Advantages of Lipo-Ex Over Smart Lipo
By Alexandra Lambrou | Published on August 27, 2010 | 0 Comments
Not so long ago, women looking to remove areas of stubborn fat that would not budge with diet and exercise turned to traditional liposuction. While this method of getting rid of unwanted and unsightly fat does work, it nonetheless is a surgical operation that is invasive and requires considerable downtime. Now, thanks to innovations and technological advances in the beauty industry, there is a new way to literally melt away fat, and it’s called Lipo-Ex.
All different types of liposuction are surgical. Lipo-Ex, however, is a completely 100 percent non-surgical alternative, says Dr. Alexandra F. Lambrou, medical director of Sculpt Medical Spa in Chicago. There are no incisions to be made, there is no general anesthesia used, and best of all, there is no downtime and no bruising. In fact, even though it is called Lipo Ex, the only similarity between it and liposuction is that the purpose is fat reduction.
If you would like to contrast Lipo-Ex with traditional liposuction, it makes sense to look carefully at what the two procedures actually entail, says Dr. Lambrou. Liposuction has a lot of negatives, she says. Perhaps the most obvious downside of traditional liposuction is that any time you have general anesthesia, there is always a health risk. And if liposuction is not done properly by an experienced plastic surgeon, it can leave the treated area lumpy and bumpy. A poor surgeon can also leave a patient with permanent scars from the incisions made.
There are 20 different variations of liposuction, but even though they may all vary slightly from one another, they still share some of the same problems, says Dr. Lambrou. Smart Lipo, for example, is done using smaller incisions, and as there is a laser, the surgeon does not have to do much jetting. So in theory, Smart Lipo could be better than traditional lipo because the scars are smaller and the likelihood of lumpiness is reduced. But it is still technically liposuction, which means that the downsides still exist despite these few improvements.
Lipo-Ex has none of the risk factors of surgery and anesthesia, so as far as health risks are concerned, there are none. The end result is also superior to the result you will find with traditional liposuction, says Dr. Lambrou. This is because your body has two different types of fat: visceral and subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is the fat directly underneath the skin, whereas visceral is in between your organs. Traditional lipo can only treat the subcutaneous fat underneath your skin, while the visceral fat remains. Sadly, it is that visceral fat between your organs that is most damaging to your health.
Too much visceral fat leads to a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Lipo-Ex, however, is able to treat both subcutaneous and visceral fat. This is accomplished as the device uses radio waves to heat up the treatment areas. And at a certain temperature, the cell membranes of your fat cells become porous. When that happens, they leak out the triglycerides and all of the contents of the fat cells, and shrink down. Then your body processes what is released through your lymphatic system, and then the excess fat that is released is expelled by your bowels.
Lipo-Ex is completely painless, which is also a huge advantage over traditional liposuction. “There is only a pleasant sensation of getting heated up, which some people describe as being like a relaxing hot stone massage,” Dr. Lambrou says. “And there is also zero down time, which means you could do it on your lunch break.”
One of the other benefits of Lipo-Ex is that the heat stimulates collagen development, which is what is responsible for keeping your skin taut. So Lipo Ex also works hard to firm up your skin, leaving you with a more cosmetically pleasing appearance. “Some people get liposuction and have flabby skin afterward, but while Lipo-Ex reduces the fat volume, it also tightens up the skin simultaneously. That is the reason Lipo Ex is good for treating cellulite as well,” Dr. Lambrou says.
Finally, Lipo-Ex is also less expensive than traditional liposuction. An experienced doctor will charge two or three times more for traditional lipo because you have to include the cost of anesthesia and the number of doctors who need to be involved, even if they are out-patient procedures. So all in all, Lipo Ex is the smart alternative to lipo in Chicago, for health reasons, beauty reasons, and financial ones as well.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.