WHAT IS TRUSCULPT 3D?

When you’ve already eaten well and exercised hard, but still frustrated by the fat around the areas on your body that you just can’t get rid of. For decades, men and women have struggled with stubborn body fat that can hardly be removed through diet and exercise. Before, the main treatment option commonly considered to remove stubborn fat was through liposuction. This technology was used to remove fat from areas of the body including the abdomen, upper arms, buttocks, calves, ankles, chest, back, hips, thighs, chin, neck, and sometimes for the breast. Unfortunately, this came with a number of risks. A lot of preparations were needed to be taken and possible complications were needed to be considered before the treatment is performed. Because of this, a lot of different fat reduction technologies have been already been innovated to provide alternatives for liposuction. While fat reduction technologies come as invasive and non-invasive and the number of possible treatment options are increasing, the decision on which type of body treatment option is best is becoming quite challenging. Dermatologists prefer more the non-invasive approach since it does not require the breaking of the skin and destruction of healthy tissues. This brings treatment systems such as fat cell freezing CoolSculpting, light-based SculpSure, and laser-based Zerona into the table. These mentioned treatments are performed through a different mechanism in order to achieve the same objective of rupturing stubborn fat cells. However, some of these treatments may result to the damage of fat cells through excessive cooling and heating. 

On May 16, 2017, Cutera, Inc., a leading innovator of laser, light, and energy-based aesthetic technology, introduced an advanced version of their TruSculpt platform into the non-surgical body sculpting market, the TruSculpt 3D. The product was mainly sold in Canada and in the U.S. in 2017 until its market was extended to a broader international customer base in 2018 where it reached its full global launching.  

TruSculpt 3D is one of the latest innovation in body shaping which involves the sculpting and contouring of the body through monopolar, high-powered RF system (radio frequency) to apply heat energy to a targeted area in the skin and reduce fat cells beneath it. It is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use for abdomen and flank circumferential reduction. The product is designed to perform deep tissue heating treatment to all body areas. Unlike other radio frequency systems that get excessively hot or cold and cause discomfort, the truSculpt 3D process can give a satisfying result of up to 24% fat reduction on the single treatment basis without any discomfort and visual downtime felt by the patient. Together with the product comes a 40cm2 two-hand pieces for large body parts application and also a 16cm2 hand piece used for smaller body parts. This hand piece are patented and is designed to deliver uniformly distributed heat to the treated area. The patient’s safety and comfort is also ensured through the successful design of these hand pieces to detect and eliminate potential hot spots that may cause intolerable discomfort to the patient. A 2 MHz energy is delivered to the targeted area which applies uniform heating to the subcutaneous adipose tissue. Prior to TruSculpt 3D, the original platform, TruSculpt, was used to deliver treatment with a lower energy frequency at 1 MHz which was launched way back in August 2012. 

The treatment is done by an aesthetic provided by gliding the TruSculpt 3D applicator into and across the targeted surface of the skin. One treatment session will last for 60 minutes, consisting of four sets of 15–minute treatment given to each body part to be treated and results are more likely to be observed 6 weeks to 3 months peak after the treatment. Prior to the treatment, an in-depth consultation will be done in order to discuss the appropriate areas which the doctor or the practitioner will recommend to treat that will yield the best aesthetic result. During treatment, the patient is rested comfortably throughout the process and will likely to feel a warm sensation on the treated area. For at least 2 minutes, the TruSculpt 3D will reach the optimal therapeutic temperature. This explains the warm sensation as the skin is being treated. A closed-loop temperature feedback mechanism comes as a feature of the TruSculpt 3D which ensures that therapeutic temperatures are reached during each treatment. The 2 MHz radio frequency heating provides the right therapeutic temperature to the skin and contributes to a faster and a more efficient treatment. Due to this gliding protocol, the distribution of radiative heat to a larger are is attained, causing a significant decrease in treatment time and increase in efficacy, in comparison to the previous platform, TruSculpt. A mild discomfort might also be felt but at a manageable level. After the treatment, this area of the treated skin will likely to appear pink or red. A board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City named as Dr. Matthew Schulman recommended TruSculpt 3D stating that the product is able to provide a more consistent result through a safer procedure at a manageable pain level. A person who experienced the technology gave a brief testimony on the procedure and described the sensations felt during the process as “A feeling like a hot stone massage and feels close to being ironed on a very low setting in the final minutes.” In other words, everything that may be felt during the process is truly tolerable. After every treatment, the effects of the TruSculpt 3D application on different body types of different patients are evaluated. Fat thickness is measured through controlled ultrasound and studies on the body’s shape through the help of a 360 degree photography is done in order to attain the best possible clinical evaluation and the results of its application is documented and validated. As of now, clinical results of the technology have shown to be consistent with the rest of non-invasive body sculpting systems. 

Clear results of fat reduction is expected to be observed 1 to 3 months after the treatment. A potential additional side benefit of TruSculpt 3D is the tightening of the treated skin. This phenomenon may occur since radio frequency energy leads to the heating of the skin’s deeper layers along with its primary function of reducing fat. Besides the current approval of FDA on flank and abdomen applications, other doctors also use the product on arms, bra bulges, and the neck. Other benefits may also include reduced circumference, firmer skin appearance, enhanced body shape and improved cellulite appearance. As for the risks and side effects, discussion about these matters will be done by the doctor or the medical provided with the patient as to these may vary depending on the condition of the patient. Nonetheless, risks and side effects ranges from minimal to none. A slight tenderness may be felt but this sensation will likely to go away after a day or two and the patient is good to go whatever he or she wants. Additionally, since the procedure is non-invasive, the patient may resume doing normal activities right after the treatment and no downtime can be experienced or must be observed.  

As for the cost of the treatment, it will depend on the size of the area to be treated and the number of treatment sessions. A result of up to 24% fat reduction may only be attained on a single treatment basis and can be increases through further treatments. This is the reason why doctors and practitioners recommend two separate treatments performed four weeks apart in order to get the best results. Dr. Schulman in New York City charges two treatment sessions for small areas such as the neck at $1,300 and charges two treatment sessions for large areas such as on the abdomen or flanks at $2,400. When budgets are low, approaching other doctors or a TruSculpt 3D practitioner may come in handy. Averagely, a cost of $750 per treated area is charged for initial treatments. Alternatively, CoolSculpting may also be considered in order to obtain the same result of reducing fat at a different procedure. However, the benefit of skin tightening might not be guaranteed. 

While surgical option for fat reduction as the gold standard considered by a lot of people, non-invasive technologies offer a safer and a more aesthetically pleasing result. A wide range of technology from which to choose can be considered and what sets these technologies apart are their differences in the result. Among these choices is the TruSculpt 3D which offers a multi-dimensional approach in body contouring through carrying out fat reduction on small to large areas of the body with a safe level of therapeutic temperature. In comparison to its closest alternatives and competitors, CoolSculpting and SculpSure, TruSculpt 3D’s main advantages lies in the benefit of obtaining a more tightened skin and having minimal downtime after the treatment process. As for the doctors and medical practitioners, the advantages of using hand pieces and shorter treatment time offers more convenience during treatment sessions.