Mala McAlpin There’s a lot of talk about HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) around the aesthetics industry of late. Known for its skin tightening and rejuvenation abilities, it’s also fast achieving popularity for its body sculpting abilities, as the growth in energy-based fat freezing and melting treatments in Australia mean clients are constantly on the search for quicker, less painful treatments with even less down-time.
Elite Body Contouring is one of Sydney’s most popular non-surgical body sculpting clinics, and arguably the industry’s leader when it comes to sculpting with HIFU, as the only one in Australia to offer their signature LIPOcel treatment.
It’s easy to see why both clients and practitioners might opt for LIPOcel over other Cryolipolysis or fat melting. The treatment is not only virtually painless (we actually mean that!) but the device head does not have to be strapped directly to the treatment area, meaning practitioners have a lot more freedom and manoeuvrability. They are free to position and move the device head wherever they need to with each short cycle, similarly to laser hair removal. There’s no down time either, or even massage required post-treatment.
We chatted to Danielle Smith, Director of Elite Body Contouring, on what makes the treatment so popular.
Tell us about LIPOcel
LIPOcel is the latest treatment on offer at Elite Body Contouring for non-invasive fat reduction and skin tightening without any downtime. LIPOcel targets the subcutaneous layer of fat known as the “stubborn, hard to shift” fat below the skin and above the muscle. LIPOcel heats the subcutaneous fat to 65-75 degrees which causes fat cell necrosis.The dead fat cells in the targeted area are then disposed of naturally through the body’s waste system, the liver and lymphatic system, gradually from day 1 up until 12 weeks post treatment. This gradual removal of fat from the body places no strain on the body’s waste system. LIPOcel is the newest technology available for permanent fat reduction and skin tightening!
Has HIFU been around long?
HIFU was first developed and approved by the FDA in 2004 to treat prostate cancer and fibroids but has now been used for skin tightening and fat reduction for about 5 years. The LIPOcel is the only one that has the patent contact cooling allowing for higher delivery of energy resulting in far superior results.
How did you discover the treatment, and when did you decide to use it throughout Elite clinics?
We were first made aware of the LIPOcel technology by the Australian distributor of our current HIFU Ultra Q+ System (the treatment we use in our non-invasive face lifting treatments). We undertook our own research into the clinical studies behind the LIPOcel technology and decided to trial the LIPOcel in our Rosebery Clinic to make sure the results were as amazing as the clinical studies claimed. After undertaking our own in clinic trials for 6 months, we were impressed with the results and decided to purchase the machines for our Leichhardt and Bondi Junction clinics.
What makes the treatment unique? What’s your favourite thing about it?
Until now, we were only able to offer permanent fat reduction and skin tightening as stand alone treatments meaning our clients had to undergo a course of Cryolipolysis Fat Freezing and then if need be, a course of HIFU skin tightening or Radio Frequency skin tightening (RF). Having to do two separate treatment courses made the treatment program quite expensive for our clients and the lead times to see results very long. We also had limitations with Cryolipolysis as we were only able to treat the area contained within the vacuum applicators. With Lipocel, we have more control over the contouring we can achieve, as we use a hand piece that can be moved over different areas of the body during the treatment, meaning we are not limited to the size of the fat freezing head piece. This also allows us to treat those larger deposits of fat on the body.
The added benefit of tightening the skin PLUS achieving permanent fat reduction has allowed us to achieve much more dramatic results for our clients.
What can clients expect from the treatment?
Clients should expect to see a 20-40% permanent fat reduction each session. LIPOcel is also effective in the treatment of skin that has lost elasticity, as the technology promotes collagen and elastin production resulting in tighter, stronger, younger looking skin.
At Elite Body Contouring, results are always our number one goal. We are always looking out for the latest and greatest and not only take our time when making decisions on purchasing equipment but also undertake our own internal clinical trials before deciding on launching a new technology into all of our clinics. We also are big on measuring and tracking results! We are the first and only clinic in Australia to do so using medical Grade, TGA registered InBody 770 Body Composition Scans. Scans are conducted in clinic alongside our treatments so that we can have an accurate look at what is going on inside the body and can measure muscle vs fat loss, as well as visceral fat which forms a part of our clients’ responsibilities at home – their lifestyle!
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