Body treatments in Medellín

Many people look for these as nonsurgical body contouring, body sculpting, or mesotherapy. At noon, they are plans that combine technologies, mesotherapy, and lymphatic drainage to work on cellulite, skin laxity on the body, and mild localized fat. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) lists several technologies for reducing fat without surgery, such as ultrasound, radiofrequency, infrared light, and vacuum massage, and makes clear that none of them replaces liposuction. What goes into your plan isn't picked from a menu: your aesthetic physician decides after examining you.

Cellulite is not the same as fat. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), a treatment that removes fat often doesn't change cellulite. The same source says some treatments make it less visible, at least for a while. It also explains that for some people, losing weight and staying at a healthy weight reduces visible cellulite, and that having more muscle can make it less noticeable. That's why the goal is to improve it, not to make it disappear. At your consultation, your doctor will tell you what change is realistic in your case.

These plans aim for moderate changes. If your main concern is something else, a different option may be the right one:

• A pocket of fat in one specific spot: cryolipolysis (in Spanish), also called fat freezing. Keep in mind that, according to the AAD, it works on small fat deposits but, for now, doesn't get rid of cellulite.
• Firmer skin as the main goal: radiofrequency or collagen biostimulators.
• More fat or excess skin: surgery, such as liposuction or a tummy tuck, evaluated by a plastic surgeon. The ASPS notes that liposuction isn't an effective treatment for cellulite either.
• Losing weight: medical weight management.

At your consultation, we'll tell you what makes sense for you.

According to the ASPS, you shouldn't have nonsurgical fat reduction procedures if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. These plans also aren't meant for weight loss: they focus on cellulite, skin laxity on the body, and mild localized fat. At your consultation, tell your doctor:

• If you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
• If you've ever had fat-dissolving injections, or are thinking about them. The FDA recommends telling your doctor.

With that and your medical history, she'll decide whether the plan is right for you.

Every procedure has risks, and these treatments do too. The AAD mentions, among others:

• With mesotherapy: redness and swelling, tender lumps under the skin, infection, allergic reaction, and other skin changes.
• With radiofrequency: bruising, which fades over time.

Separately, the FDA has received reports of permanent scarring, serious infections, skin deformities, cysts, and painful knots from fat-dissolving injections it has not approved. Some people got them from providers who may not have been licensed; others bought them online and injected themselves. Before you decide, your doctor will go over each risk with you.

Each session lasts 45 to 60 minutes and needs no recovery time, so you can keep up your normal routine. Even so, keep this in mind:

• Ask what you're being given. According to the AAD, with mesotherapy each provider uses their own mix of substances. INVIMA, Colombia's national regulator for medicines and health products, asks people to check a product's sanitary registration before using it; you can do that with its registration lookup (in Spanish).
• If you notice any of the effects listed under risks, let your doctor know.
• If you'd like help with what you eat, you can add a nutrition consultation.