Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty #73

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Have you done the hard yards with your diet and
exercise but your tummy’s still more tubby than
taut? There’s now a way to lose fat for good –
without any surgery, needles or downtime.
Welcome to the era of non-surgical body contouring.
These are non-surgical procedures performed in-clinic in an
hour or less, clinically proven to permanently destroy fatty
deposits on the body.
Most non-surgical body contouring devices harness
some form of energy – be it radiofrequency, ultrasound,
freezing temperatures or hyperthermic laser – to penetrate
the skin and break down underlying fat. The destroyed fat
cells are then eliminated naturally by the body’s normal
metabolic process over the ensuing couple of months
after treatment.
One of the technologies
making waves in this space
is cryolipolysis. Clatuu is the
latest fat-freezing device utilising
cryolipolysis to eliminate those
hard-to-get-rid-of pockets of fat.
‘Clatuu uses targeted freezing
temperatures to kill fat cells which
are then naturally metabolised by
the body,’ says Dr Ritu Gupta,
a leading dermatologist from
Platinum Dermatology Skin
Specialists in Sydney.
Dr Gupta says just about any
area with a pinchable inch of fat
can be treated. ‘The most popular areas are under the
arms, handlebars or love handles, saddlebags or area near
the buttocks and the front of the abdomen or tummy area,’
she says. ‘Another advantage of Clatuu is that two areas
can be treated at once.’
During treatment, a gel drape is placed onto the
target area to protect the skin before the applicator head
is placed onto the fat pocket, where it remains for around
60 minutes.
The applicator acts in a similar way to a vacuum, sucking
the treatment area into position and directing the cold
temperature to the target fat cells under the skin.
A gradual cooling sensation is felt, similar to placing
the area in iced water, but this subsides as the body
gets used to the change. The initial suction may be
uncomfortable, but any discomfort usually subsides about
10 minutes into treatment.
There is no downtime after Clatuu but the area treated
may sometimes be bruised and there may be some
mild, transient numbness and itching that settles down
over the following days.
Fat cells
in the treated
area can be
reduced by
30 percent
‘In our experience, typically only one treatment per area
is required, which is an amazing advance in the area of
body sculpting,’ says Dr Gupta. ‘Results are seen at three
months, with further improvement at six months.’
Clatuu can also “sculpt” a more feminine (hourglass) or
masculine (V-shaped) shape. ‘This is operator-dependent
so specialist trained staff are important. Here at Platinum
Dermatology Skin Specialists we assess the anatomy of
the area to be treated, mark it out and then sculpt it using
Clatuu,’ she explains.
As with liposuction surgery, for optimal results you should
be in good health with skin that has sufficient elasticity. The
best candidates are usually those with small to medium
localised fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise,
rather than those seeking largevolume
fat removal.
‘Clatuu is a great advance in
the field of body contouring that
I am delighted to be able to offer
my patients,’ says Dr Gupta.
‘Rightly or wrongly, how we look
and perceive our “problem” areas
play a big role in how we feel about
ourselves and our self-esteem. For
the right patient, Clatuu is a great
alternative to bigger procedures
such as liposuction to remove
excess fat’.
And perhaps the best part
of the treatment? The results
are permanent. ‘In the treated area, the fat removal is
permanent,’ says Dr Gupta. ‘If you do gain weight in the
future, fat will still accumulate but not to the same extent
in the treated areas because those fat cells have been
permanently destroyed.’
‘My patients are loving Clatuu treatment; they’re seeing
results in areas that have previously been impervious to
diet and exercise,’ she adds. ‘I’m looking forward to
having a treatment myself – I haven’t worn sleeveless
tops since I was 20 as I’ve always felt self-conscious
about my arms. With Clatuu, now I too can aim for Michelle
Obama arms!’ csbm
Where to get it!
Platinum Dermatology Skin Specialists
Call 02 8014 6500 or
email info@platinumdermatology.com.au
www.cosbeauty.com.au 63