could take around an hour. Although it causes no pain, you cannot use this option on the arms.

Treatments, such as Vanquish and truSculpt, use radio frequency energy. This delivers energy in order to create the heat that destroys fat cells. These treatments target the water inside the cells. Therefore, it is vital that you are well-hydrated.

What Can You Expect After A Noninvasive Treatment?

Are you wondering whether a noninvasive option could be a better choice for you than surgical arm sculpting? If so, you’ll want to know what to expect.

All the treatments will eradicate stubborn fat pockets. They also require no anesthetic and have minimal downtime. In addition, there is very little pain or discomfort involved. The main side effects are tenderness, bruising, swelling, and redness. Some of the treatments are very quick to perform, however, you will probably require several sessions. Also, you will not notice the results right away. It can take up to 16 weeks before your body processes and disposes of all the dead fat cells.

Unfortunately, the results from noninvasive treatments are not as dramatic as those from lipo. They remove considerably less fat, and it takes a long time before you will see the full effects. This means that noninvasive options are only really suitable for people who have very small areas of fat to treat. Also, many of the options don’t work well on the arms. This makes traditional arm liposuction procedures a better choice.

Seeking Professional Advice

The best way to determine the right procedure for you is to seek professional advice from a cosmetic surgeon. Contact Artistic Lipo and Plastic Surgery today to get all the help you need, and all your questions answered. Our skilled team can offer you the information you require and arrange your consultation. We can help you to make the right choice for your needs so you can achieve the body you desire.