Like many people who have good personal habits, you may have a pleasing shape to your body, but you still may take issue with one or more problem zones, localized pockets of fat that refuse to respond to your diet and exercise efforts. These regions follow predictable patterns: for some people the challenging zone extends across the abdomen, the waist, and the hips; for others the challenge is in the inner thighs, the outer thighs and the knees.
Luckily, if you’ve begun a healthy diet and regular workout routine, then you’ve laid the groundwork for additional refinement at The Whole Beauty® Institute. Body contouring procedures, both surgical and nonsurgical, can effectively target the areas of your body causing cosmetic concern. With treatment, you will begin to fall in love with your figure all over again.
Slimming Down with Liposuction
Liposuction is one of the most effective methods for treating localized fatty deposits, and with recent innovations, the procedure has become more comfortable for patients and the recovery is quicker.
With classical liposuction the surgeon introduces a mixture of salt water solution and local anesthetic known as tumescent solution into the zone that needs treatment, and then vacuums out excess fat with a long metal tube. This is the oldest method of liposuction and works well on soft areas of fat.
Another method of liposuction, Vaser® lipoplasty, uses an ultrasonic probe to break apart areas of fat, followed by suctioning with a metal tube. This is a great method if you have a number of zones of excess fat that you want to have treated in a single surgery. To do so, however, requires that you undergo general or IV sedation anesthesia.
SlimLipo® laser liposuction before and after.
In the last few years the majority of liposuction procedures performed at The Whole Beauty® Institute by Dr. John Q. Cook involve laser liposuction with either the SmartLipo® or SlimLipo® technologies. With this technique, Dr. Cook fills the area to be treated with tumescent solution, then he passes a thin fiber optic tube into the zone of excess fat in order to deliver laser energy, then he removes the excess fat with a specially-designed suction tube.
There are two advantages to laser liposuction. First, the procedure is done under local anesthesia. This makes the procedure easier for the patient and less intimidating. Second, the laser energy causes a tightening of the treated zone, which helps to optimize contour. The limitation is that only one or two zones of fat can be treated at a particular time. Many patients would rather undergo two closely-spaced laser liposuction procedures under local anesthesia than a single procedure under general anesthesia. Our patients who have been treated with more than one method of liposuction tell us that the recovery from laser liposuction is the easiest.
Tightening Up with BodyTite®
Dr. Cook performing the BodyTite® and FaceTite® technique.
A major limit to all forms of liposuction is that the best results occur when the skin overlying the area of fat is fairly tight. Although laser liposuction produces better tightening of the treated area than other methods, there is only so much it can do. BodyTite® takes skin tightening to a new level.
With BodyTite® we apply radiofrequency energy with a pair of probes, one above the skin, the other below. As we glide the probes back and forth energy flows between the tips and tightens the skin quite impressively. At The Whole Beauty® Institute we are currently using BodyTite® in combination with Laser Liposuction. We also use BodyTite® by itself, since it can be used both to melt fat and tighten skin.
Toning and Tucking Tummies
High Lateral Tension Tummy Tuck before and after
You may not only be experiencing the effects of stubborn fat, but also the effects of excess skin and poor muscle tone in the center of your abdomen. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, will enhance your body contour, restore strength to the deep support of your abdomen, and allow your figure to become more proportional.
The key to successful abdominoplasty is an experienced surgeon who has a sense of balance and proportion and who is capable of understanding the unique contours of the abdomen. Dr. Cook will tighten the muscles and deep fascia of the abdomen, remove skin, reposition the umbilicus, and remove excess fat.
Dr. Cook has developed a number of variations of the tummy tuck operation. This allows him to provide a customized solution to each patient that takes into account the person’s anatomy, goals, and time available for recovery.
Reducing Fat without Surgery
SculpSure treatment before and after.
Of course, not every patient wishes to undergo surgery to achieve the desired aesthetic result, which is why Dr. Cook offers non-surgical solutions. The goal is always to find procedures that suit your individual lifestyle, expectations and time frame, and so he provides both surgical and nonsurgical treatments to align with every patient’s needs.
Dr. Cook’s is the first practice in the Midwest to offer the SculpSure® technology, which helps reduce fat around the abdomen, waist, hips, and outer thighs without the use of incisions. The system uses laser energy to target excess fat and destroy the localized fat cells. We have found that the best results occur when we treat a given zone with two separate twenty five minute treatments. Although not as powerful as liposuction, patients like that they can undergo treatment without any interruption in their daily pattern of activity and exercise.
Ready to Fall in Love with You Again?
Finding the best treatment method for you is a matter of consulting with Dr. Cook about your options. If you would like more information about the surgical and non-surgical solutions offered at The Whole Beauty® Institute, contact our Chicago or Winnetka offices to schedule a consultation, or call 312-751-2112.