Body contouring can be a useful way to refine areas of the body that have changed over time or have not responded in quite the same way as the rest of your body to diet and exercise. Depending on the concern, treatment may focus on reducing localised fat, improving skin firmness, smoothing the appearance of cellulite or creating better definition through a particular area.
What makes body contouring particularly interesting is that the same area can look different for very different reasons. Around the abdomen, for example, one person may have a small pocket of resistant fat despite maintaining a stable weight. Another may notice that the skin feels softer or less firm following pregnancy or weight loss. For someone else, the concern may be a combination of fat, skin laxity, cellulite or fluid retention.
At The Medispa, we have a number of body contouring technologies that work in different ways, allowing treatment to be planned around what your body actually needs. A consultation helps us look at the area more closely, identify what is contributing to its appearance and decide whether fat reduction, skin tightening, lymphatic support or a combination of approaches is likely to be most useful.
This more personalised approach is important because successful body contouring is rarely about choosing the most powerful treatment. It is about choosing the right treatment for the tissue, the area being treated and the change you would realistically like to achieve.
What Is Body Contouring?
Non-surgical body contouring refers to treatments designed to improve the shape, definition or appearance of particular areas of the body without surgery.
Depending on the technology being used, treatment may focus on:
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localised pockets of fat
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broader areas of unwanted fat
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loose or mildly lax skin
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reduced skin firmness
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cellulite
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fluid retention and puffiness
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a combination of fat and skin laxity
This is different from weight loss. Weight loss reduces overall body mass and can change the size of fat cells throughout the body. Body contouring is generally more targeted. It is used to alter the appearance of particular areas once we understand whether fat, skin quality or another factor is responsible.
That distinction also helps set realistic expectations. Non-surgical body contouring is not intended to reproduce the degree of tissue removal or tightening possible with surgery, nor should it replace a healthy lifestyle. Its role is to refine areas where a non-invasive approach is appropriate.
Why Can Stubborn Fat Remain Even When You Lose Weight?
Fat distribution is highly individual. Genetics, hormones, age, pregnancy and previous changes in weight can all influence where the body tends to store fat. This is why somebody can be physically active and at a stable weight yet still have a persistent area around the lower abdomen, flanks, thighs, arms or under the chin.
It is also why simply exercising a particular part of the body does not necessarily remove fat from that area.
At The Medispa, one of the first things we assess is whether we are looking at localised fat or a more generalised change in body composition. That helps us decide whether a targeted treatment such as Cristal Pro fat freezing or a broader treatment such as Emerald Laser is more appropriate.
Which Body Contouring Treatment Is Best for Stubborn Fat?
There is no single "best" treatment because different technologies approach fat differently.
Cristal Pro: for more defined pockets of fat
Cristal Pro uses cryolipolysis, commonly known as fat freezing.
Controlled cooling is applied to a selected area, targeting fat cells while protecting the surrounding tissue. The affected fat cells are subsequently cleared naturally by the body over the weeks following treatment.
In practice, we tend to think about fat freezing when the concern is specific and pinchable. Someone may be happy with their overall weight, for example, but have a persistent pocket around the abdomen, flanks or another defined area. It is therefore less about losing weight and more about changing the contour of a particular part of the body.
Results develop gradually rather than overnight, and some patients may benefit from more than one treatment depending on the amount of fat present and the result they want to achieve.
Emerald Laser: for broader body contouring
Emerald Laser takes a different approach. It uses 532 nm green laser energy to create temporary pores within fat cells, allowing fatty material to move out of the cells before being processed through the body's natural pathways.
Rather than physically freezing a defined fold of fat, Emerald can be useful when we want to address broader areas of the body. The Medispa uses it on areas including the waist, hips, thighs, arms, back and chin.
This distinction matters during consultation. If someone has one very obvious localised pocket, fat freezing may make sense. If the concern is distributed across a wider area and the goal is more general body contouring, Emerald may be the better starting point.
What If I Have Both Stubborn Fat and Loose Skin?
This is where body contouring becomes more interesting. Removing or reducing fat does not automatically tighten the skin above it. In some patients, reducing volume without considering skin quality could even make existing laxity more apparent.
We therefore assess the skin before deciding how aggressively to target fat.
BTL Exilis can be particularly useful where mild skin laxity and localised fat overlap. It combines radiofrequency and ultrasound energy to heat targeted tissue, stimulating collagen while also allowing treatment of unwanted fat in suitable areas.
For somebody whose abdomen has become slightly softer following pregnancy or weight change, for example, the concern may not be purely fat. The supporting skin may also have lost some of its previous firmness.
In those cases, simply choosing the strongest fat-reduction treatment is not necessarily the right answer. Addressing both components can create a more balanced change in contour.
Can Body Contouring Tighten Loose Skin?
Yes, certain technologies are designed specifically to improve skin firmness, although the degree of laxity matters.
BTL Exilis can be used where there is mild to moderate loss of firmness alongside contour concerns. By heating the tissue, it encourages collagen remodelling that develops progressively after treatment.
Sofwave offers another option. It uses ultrasound energy to stimulate collagen within the dermis and is used by The Medispa on body areas including the stomach and arms.
For patients whose main concern is skin laxity rather than fat, a collagen-stimulating treatment may therefore be more relevant than fat reduction. Non-surgical treatments can improve firmness and skin quality, but they cannot remove significant excess skin. Where there is substantial skin redundancy following major weight loss, for example, we would be careful not to create unrealistic expectations about what an energy-based treatment can achieve.
What Is the Best Body Contouring Treatment After Weight Loss?
This depends largely on what remains after the weight has been lost. If somebody has reached a stable weight but still has a small resistant fat deposit, Cristal Pro or Emerald Laser may be considered depending on its size and distribution. If the dominant concern is that the skin feels softer or less firm, BTL Exilis or Sofwave may make more sense.
Very often, however, there is a mixture. At The Medispa, we often see this around the lower abdomen, upper arms and thighs. There may be some remaining fatty tissue, but the skin has also changed following weight fluctuation. In this situation, treating only one component can leave the other untouched. This is where a staged treatment plan can be useful.
Can You Combine Body Contouring Treatments?
Yes, and there are situations where combining treatments makes clinical sense.
The important point is that treatments should not be combined simply because more treatment sounds better. Each technology should have a clear purpose.
For example, a patient with a defined pocket of abdominal fat and mild skin laxity may initially have the fat addressed with Cristal Pro, followed by BTL Exilis if improving firmness is also required.
Emerald Laser can also be paired with Body Ballancer. Body Ballancer uses sequential compression to support lymphatic drainage and circulation. The Medispa specifically uses it alongside Emerald as part of body-contouring programmes.
Body Ballancer should not be confused with a fat-reduction treatment. Its role is different. It can be useful where fluid retention, puffiness or cellulite contributes to how the body looks and feels, and as a supportive treatment within a wider programme.
This is a good example of why body contouring should be planned around the tissue rather than a treatment name.
Before & After Results of 10 weekly sessions of Emerald Laser with Body Ballancer
FAQs About Body Contouring
Do I need to be at my goal weight before body contouring?
Not necessarily, but being reasonably weight stable can make treatment planning and results more predictable. If you expect your weight to change substantially, your practitioner may recommend waiting before treating certain areas.
Will body contouring give me a completely flat stomach?
No treatment can guarantee a particular body shape. Abdominal appearance is influenced by fat, skin, muscle, posture and internal anatomy, so a consultation is needed to establish which of these factors can realistically be changed with non-surgical treatment.
Can body contouring treat more than one area?
Potentially, yes. The number of areas that can sensibly be treated will depend on the technology, your goals and the treatment plan recommended following assessment.
Does body contouring stop fat returning?
Treatments that reduce fat cells do not prevent the remaining fat cells elsewhere from enlarging if weight is gained in the future. Maintaining a relatively stable weight is therefore important for preserving changes in body contour.
Is body contouring suitable for men?
Yes. The underlying assessment is the same. Common male concerns can include the abdomen, flanks and chest, but treatment should always be selected according to the type of tissue present rather than gender alone.
Book a Body Contouring Consultation at The Medispa
If you are considering body contouring, the most useful starting point is to identify whether the area that concerns you is primarily affected by fat, skin laxity, cellulite, fluid retention or a combination of these.
At The Medispa, our full range of device-led body contouring treatments is available at our Telford and Shrewsbury clinics. Our wider clinic group also includes Wolverhampton, Walsall and Solihull, where injectable treatments are available.
Book a consultation and we can assess the area properly, discuss what you would like to change and explain which approach is most appropriate, including when doing less may give the better result.
