There are so many options, both surgical and non-invasive, to help you look as young as you feel. In fact, many procedures have little or no down time. Treatments can be scheduled so that individuals may quickly return to their busy lives. When people have particular concerns about their face or body, they often have questions about what is available and where to access services.

Does the cosmetic industry deal only with facial anti-aging issues? Women and men also search for help with body contouring, vein treatments and hair removal. Some treatments can be used to treat facial or body issues such as skin tightening. Of course, sun damage and acne can be found on the face and body so treatments are available for both. What is new for body contouring? UltraShape is new to Canada. It's a non-invasive medical treatment clinically proven to remove fat cells with durable, measurable results. This state-of-the-art system uses sound waves to target and disrupt the fat cell membranes. The disrupted fat cell contents are transported via the lymphatic system to the liver. The liver then breaks down the fat naturally. It is best to reduce calorie intake and moderately increase aerobic exercise for a few days so that the body burns the released fat.

What happens during the procedure? The patient is measured and markers are placed around the treatment area. The markers allow the real-time camera to track the area as the ultrasound pulses are delivered. It ensures that the entire area receives an even amount of pulses and accounts for patient movement. This could never be accomplished so precisely with a human guided hand-piece. Is UltraShape safe and is it comfortable? There is no pain, swelling or downtime. Independent studies have confirmed that the fat is cleared safely. The only difficulty is remaining still for an hour or more. In many cases, clients actually fall asleep. What are the expected results? In bigger, fatty areas more can be lost per treatment. Some have lost 3-5 cm in their first treatment. Clinical studies show an average of 2 cm circumference reduction per treatment area on patients with a body mass index under 30. The clinical trials show a series of three treatments, spaced a month apart, gives the maximum benefit and loss of about 7cm.

When do the results show? Results can start showing in as early as a week. At the 28 day mark, the majority of loss has occurred. Is this technology new? In 2000, a plastic surgeon and a medical physicist combined their experience to develop this technology. It has spread to 46 countries and been used in hundreds of thousands of treatments. Health Canada gave approval in May 2007 for use by Canadian physicians. UltraShape goes much deeper than salon treatments and targets the adipose fat, not superficial cellulite. Thus, medical supervision is required.