A BULGING belly or flabby thighs can be targeted with exercise.
But what if the fat you are desperate to shift is on your face?
Chin-sculpting procedures are one of the fastest-growing areas of cosmetic
surgery, experts in America recently revealed.
Spending hours using smartphones and tablet devices with our heads down could
cause a loss of elasticity in facial muscle and skin.
Surgery can suck the fat out of chubby chins but methods can be costly and
painful.
However, this month a new non-surgical procedure has arrived in the UK which
tackles saggy skin with similar technology to that used in ready meals.
Costing £800 a session, Lipo-Contrast is based on cryothermal technology and
uses temperature changes to eliminate body fat. The cutting-edge machine
heats up, cools down then heats up again, which causes a thermal shock to
the fat cells it is placed on and destroys them.
Temperatures heat up to a maximum of 42°C and the cold temperature is decided
by the thickness of fat in the treatment area. This is based on a process
called “tempering” also used by the food industry when heating food,
freezing it then heating it again.
Bar assistant Lauren Williams tested out the procedure on her double chin
exclusively for The Sun, with Wimpole Aesthetics in Marylebone, London.
Lauren, 26, says: “I’ve always had a round face and apple cheeks. But when I
put on weight a few years ago and developed a double chin, my face shape
stopped being something I liked.
“I moved out of home and was eating badly. My dress size went from size 10 to
16 and the extra pounds also went on my face. I decided I had to slim and
started running but my chin fat wouldn’t shift. I tried tactics like wearing
bright lipstick to distract from my chin but I was always concerned
customers would notice it.”
After turning to toning lotions, beauty treatments and exercises with no
success Lauren was keen to try the new procedure.
She says: “I wouldn’t have proper lipo on my face, but the procedure didn’t
sound too dramatic. Having a double chin isn’t like having a big bum where
you can hide it with clothes or do specific exercise at the gym to get rid
of it.
“Your chin is there for everyone to see and I only wanted one — not two.”
During the hour-long treatment, a unique gel is applied before the
Lipo-Contrast machine delivers the thermal shock via a special wand,
breaking down fatty tissue.
Lauren, from Hemel Hempstead, Herts, says: “Before the treatment started my
chin was measured at 11mm using calipers.
“It was freezing and the suction was strong — a bit like sucking your face
with a hoover.
“My jaw ached a bit and was slightly numb. Then it started to tingle, like
pins and needles. At first I couldn’t see much difference — I’d been told it
might take up to six weeks to see results.
“But a friend said my jaw already looked firmer and tighter.”
Most double chins require up to three sessions to remove fat and Lauren had
two more treatments every four weeks, each time repeating the same process.
After the third treatment she started to notice real results.
She says: “After my final appointment I could see a big change.
“I went on holiday to Cyprus and in the photos it was obvious my chubby chin
had shrunk.
“Before, when I smiled, I would get a fat line like you do on your tummy but
now that’s gone. When my chin was measured it had gone down to 8mm.
“I feel more confident now and I’m finally happy to keep my chin up behind the
bar.”
See .