SculpSure: A new option in nonsurgical fat reduction

There has always been a hole in our service offerings in the area of noninvasive fat removal. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I have always been very pleased with the results I have been able to offer patients using either tradition liposuction or excisional surgery (like a tummy tuck). Unfortunately, there are many patients who cannot afford the downtime of traditional surgical techniques or the large financial hurdle.

The aesthetic services industry has offered many noninvasive remedies for this, including creams, beams and freezes, but they have either offered no results, disappointing results, or major downsides to the treatments. After investigating the available technologies, we chose SculpSure and have had the device for about six months now.

The SculpSure procedure is completely noninvasive and involves fitting four treatment applicators on the area(s) to be treated for 25 minutes. Each of these panels, which is about the size of a small smartphone, alternates between a cool and warm sensation in 30-second cycles during the treatment. The fat beneath the skin during this process is being heated to 42 degrees Celsius—warm enough to cause the fat cells to rupture but not hot enough to damage anything else. Cost average for each area ranges from $1,000 to $1,600 depending on which part of the country you are in.

Immediately after the treatment, the skin may be pink and the area may ache a little, similar to how muscles feel after a good workout at the gym. By the way, you can go to the gym immediately after treatment—there is literally no downtime, and there is no evidence of the treatment, like bruises or a bandage. During the several weeks after treatment, the body removes the debris from the ruptured fat cells and it is excreted in the urine. Patients notice a difference as early as four weeks, but optimal results (up to 24% reduction of fat in the treated area) require 8-12 weeks to achieve. At this point, a second treatment can be done for even better results.

We are early in our experience, but already patients are happy with their results. Several patients have remarked that they have fit into a smaller pant size after only one treatment. There is a lot of buzz in our community right now about SculpSure and we are really looking forward to more experience with the device. It is fantastic to have a completely noninvasive tool to be able to offer patients who don't want or don't have time for invasive procedures and the recovery period that accompanies them.