Treatment that fits around a Katonah day

Laser lipo is the kind of appointment you can slot into an ordinary day. There is no incision, no anesthesia and no recovery to plan, so you can go straight back to work or the school run afterwards. For people in Katonah the trip is short too: Bellava is at 182 Route 117 Bypass Road in Bedford Hills, about a mile and a quarter by Bedford Road and Route 117, three minutes or so without traffic.

How the laser works

The treatment is called laser lipolysis. A panel of optical fibres sends pulses of laser light through the skin into the fatty layer beneath it, and the light is absorbed selectively by fat cells, which break open and release their contents. Over the following weeks your body clears that debris away naturally.

Because the energy is aimed at fat cells, the surrounding nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue are left alone. That selectivity is what lets the team shape a specific pocket — a love handle, the lower stomach, the outer thigh — rather than treating a whole region.

What you can expect

During the session: a gentle treatment with minimal discomfort.
Straight afterwards: normal activities, with no downtime. Some people feel slightly sore or tender; it is not the kind of discomfort that needs prescription medication.
Bruising and swelling: very rare, because nothing is cut and no tissue is removed.
Over six to eight weeks: the result develops as your body clears the treated fat, with gradual slimming and tightening rather than a sudden change.

Who it suits

Laser lipo is aimed at stubborn areas — love handles, thighs and the abdomen are the usual ones — that have not responded to diet and exercise. How much it can achieve depends on things like your skin’s elasticity and the amount of fat, and the consultation is where you get a realistic answer about that. Because the destroyed fat cells are metabolised by the body, the result outlasts temporary treatments, and a healthy lifestyle helps you hold on to it.

If more than fat is involved

Laser lipo treats fat, not loose skin or separated muscles. When those are the bigger issue, Bellava’s board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Chang Soo Kim, may suggest a tummy tuck — which he often combines with liposuction of the flanks, hips or thighs — or a mommy makeover, which can include liposuction too.

Katonah patients ask

Is laser lipo surgery? No. It is non-invasive, with no incisions and no anesthesia.

Will I be left with loose skin? The treatment causes minimal trauma to the tissue, which helps the skin keep its elasticity, and the techniques used promote some skin tightening alongside the fat reduction.

What happens at the consultation? A review of your medical history, an examination of the areas that bother you and a personalised treatment plan. Financing options are covered too. More detail is on the main laser lipo page.

Laser Lipo for Katonah, NY