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When you're on your way to a relaxing spa treatment, you might notice that there are a few treatments out there that promise to actually help you lose weight in a non-invasive spa-like treatment. Is it too good to be true?
It's hard to give an exact yes or no, but we have all the facts so you can make your own decision.
Here are some of the most popular treatments out there today.
CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting, or Cryolipolysis, is a non-surgical contouring treatment that promises to freeze stubborn fat, which then is naturally eliminated from your body. It's safe, FDA-cleared, and requires no needles or downtime. For an average of $1,700 a session, you'll leave an hour later looking the same, but with dying fat cells that could help make you 20 percent trimmer two months down the road.
Vela Shape II
According to Shape Magazine, "This is a massage paired with radiofrequency and infrared light that shrinks fat from your buns, thighs, upper arms, and abs." For 300 to 600 dollars (depending on the area of the body you want to focus on), you can "lose" almost an inch from each region in just 20 to 40 minutes, with results that reportedly last up to three months.
Slimming Body Wrap
This is definitely the most relaxing and spa-like treatment out there. "Although the service varies from spa to spa, body wraps are often done in a darkened room with flickering candles, soft music, and a massage table," says Stephanie Carney, a massage therapist at rA Organic Spa in Burbank, CA. You're wrapped up in mineral-soaked cloths before you're covered in a heated blanket. It promises to help you lose six to 20 inches from various body measurements in your first $200-plus, one-hour wrap. There is a huge catch though: you will get especially dehydrated after this treatment, so be sure to drink up afterward!
Do they actually work?
"Quick-fix spa methods, like laser and heat therapy, are appealing to people because they see fast results without much effort," says Alissa Rumsey, R.D., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They're also much less invasive than, say, liposuction or gastric bypass surgery. "On the surface, they seem much easier than changing eating and exercising behaviors."
Key phrase: "on the surface." There are a lot of factors that go into the effectiveness of it all. "Long-term results are up to the individual," says Rumsey. "In order to maintain that new shape, you need to eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly."
If you don't, you might find yourself quickly gaining the weight back. "My biggest qualm with these spa treatments is that they do nothing to help change behavior, which is the key to long-term weight loss success," says Rumsey. "These treatments can fool people into thinking that they don’t need to make any lifestyle changes in order to lose weight."
Bottom line: if this sounds like an appealing way to jump-start your weight loss regimen, go for it! A word of warning, though: "Women should take caution with high heat and excessive sweating as it can pose a risk for dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and even stress the heart," says Nicole Silber, R.D., of Middleberg Nutrition. "While the laser treatments may remove some of the fat tissue, without eating right the fat tissue is bound to return."
What do you think about all this? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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