If you're under 25, I highly caution you against going for any slimming procedures. As the Chinese saying goes, "Youth is the highest personal capital."

Procedures are split into invasive (needles, cannulas, scalpels) and non-invasive (fat lasers, low-wave frequencies, cavitation). Therefore, non-invasive procedures mean you don't have to go through anaesthesia or surgery to achieve the effects of slimming. 

Fats are deposited into "fat pockets" under your skin (or the medical term epidermis). Most of these procedures liquefies the fats inside of the pockets and passes them out through sweat and defecation, with the sole exception of Coolsculpt/Zeltiq, which eliminates the fat pocket entirely through a process called cyrolipolysis (death of fats through extremely low temperatures). You can read more about the 5 non-invasive slimming procedures that I've tried, that most slimming salons use.

1. CoolScupt/Zeltiq

HOW: The doctor marks out the area that the receptacle (the Coolsculpt/Zeltiq machine handle) will attach to your body. Common areas are tummy, love handles, upper arms, thighs and lower back. Commonly, 2 receptacles will be used at the same time. You will feel suction and extreme cooling in those receptacles and numbing.

WHY: Studies have shown that participants lost up to 22.4% of total body adipose tissue over a 4 month period of intensive Coolscultping treatment.

WHEN: I went for 1x treatment for Coolsculpting/Zeltiq in an aesthetic clinic in Marina Square.

WHAT: The session took 45 min, and the discomfort level during the session was a 3/10. My tummy felt numb to touch and the suction was pretty strong (as you can see from the photo above). I felt optimistic the treatment was going to work because I heard some of my tummy fats pop during the session. The post-treatment was the kicker - It hurt, a lot! And the pain took 2 weeks to subside. I would say the pain was 8/10 and got worse over the first week, and subsided during the second week. 

THE VERDICT: I would say this treatment is for someone with high pain tolerance. It is advisable that you're resting at home during the post-treatment period because for me, I had to go to work and the after-session pain was really distracting me. Results-wise, it took about 3-4 weeks for my tummy to have a visible change and people to comment that I lost weight. If you click on the link in the WHY section, you can see that results are visible, and you need to continuously go for the sessions over a 4 month period. However, it was just too painful for me post-session when my fats were going through cyrolipolysis (the process of the fat pockets dying)!

2. Zerona/Low Laser Therapy

HOW: You don't have to go to a certified doctor or plastic surgeon for the treatment - an aesthetic salon or clinic will do. For the session, you lie on a flatbed and the aesthetician covers the areas of your body with towels to prevent the laser from getting through to those areas, such as your face, chest etc. Zerona lasers then cast on your body in a criss-cross shape, reducing the size of your adipose tissues.

WHY: Studies have shown that participants doing Zerona lost ~2.15cm after 4 weeks of 2x a week treatments, or around 0.4-0.5cm to their waist after each treatment.

WHEN: I bought 3 sessions on FAVE at an aesthetic clinic in Raffles Place.

WHAT: The discomfort level was 0/10 for the treatment. In fact, I couldn't feel a thing in my tummy where the lasers were. I also felt some popping sounds and sensations in my belly throughout the 30 min session. They covered my face and eyes so I actually fell asleep. Post-session, there is no downtime at all. I would rate post-session recovery to be 10/10; no pain, unlike Zeltiq. After the first session, I could immediately see effects, and the aesthetician measured 0.5 off my waist size. My tummy fats also became softer, which means they will be slowly eliminated from my system through going to the bathroom and sweating from exercise. However, the only side effect was nausea and diarrhoea for the 2 days after the treatment, as the fats are passing through your system.

THE VERDICT: I would rate this 8/10 for down-time, effect and pricing. I also attracted some comments from my colleagues that I became slimmer! In fact, one of them also went to try Zerona at the clinic after my recommendation. (Haha, I guess the results spoke for themselves.)

3. Vanquish ME / Exilis Ultra

WHO: Vanquish ME or Exelis Ultra as it is also known, use soundwaves and radiofrequency to target fat deposits, and tighten skin, in your stomach, thighs, upper arms and love handles.

HOW: You lie on a flatbed at a plastic surgeon or aesthetic clinic. Those that carry the Vanquish Me machine need to be certified and are operated by trained aestheticians only. There is a flat bracket that is on a mechanical arm, that is aimed at the surface areas where your cellulite is. You will feel a warm sensation over the course of the session, which is typically 30-45 min long. The machine's waves will reduce the fat deposits in your problem areas.

WHY: Studies show that fat reduction using the two forms of Vanquish, BTL Vanquish and Vanquish Me, 30 days after the treatment sessions, saw improvements in users at around 2.72-4.17mm around their abdominal fat.

WHEN: I tried 1 session at an aesthetic clinic in Orchard.

WHAT: Of all the 5 non-invasive slimming procedures, this one was the most painless and fuss-free. 1/10 for down-time (certain patrons of the treatment have complained about burns but these are very rare). There is a flat arm that aims at your problem areas like the belly and thighs, and a warm sensation is felt over the course of the session. The warmth sensation is almost like lying on a tanning bed.

THE VERDICT: Even though it's the most fuss-free, I would say this was the procedure that needed the most repeat visits for a difference to be seen. After just 1 session, I could not feel any noticeable difference, compared to procedures like laser lipo (see below) which immediately helped to soften my stubborn tummy fats. Can't come to a conclusion for sure, but I must say I need to go for more sessions to find out.

4. Laser Lipo

WHO: Laser Lipo or Laser Lipolysis, is a non-invasive procedure, where several "pads" with laser nodules, are placed on your problem areas. The laser then eliminates fat pockets underneath your skin (the epidermis) and the resultant liquified fat is then passed through your system through defecation.

HOW: You lie on a flatbed and the laser lipo pads are spread around your tummy, thighs or upper arms. A warm sensation is felt after the session which is around 15-30min depending on the clinic and the strength of the lasers. The lasers eliminate the fats in the fat pockets under your skin and liquefies them, and sweating through exercise will help to speed up the fat elimination process. Unlike Coolsculpting or Zeltiq, the fat pocket is not eliminated entirely (cryolipolysis) but the fat inside the fat pocket is "melted" and passed out of your system

WHY: You can read more about the different types of Laser Lipo machines and wavelengths, and their associated results, here.

WHEN: I tried 1 session at a dedicated slimming salon (meaning it only has weight-loss services), 1 session at an Orchard Aesthetic salon. 

WHAT: This is was the procedure that I saw the most results with, just after 2 sessions. I could visibly see skin tightening, a subtle reduction in waistline and my stubborn stomach fats becoming "jelly"-like (which is a good thing as the liquefied fats will be passing through your system more quickly!)

THE VERDICT: Definitely a must-try for self-improvement fanatics. Results will only be visible 3-4 weeks after the first session and you definitely need to commit to, say, 2x sessions over at least 3 weeks. If you're worried about prices, apps like Groupon and FAVE have good deals for Laser Lipo.

5. Ultrasound Cavitation

HOW: Similarly, with the other procedures, you are to lie down on a bed (for mine I have it with my facial place) and the aesthetician runs the hand-held device over your trouble areas. Depending on the type of machine you use, you might even hear a high pitched sound in your ears as the treatment is taking place.

WHY: Read more about the treatment, here.

WHEN: I have tried it for many months under my facial package with my salon located in Centerpoint. It's a 2-in-1 session where we do face as well as slimming treatments.

WHAT: I didn't really see much of a difference in waistlines because the aesthetician is very careful to only use it for a couple of minutes at a time. The procedure is definitely not marketed as well as some of the other treatments, and that contributes to its relative obscurity. Downtime wise, it has no downtime and no visible bruising. You can't feel much during the treatment other than the receptacle on your skin and the slight ringing in your ears.

THE VERDICT: I suspect that the Ultrasound Cavitation machine causes bruising if you use it for too long, which is why the aesthetician at the salon only uses it for a couple of minutes at a time. After going for it for almost 12x over a year, I have to say some of the other treatments were more effective than the Ultrasound Cavitation, IMHO. There are not many changes after each session, and results weren't visible after many months.

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So there you have it! A comparison between the 5 most common non-invasive slimming procedures, Coolsculpt & Zeltiq, Cold Laser & Zerona, Vanquish ME & Exillis Ultra, Laser Lipo and Ultrasound Cavitation. Let me know what you think in the comments section below - whether you've tried any of these yourself and if they worked!

Disclaimer: Speak to Me in Kisses and its author does not bear any liability for any advice given herewith and the post or any other contents leading to affiliates do not constitute as medical advice or products. User discretion of the procedures is advised.