One of the questions I am often asked about Lifesculpt (or any of our other body shaping procedures) is, “am I a good candidate?” Well, the answer isn’t always straightforward. There are several things that we consider when we are evaluating someone who’s interested in Lifesculpt. This includes their overall health, their current and past weight, the quality of their overlying skin and their goals and expectations.
When considering their overall health, we need to remember this procedure is elective. It does not make sense to proceed if there are any significant health risks. Chronic health conditions such as coronary artery disease, emphysema, clotting disorders and others would be good reasons not to proceed. Less serious conditions would be considered on an individual basis, but safety has to be the number one priority.
Assuming that one is in good health, next we would consider a person’s weight. A quick way to evaluate this is to calculate your BMI. BMI stands for Body Mass Index – a ratio of your height to weight. (Google “BMI” and you will find several charts to help you find yours). A healthy BMI is between 20 and 25. For these procedures a BMI between 23 and 25 is ideal. This person doesn’t need to lose weight necessarily but has a stubborn fat pocket that despite a healthy lifestyle, he/she just can’t get rid of that one area – like that lower stomach “pouch”. Part of the reason this person gets great results is that there is enough fat to make nice difference with the procedure, but not so much that the skin won’t tighten. BMI’s less than 23 can still get nice results but we have to be careful not to remove too much fat. BMI’s between 26 and 30 likewise can still get some very nice results but there is an increased risk of loose skin. BMI’s of greater than 30 really should consider weight loss or surgical options to get optimal results, though in rare cases we can help a BMI of up to 35.
Next we need to evaluate the quality of a person’s skin. This is heavily influenced by genetics, age, previous surgeries and pregnancies. Younger skin and skin that is thicker and has inherent strong elastic properties will respond better to the procedure. Additionally, different areas of the body have different tensile properties. For example, the inner thighs don’t tighten as well as the outer thighs. Evaluating this on your own is one of the hardest things to do and is best done in consultation.
Finally, your goals and expectations need to be considered. Do some soul searching before venturing into this procedure. Perfection is not possible, but better is absolutely possible. Unfortunately, your genetics plays a role in your recovery and final outcome. The ideal candidate would be someone who is healthy, exercises regularly, has a BMI between 23 and 25, and has no loose skin. For the vast majority of us we may not be the ideal weight or have perfect skin, yet we can still get great benefit from this procedure. The key to being a good candidate is really defined by expectations. If your goals match what the LifeSculpt procedure can achieve, you are a good candidate.
If you are considering the LifeSculpt, BodyJet or Naturalfil Fat transfer and think you might be a good candidate, come in for a complimentary consultation so we can evaluate your areas of concern, educate you about what we can realistically achieve and together decide if you are a “good candidate” for one of these procedures.