June 18
Wellllll….today was the day of my second body contouring session using the Vanquish. I was sort of dreading it...Mainly because I had my period and had spent 30 minutes in my closet that morning trying on every pair of pants I own and throwing them on the ground when they wouldn’t zip without considerable effort. I also wondered if perhaps I could body contour off my entire mid-section that day.
I was told that doing the Vanquish while you’re menstruating might make the heat sensation feel uncomfortable. You know how everything hurts more when you have your period? There’s a correlation between estrogen levels and pain tolerance. When you have your period, your estrogen levels are at their lowest and thus your pain-tolerance is also at its lowest. This is definitely something that varies from person to person, but you might want to keep your cycle in mind when scheduling your Vanquish! Unless you’re a man. And then you don’t have a period. And you’re just lucky.
For my second session, I wore gym shorts instead of boy short underwear. I had lost two percent body fat and my water percentage was at 56.8 percent this time versus 55 percent two weeks previous.
Did I mention I lost two percent body fat? Not gonna lie – that was pretty exciting!
However, I have to remind myself that the real goal of body contouring is to decrease the circumference measurement of your treatment area – these measurements are taken at the first session and the last session. Subtle changes appear 21 days after your first treatment, and your desired goal should be seen about 30 days after your last Vanquish treatment.
With my first session, the heat was not uncomfortable at all. It really just felt like laying out on the beach and even made me a little sleepy. This session, however, the heat was definitely greater for me, and Kit had to decrease the amount of energy my body was able to absorb. She rearranged the position of the machine a little, and got a fan blowing on the treatment area: my thighs and rear. She also got me a magazine to flip through and it helped to be somewhat distracted. I also stole that magazine and took it home because there were some great at-home exercises in there!
After the session, my outer thighs hurt a little, sort of like a bruise. The discomfort was mainly on my outer right thigh and it was slightly swollen in that localized area. This is a form of panniculitis, which is an inflammation of the fatty tissue, and is caused from the heating of that area. Light massage can help relieve any swelling or discomfort. Now, almost a week later, there is still one small area on my outer right thigh that is sensitive, but it’s honestly quite minimal.
I have noticed some change around my hip area, and my thighs feel a little smaller to me. I will try to be patient and remember the desired result isn’t for about a month post treatment. Don’t forget it takes time for the body to rid itself of those cells. Hydrating and exercising helps the body with this process. At least four treatments are recommended for best results. But hello! I lost two percent body fat! Fat doesn’t lie. Stay tuned for more body contouring fun in the upcoming weeks!
