I paid for three treatments but only had time to do my upper back and one row across the abs above the belly button. Anyway, the abs treatment was excruciating at the highest level of 1.1 but was tolerable when dialed down to 1.0. I had no trouble at all at the highest level in the back. Unpleasant but nothing terrible. My therapist says the more fat you have the less it hurts. Unlike other reviewers, I had no swelling, pain, or other symptoms after the treatment. Will go to do lower back this week I hope. Will post after photos in 4 weeks! Updated on 30 Sep 2016: I had purchased three sessions and today had the third session done across the midback. We stayed on the highest setting the whole time. Pain was searing and intense for 5-8 second intervals with cooling in between. Not sure yet if I'm seeing any change from the sessions on the upper abs and upper back yet but it's only been a week. I will post after 3 weeks. Updated on 6 Oct 2016: I had three areas treated. It's two weeks from the treatment of my upper abs and upper back and one week from the mid back treatment. I think I can see a difference in the abs! What do you think? Updated on 14 Oct 2016: So it's 4 weeks from the upper abs and upper back treatment and 3 weeks from the mid back treatment. I think things do look leaner. I just wish this didn't take so long. Before photos are on the left. Updated on 13 Nov 2016: It's been seven week since I did my abs (above navel) and and upper back, and 6 weeks since I did the midback. I definite see some change. Do you? Left photos are before. Updated on 12 Dec 2016: It's been 10 weeks and I definitely see a difference. Going back tomorrow for four more sessions to get rid of remaining fat on back, flanks, and inner thighs. Stay tuned! Updated on 31 Mar 2017:
Before: Acne began surfacing in middle school, and by high school, I was suffering from moderate breakouts in varying spots on my face (sides, cheeks, forehead, around mouth). I started birth control during my first year of college, and that is around the time I began experiencing cystic acne. During stressful times in my life (death of loved ones, finals during law school, bar exam), the acne got worse. It also seemed to be worse in winter. I used Proactiv in high school and college, and that helped some, but the cysts always took weeks (and sometimes months) to disappear. My skin is oily, and by 11am each day, and several times after, I'm blotting with tissues and having to redo makeup. I went off hormonal birth control over six months ago, and tried antibiotics (doxycycline) with topical treatments (Aczone and Tetronin cream), which didn't provide much relief (although my derm says I could've stayed on it longer). With my wedding coming up, I decided to try isotetronin and (hopefully) help my oily, broken out skin regain its balance and clarity. Weekly/monthly updates will follow! Week One: Noticed the dryness about 2 days in, and by day 6, I had chapped lips and felt really thirsty. The skin surrounding active pimples and cysts, as well as the skin on my nose (lots of blackheads) started peeling by day 4, but the cysts have begun flattening out. Days 3-6 brought about 3-8 small (size of a ballpoint pen tip) new whiteheads each day, mostly along my jawline and around my mouth (the initial purge has started). My skin is sensitive - I've started using a gentle cleanser (Mario Badescu) and lots of moisturizer and sunscreen. Overall, my skin is calmer in terms of breakouts, but a little more red (someone asked me how I got sun during a spate of rainy days). Updated on 23 May 2016: Two weeks in and I think I've experienced a purge - lots of smaller zits popping up around my mouth, a few by my eyebrows. Old cysts are still drying out - I can feel the bumps though they have flattened out quite a bit. Using Cetaphil (soap and wipes), and Cerave moisturizer with SPF. Also applying Avene soothing moisture mask and leaving it on overnight. Aquaphor for the lips, which are very chapped now. Skin is peeling - I grabbed a peeling piece with tweezers and it took off more than I expected, and bled. Best to leave those be if you can stand it, and moisturize moisturize moisturize! Oh and hydrate! Not feeling too thirsty, but I've upped my water intake just in case to 48-72 oz per day. Hopeful that the breakout will clear in the next few weeks! Updated on 2 May 2017: Well, I certainly dropped the ball on keeping this up to date but here's a quick rundown of how the rest of my treatment went. Month 1 largely involved the purge. Mine wasn't as bad as I expected (my expectations being based on other folks' reviews). Pimples closer to the surface of my skin cleared up quickly, while deep, cystic pimples took a few weeks to go away. I can't even remember how they went - whether they surfaced or just disappeared. By the end of the month, my skin had definitely improved, though I was dealing with a bit of dryness on my lips and skin. Month 2 brought more results in terms of clearing skin. By the end of the second month, I think I had one, maybe two cysts that were still shrinking, but not very noticeable. The dryness really kicked in this month, so I used lots of moisturizer on my face and body, and aquaphor on my lips (it was really the only thing that would make them feel moisturized for a few hours - lip balms did not bring much relief at all). Month 3 brought complete clarity, but also steady dryness. My lips became so dry, they began cracking at the corners of my mouth, but nothing too noticeable or painful. Lots of moisturizing! Month 4 was about the same as month three - maybe one or two new pimples. Same level of dryness, though my lips were not cracking as much. Month 5, I was clear, but because of the new pimple in month 4, my doctor decided to do a sixth month of Absorica. Month 6 I had no pimples and about the same level of dryness as month 5. I was lucky not to have experienced any of the psychological side effects that I had read (and been warned) about. These past 6 months since I finished my treatment have been mostly clear. If I have a pimple, it usually dries up and fades away within two or three days. I haven't had any cystic acne since stopping the medication. My lips and skin are not too dry, but I don't have oily skin anymore. I still drink lots of water and am changing up my diet to help my skin stay clear and healthy. If you have been struggling with other acne treatments and are looking for a long-term (and hopefully permanent) solution, I highly recommend asking your dermatologist about Absorica. Overall, the experience was 100% worth it. I have more free time now that I don't wear as much makeup, and don't wear makeup as often. My face doesn't itch or hurt like it did when I had cysts. I feel happier and lighter - not as much weighing on my mind. Wearing makeup is fun now - but not necessary, which I am thrilled about. I've changed my diet and taken to drinking a lot more water than I used to in order to help my skin stay healthy and clear.
Thank you for your question. There are a few things to consider before you undergo injections with a fat dissolving solution. Deoxycholic acid is FDA approved as Kybella. However, Kybella is sold in a very small amount for use only in the sub-mental chin. I have treated larger areas such as the abdomen, thighs and bra-fat for nearly 15 years. When used in small amounts (50cc or under), deoxycholic acid or "Lipodissolve" is very safe and can be effective. It usually takes 3-4 treatments done every 6-8 weeks for significant improvement. However, it is FDA off label when used on the non sub-mental chin, and larger amounts must be procured from a compounding pharmacy that can be trusted, and should be administered by a board certified dermatologist. You should not undergo the treatment if you are still breastfeeding, and you also need to make sure that your physician determines that you are healthy enough for the treatment. Most importantly, the treatment is not a weight loss procedure. It is for body contouring and should be used on small areas of fat. It ill work much better and be far safer if it is used to improve small areas and is part of an exercise and diet program to improve your overall health and fitness.
Thank you for your question. First and foremost, I would not be too worried about redness that is left behind after acne. The redness is not a scar. A scar is a textural change in the skin which will not go away spontaneously or without a laser other than Vbeam. I would think of the redness as discoloration that will resolve spontaneously as long as you are not getting new acne and not picking at your skin. So, if you are getting new acne, please consult with your dermatologist for proper treatment, and please do NOT pick at any new acne. Should you choose not to wait 3-4 months for spontaneous resolution, the Vbeam should be able to adequately remove the redness. IPL would also work well. Good Luck
Destruction of fat cells by any method, Kybella (deoxycholic acid), Sculpsure, Coolsculp, are permanent in that no new fat cells are created after destruction. However, production of an increase in the appearance of fat or recurrence of fat can still occur. Fat cells will enlarge if you take in more calories than you burn and the sub-mental chin fat is no exception. The treatment lasts if you maintain your weight. I have been using deoxycholic acid for fat reduction for at least 10 years prior to the FDA approval of Kybella. It does work and quite well, but it usually takes multiple treatments, is somewhat uncomfortable and causes swelling for up to a week. Best.
Both devices are essentially the same technology and accomplish the same goal; skin tightening on areas such as the abdomen, arms, neck and thighs. The difference is that the Legacy is newer and achieves higher energy delivery which allows it to produce more results per treatment or possibly the same result in fewer treatments. Both work well. You will have to decide on the value / cost per treatment, but as always, you should trust your physician and make sure you see a physician who is a board certified dermatologist or cosmetic / plastic surgeon.
You should think of Sculpsure as a body countering device. Anyone who has the Sculpsure treatment will have a reduction in the thickness of fat in the area treated and it is quite repeatable from treatment to treatment. However, patients with much larger amounts of fat to loose and in a more diffuse distribution rather than in smaller pockets may be much better off to undergo Sculpsure after an exercise and weight loss program. Of course, this is subjective unless you are evaluated by your physician who has been using Sculpsure with success. I advise that you have a consult with a reputable, board certified dermatologist and then decide.
