Accent RF Body Contouring
Questions and Answers
- What is body contouring?
- What can be done for localized fat deposits?
- How does Accent work?
- Don't you also have the UltraShape? Why do you have two machines for doing body contouring?
- What areas can be treated?
- Who is a good candidate for body contouring?
- How are treatments done?
- How long do sessions take?
- How much does body contouring hurt?
- What can I expect following therapy?
- How long does it take to see results, and how many treatments will be required?
- Are maintenance sessions required?
- What are the risks of body contouring?
- How should I care for my skin following treatment?
- What can I do to help the process?
- How do I book a treatment?
- What is your cancellation policy?
What is body contouring?
Body contouring refers to techniques that reduces the size of areas of localized fat. These are areas where your body prefers to store fat.
In women, these areas are usually below the waist (hips and inner thighs) where there are six times as many receptors telling fat cells to hold on to fat as there are in cells above the waist. In men, the opposite is true. They tend to store fat above the waist ("beer bellies" and love handles).These deposits of fat are more resistant to diet and exercise (because of the number of receptors).
Body contouring is not a weight-loss technique. It works best in people who are at or near their ideal body weight. Results are measured in inches not pounds.
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What can be done for localized fat deposits?
Liposuction is still the best method available for the treatment of localized fat deposits. Unfortunately, it is invasive, involves downtime, leaves scars, and can result in uneven, rippled fat.
Mesotherapy uses injections (a lot of them) to melt fat. It works well for some people, but results are quite unpredictable, and people who don't like needles are not good candidates. Although there is no real downtime, the treated area stings for a few hours following every treatment. There can be a lot of bruising, and infection is a risk.
In 2006, a new device became available in Canada that can melt fat painlessly and harmlessly. It is non-invasive and treatments involve no downtime. This device is called the Accent. This device melts fat using a new patented method (unipolar) of applying radio waves.
How does Accent work?
The Accent device applies an intense field of radio waves through a hand piece that is held directly on the skin.
These radio waves induce a small amount of electrical current in the tissue. This current flows freely through blood and muscles, and it has no effect. Fat resists the flow of electricity, and this creates heat.
The fat is heated to between 40C and 45C, injuring and shrinking fat cells. The fat that is released is metabolized or redistributed.
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Don't you also have the UltraShape? Why do you have two machines for doing body contouring?
These two devices are different in several ways.
Ultrashape only treats fat. Accent treats fat and tightens skin. And this makes the Accent great at treating cellulite. The Ultrashape doesn't help cellulite.
Ultrashape can only be used on fat that is about an inch thick and thicker. Accent can treat fat of any thickness.
UltraShape is much faster at fat melting than the Accent. It takes about four Accent treatments to equal one UltraShape treatment. This makes the UltraShape better for thick fat and larger areas.
The Accent can treat small areas like double chins and jowls. The UltraShape hand peice is too bulky to treat these areas.
You can start with the UltraShape for quick results in thick fat, then switch to Accent once the fat is too thin for the UltraShape. Then you can finish off with the Accent for some skin tightening over the area of fat loss. Having both devices is a big plus! We know of only one other clinic in all of Ontario that has both devices.
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What areas can be treated?
The Accent hand piece is small so it can be used to treat any area of localized fat. This includes love handles, saddle bags, tummies, inner thighs, double chins, jowls, and virtually any other area you want to treat. We will not treat over the thyroid, near the eyes, or over the heart.
Most treatments are done on tummies, love handles, saddle bags, and inner thighs.
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Who is a good candidate for body contouring?
The ideal candidate is at or close to his or her ideal body weight, eats well, and is active. As a general guideline, we will treat people up to, and occasionally beyond, 40 pounds over their ideal weight.
People with pacemakers cannot be treated with the Accent. The induced electrical current can shut down the pacemaker.
In people with implanted metals such as plates and rods, the Accent can induce electrical current in the metal. This is not harmful, but it could be painful.
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How are treatments done?
The Accent requires no preparation. A light coating of mineral oil is applied to the skin. The Accent hand piece is applied to the skin. The technician starts to move the hand piece around in lines and circles over the area to be treated and energy is applied for about 30 seconds while the movement continues. During this time a gentle warming sensation will begin. The temperature is measured by a laser thermometer after each thirty second period. When the target temperature is reached (10-15 degrees above normal skin temperature), several more thirty second passes are made over the area. It takes about 30 minutes to cover an area about the size of two handprints. Love handles would take about 30 minutes. Tummies would take 30-60 minutes to treat.
How long do sessions take?
Accent sessions are 30 to 60 minutes.
How much does body contouring hurt?
Accent therapy is almost painless. All you feel is warmth and the massage of the moving hand piece. There is also no sound. Occasionally, the treated area heats up more quickly than expected and you might feel a brief hot sensation. At its very worst you might experience one or two moments per treatment when you get a shot of pain something like picking up a hot mug of coffee. Just like the coffee mug, it hurts for a second, but there is no skin injury.
What can I expect following therapy?
Your skin will be red for an hour or two, and that’s all. Imagine putting a hot water bottle on your tummy for a while. It will cause redness that will resolve quite quickly. There is no specific after-care, but you are encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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How long does it take to see results, and how many treatments will be required?
With the Accent, about 50% of people can see a change after the third session. Results might be noticeable within two weeks of the first treatment, but this varies from person to person. Most commonly Accent requires 4-6 sessions for body contouring, but it may require as many as 10 sessions to achieve the desired result.
Are maintenance sessions required?
Generally, no.
You stopped making new fat cells at puberty. If you gain perhaps 30 pounds or more, your body will make new fat cells, and you might get those localized fat deposits back.
Just maintain a reasonable weight, and your results will be long-lasting.
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What are the risks of body contouring?
Virtually nothing.
Since its introduction to the world in 2004, there have been no reports of injuries from the Accent.
The Accent uses radio waves. These waves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. They are way beyond visible light and beyond infrared light and microwaves. They are harmless. They are bombarding all of us every day from the sun and from every radio station within listening distance.
It is possible to cause some pain if your tissue heats up too far, but heating is gradual, and there is lots of warning that you are getting too warm. Burns are virtually impossible. If the Accent hand piece loses contact with the skin while the energy is flowing, it can cause a sparking sensation that hurts a bit, but this will not create a burn. The design of the hand piece makes "sparking" extremely unlikely.
How should I care for my skin following treatment?
There are no special skin care requirements following your treatment. You just wipe the mineral oil off and away you go. There is absolutely no downtime following Accent treatments.
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What can I do to help the process?
Stay active and eat a low carbohydrate diet.
During treatment, fat is released from cells. This fat is slowly taken up by lymphatic system and ends up in the blood stream. The fat that is taken into the bloodstream is available for energy. If it is not used, it will be put into storage by being evenly distributed to all the fat cells of your body.
Rather than storing it, why not burn it up? If you are eating fewer carbs, your body will look for another energy source, namely fat. If you are active every day, the mobilized fat will be used for energy.
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How do I book a treatment?
Call (905) 726-1126 or click here!
What is your cancellation policy?
We require 48 hours notice for canellation of your consultation or treatment, in order to fill the appointment time.
If sufficient notice is not given, the full value of the treatment to be done may be charged, with the minimum charge being $100 (one hundred dollars) for Accent treatments.
