Sponsored by Hironic
For busy consumers, saving time is an attractive concept, and I am no exception. When I shop, I find features that can save me time to be a plus. My body conscious patients are no different.
In today’s aesthetic market, the number of patients looking for no-downtime methods to lose fat is steadily increasing. While liposuction is the most conventional approach to body contouring, it often involves post-operative recovery, which means precious time lost. In addition, risks are high. Enter SLIMUS, a non-surgical, non-invasive technology from Hironic (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea), that gets the job done much more quickly.
SLIMUS (Slim Our Body) is a Laser Vibration Alliance Technology (LVAT) system that features a 1060 nm diode laser with vibration mode. The laser energy precisely penetrates down to the fat cells residing under our skin. The level of moisture loss and dermis damage caused by absorption of the laser application is low, making it an ideal way to deliver energy to subcutaneous fat. In addition, the melanin absorption level is also low, meaning it can be safely applied regardless of skin color.
Lipolysis via application of the 1060 nm laser is most effective at temperatures between 42° to 47° C. SLIMUS maintains an ideal temperature during treatment to accelerate structural integrity damage of fat. The unique thing about LVAT is that it does not rely solely on a laser to eliminate the fat – it also utilizes vibration. Introducing vibration (vibration mode) after weakening the cell structure allows more impact. The operator can choose from three vibration modes based on skin and fat layer thickness of the target area for individual patients, to minimize any discomfort during treatment. The vibration mode can effectively produce visible changes sooner. These disrupted fat cells break down into smaller sizes, allowing your body to quickly remove them from the system through the mechanism of macrophage activation.
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Since SLIMUS is a non-invasive technology, patients do not need to set aside a lot of time for recovery. For instance, the belt-type laser applicator leaves no bruises or red marks on the skin – common from suction type applicators – and there is no significant difference before or after treatment in terms of what you can wear and/or do. SLIMUS also supports multiple applicators to allow more coverage and flexibility.
A typical treatment takes just 25 minutes at 1.2 W. Considering that other non-surgical treatments available usually take 60 minutes, this is a significant time savings. In other words, you can have lunch, get treatment and go back to your office with less fat.
In addition, it is possible to have two 25-minute sessions in succession unless you are particularly sensitive. Undergoing two sessions can cover eight spots over 50 minutes within a single day. It is still less than an hour and patients have greater satisfaction.
SLIMUS satisfies both patients and doctors, offering a safe way to induce adipocyte destruction with damaged fat cells subsequently cleared by immune responses, and decreasing the volume of adipose tissue. The potential of this technology is huge. I feel that continued exploration and discussions will further establish many more exciting applications in the future.
Hong Seok Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
Specializing in dermatology, Dr. Kim is the former head of the Dermatology Department at
Jeju Welfare Hospital, former director of Jeju Nohyeong Areumdaun Dermatology Hospital and
consultant dermatologist at NAVER Jisick-IN. He is a member of the Korean Dermatological
Association, The Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology, The Korean Society for
Dermatologic Surgery, The Korean Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, The Korean Society for
Psoriasis, and The Korean Society for Acne Research.
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