June 3, 2014
Every time I drive home, I pass the pool and see the girls laying out in their bikinis, and I think, Dear God! It’s bathing suit time again. Ugh! Then my mind races through all the little parts of my hips and butt and stomach I don’t want strange people surveying from beneath their sunglasses at the pool! Who’s with me here? I’m always in the market for losing a little fat or toning up a bit more. And sometimes, no matter how much you workout, or how many chicken breasts and fat free Greek yogurt you eat, you can’t seem to get rid of those last pounds, or get the definition you want in certain areas.
There’s a new non-invasive body contouring option available at Body Tonic med spa called Vanquish, which uses radio frequency to heat and destroy fat cells….and tomorrow is my first body contouring session using Vanquish! Squeal!
The Lowdown - What is Vanquish?
First, some details about what this machine is and what it does. Vanquish is a non-invasive fat removal and fat reduction procedure that eliminates unwanted fat using safe radio frequency technology to destroy the fat cells. Vanquish body contouring is for people who have unwanted fat in areas such as their stomach, hips, thighs or “love handles.” Vanquish is perfect for those that have an overall healthy lifestyle and just have a tough area that working out and/or diet won’t tackle.
The Vanquish procedure takes 30 minutes, and you can return to work immediately without interrupting your day. It is recommended to have at least four treatments, spaced at 7-14 day intervals to enjoy the maximum benefits. Vanquish has minimal side effects, and these may include redness of the skin and a slight warm sensation at the treatment site. Other benefits of using Vanquish versus other treatments available, such as cool sculpting technology, are patient comfort during the procedure, larger treatment area (hip to hip), and pricing is competitive. Because this is a non-invasive fat removal technique, you can leave from your treatment and return to work, or even go workout if you’d like. No one will know you’ve had any procedure done, and there is no downtime, unlike with Smart Lipo or traditional liposuction .
You can expect to results as early as 21 days after your first treatment. However, you will see your final outcome 30 days after your fourth session. As long as you continue your healthy lifestyle, results can be indefinite.
The Science Behind Vanquish
If you’re like me, you want to know the details behind the procedure you’re going to have. If you’re not like me and the more scientific part makes your brain zone out – like math does to me - skip this next part and move on to where I tell you how much I weigh and what my percentage of body fat is….
Vanquish works by delivering energy to the adipose tissue (or body fat that is loose connective tissue). It constantly adjusts the energy delivery in order to maintain even heating of the tissue. Once the fat cells reach therapeutic temperature, which is about 41 degrees Celsius, the fat cells turn to lipids and they are expelled from the body. Fat cells are vulnerable to the effects of selective heating, so controlled local tissue heating can induce selective fat cell reduction - and the loss of subcutaneous fat - without damaging the other tissue layers. When the cells turn to lipids, they leave the body as waste.
Hydration during the Vanquish treatments is vital. Our fat tissue does not naturally have water in it, so hydrating that tissue is important because the radio frequency is targeting water. Once the treatment is started the radio frequency will start to look for the hydrated fat cells to target and turn into lipids. If you do not have enough hydration the treatment will not be as effective.
What To Expect Before
Kit Kivell, lead Vanquish technician, told me to drink 64 ounces of water for two days before and no alcohol. Cheated yesterday and had two glasses of vino with a friend – hey, it was my first day of a great new job! I HAD to celebrate. But tonight I’m committed and halfway through that water.
She told me to wear something comfortable for my procedure but also a garment that would allow her to reach the targeted area – for me, hip and back of thighs area. I chose to wear boy shorts.
Just so we have some parameters, here are the details: I’m 39 and 5’7”. On a good week I get in about 5 hours of workout time; on an ideal week I fit in about 9 hours of workout: a combination of cardio, weights and core. (Except for the last three weeks where life and injuries have gotten in the way and I have turned to jelly. Or feel that way!) Honestly not looking forward to getting half naked for before pics. (Just because you’re skinny doesn’t mean you don’t have parts of your body you’re unhappy with!) I generally eat well – few processed foods – and my one vice is wine. I say all this because a healthy lifestyle helps with getting the results you’re looking for with Vanquish body contouring.
June 4 – Vanquish Day!
I’m not gonna lie, I am pretty excited about starting on my body contouring. Kit took me into the treatment room and I got weighed in: 117, with 18 percent body fat and 55 percent water. Women should have 45-60 percent water content and men should have 50-60 percent on the day of treatment. She made me feel comfortable and stepped out while I got down to those boy shorts, and pulled out my belly button ring – no metal on your body for the procedure! She came back in and took my gorgeous before pic. She had me lie on the table (sort of like a massage table), face down and she placed rolled up towels under the treatment area to raise me up. The Vanquish machine surrounds the treatment area above and on the sides of you, but it does not touch you. The whole treatment took about 30 minutes and Kit continually checked in with me on the temperature and to make sure I was comfortable. The heat was very bearable and honestly just made me feel sleepy. I was a little sweaty afterwards, but other than that, no side effects. She gave me a heads up that some people have reported “un-ladylike” symptoms in the days following the procedure, meaning that those dying cells have to leave the body somehow (waste). I can live with unladylike! As my daughter says, “It’s OK mom, you cuss and listen to Tupac.” Awesome.
Kit was right though, but don’t worry, it’s nothing drastic.
I’m looking forward to my upcoming treatments, so stay tuned to see how results are coming along within the next 14 days.
Written by: Beth Jarrett
