Hottest Body Sculpting Trends of 2022

Surgical Body Sculpting Options: 

Liposuction (Lipo)

One of the hottest surgical body sculpting procedures remains Liposuction year after year. It’s so popular because it reduces fat in targeted areas. The resulting positive changes stay permanent as long as the patient maintains steady body weight.

How does Liposuction work?

When people gain weight, the size and volume of fat cells increase. Lipo reduces the number of cells in a particular area. Depending upon the volume of fat on-site and the aesthetics of the targeted area, a determination is made of how much fat to remove during the procedure. Lipo can potentially remove up to 10 pounds of fat; however, the risk of complication increases as fat removal increases. As noted, these visible changes can remain permanent with steady bodyweight but if the patient gains weight in the future, the remaining fat cells will grow larger.

What happens during Liposuction?

Lipo is a surgical procedure. It can be performed under general anesthesia, which means the patient is put to sleep during the entire procedure, or local anesthesia, which means the patient is awake. General anesthesia is used when larger volumes of fat are going to be removed. Local anesthesia, which helps numb pain, reduce trauma and bleeding, is used when smaller amounts of fat are going to be removed.

Liposuction is carried out using a hollow, slender tube, called a cannula. A cannula is an instrument that in the case of liposuction, is connected to a vacuum to suction the fat from your body. The cannula enters the targeted area of the body through incisions that were previously cut into the skin. The cannula then loosens the fat through the doctor’s forward and backward motion. While this forward and backward motion is ongoing, the slender tube and suction vacuum out the body’s fat in that area. 

There are risks involved with any surgical procedure. Lipo risks:

• Fluid accumulation
• Infection
• Scarring
• Bruising
• Change in skin sensation that may persist
• Damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Embolism which can lead to stroke and heart attack
• Irregular contours or asymmetries
• Anesthesia risks include such conditions as nausea and vomiting, nerve injury, sore throat, and rarely death

Lipo often has a longer recovery and downtime period than non-invasive and non-surgical body sculpting procedures. It also costs more on average than non-surgical body sculpting procedures.  

Which areas of the body can Liposuction treat?

Liposuction can be used to remove persistent fat from body areas that haven’t responded to diet and exercise, including the:

• Chest and back
• Hips and thighs
• Abdomen
• Buttocks
• Upper arms
• Calves and ankles
• Chin and neck

Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)

Competing with Lipo in the hottest surgical body sculpting race is the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). The Brazilian butt lift is commonly referred to as BBL and is one of the hottest body sculpting trends of 2022. Like Lipo, it can be performed under general or local anesthesia.

How does a BBL work?

A BBL is a butt augmentation procedure that transfers fat from one part of the patient’s body to graft onto their buttocks. The results are long-lasting since the filler used in the BBL is the patient’s own fat.

What happens during a BBL?

During a BBL, fat is initially extracted from the patient through liposuction. The first step is to suction the excess fat cells from the targeted area of the body for them to be injected into the patient’s buttocks. In most procedures, the removed fat is taken from an area the patient identifies as needing fat reduction, such as the lower abdomen, thighs, or hips, so the results improve the overall look of the entire lower body.

The patient’s fat is injected into the tissue to increase the volume and enhance the contouring of the buttocks. Because the fat is derived directly from the patient, there is a lower risk of rejection. 

Because a Brazilian Butt Lift is a surgical procedure, there is a higher level of risk associated with it. It is important to note that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a warning about BBLs, announcing that the mortality rate for this procedure is higher than any other cosmetic surgery. Other risks include:

• Fat embolism – a piece of fat that blocks blood flow, lodged within a blood vessel causing heart attack or stroke
• Lengthy recovery period and downtime. Avoid sitting for two to eight weeks
• Bruising
• Swelling
• Discomfort
• Numbness following the fat transplant 

Which areas of the body can a BBL treat?

Although it may seem that a Brazilian Butt Lift can only treat the buttocks, the fat reduction portion of the procedure impacts other body areas. Through liposuction, fat can be extracted from the abdomen, hips, lower back, and thighs, impacting the overall look of the patient’s body. A fuller and rounder butt is visible within a week of surgery but the end result won’t be visible until full healing is achieved about six months after surgery.

What are the pros and cons of surgical body sculpting?

• Pros (surgical): 
  • Improved appearance
  • Can be used to treat medical issues such as benign fatty tumors, chronic swelling, and lipomas, as well as the removal of excess skin when a person has successfully dropped major amounts of weight
  • Can be used to address problem areas you haven’t been able to correct with traditional methods
  • permanent
• Cons (surgical): 
  • Invasive
  • Requires anesthesia
  • Can be very expensive
  • Recovery time and downtime are required 
  • Increased risk of complications and side effects such as infection, body dysmorphia, scarring, blood clots, bruising, inflammation, poor skin healing causing lumpiness, and other more severe conditions depending upon the surgery

Non-Surgical Body Sculpting Options: 

Emsculpt Neo

One of the hottest non-surgical body sculpting procedures that everyone is talking about is an amazing new treatment called Emsculpt Neo. Emsculpt Neo is an FDA-approved non-invasive procedure that burns fat and builds muscle while tightening the skin. It shrinks stubborn fat, reshapes your body, and transforms it into your dream body, without any downtime. And, all of this happens while you’re reclining during short 30-minute sessions.

How does Emsculpt Neo work?

Emsculpt Neo uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy, HIFEM, to make your muscles contract at a high rate of intensity. Emsculpt Neo contractions are similar to what doing 24,000 crunches would do to your abs or what doing 24,000 squats would do for your glutes! Emsculpt Neo also delivers radiofrequency (RF) energy to the muscles, this heats the muscles as the contractions are happening. This combination results in efficient and effective fat burning. 

What happens during an Emsculpt Neo session?

In an Emsculpt Neo session, your body experiences mock exercise at a level it could never otherwise attain, somewhat tricking your body into physiologically responding as if it really worked out at these levels! While this simulated high rate of exercise is going on through these powerful contractions, Emsculpt Neo also delivers RF heat to the muscles. 

With the muscles contracting at such a high rate without resting, and with the RF heat causing an increase in the supply of blood to the muscles, muscles experience rapid changes at the cellular level. Increased size and strength are the results of this combination. 

Because your body is working overtime to supply all that energy to your muscles as they are contracting and heating, fat burning is completely maxed out. The simulated exercise and stress cause the neighboring fat cells to go through lipolysis – the process where the fat cells break down, release fatty acids and die. These fat cells are then eliminated from your lymphatic system in the days, weeks, and months following your Emsculpt Neo sessions. 

You are left with a body that is leaner, sculpted, and more toned than ever before. 

Which areas of the body can Emsculpt Neo treat?

Emsculpt Neo can be used on all the large muscle groups like the abs and glutes and also on those smaller muscle groups like your upper arms, calves, and thighs. Depending upon your goals, treatments on the gluteus maximus, arms, and calves allow for withholding the RF heat to avoid the loss of volume in those areas that come from the body reducing fat. However, those who want to lose volume in those areas benefit from the addition of RF heat. 

The recommended treatment regimen for Emsculpt Neo is four sessions over the course of two to four weeks, with two to seven days between each session. Because the treatment is like a very intense physical workout, there is usually some muscle fatigue following the treatments, but no downtime. Patients return to normal activities immediately following their Emsculpt Neo session. This treatment continues to work on reducing your fat cells and growing your muscles for up to about four months after the last treatment session. 

CoolSculpting (Cryolipolysis)

CoolSculpting is an FDA-approved, non-invasive body sculpting procedure that uses controlled cooling to freeze fat, eliminating stubborn fat the patient hasn’t been able to eradicate with exercise and diet. One of the benefits of CoolSculpting is that it is a permanent solution as long as the patient maintains a steady weight since fat is eliminated from the body.

How does CoolSculpting work?

CoolSculpting is also known as cryolipolysis. The procedure works by freezing fat cells, killing them, and then breaking them down. The dead fat cells are then flushed out of the body by the liver over the following weeks and months. 

What happens during a CoolSculpting session?

During the hour-long CoolSculpting session, fat is pinched between two paddles that are so cold that it kills fat cells. There is no recovery or downtime required and the patient can return to normal daily activities immediately following the session. However, many patients complain of intense pain while the freezing of the fat procedure is happening. Some patients also report intense bruising.

While every patient has different requirements, most patients see beneficial results after one to three sessions for each target area. It is recommended that before retreating any areas of the body, patients wait at least 60 days. It can take up to 6 months to see visible results.

There are some risks and side effects to be aware of with CoolSculpting. These include pain, redness, body dysmorphia, swelling enlargement of fat (paradoxical adipose hyperplasia), bruising, prolapsed bladder, uterus and rectum, inflammatory colitis, and deep vein thrombosis.

Which areas of the body can CoolSculpting treat?

The best areas for CoolSculpting are: 

• Excess fat underneath the chin, also known as a double chin
• Abdomen
• Flanks, a.k.a.: love-handles
• Back fat
• Thighs, including outer and inner thighs
• Bra-line fat
• Upper arms

What are the pros and cons of non-surgical body sculpting?

• Pros (nonsurgical)
  • Non-invasive
  • Improved appearance
  • Can be used to address problem areas you haven’t been able to correct with traditional methods
  • Little to no downtime is required
• Cons (nonsurgical) 
  • Possible side effects, depending upon the procedure could include redness, itching, bruising, numbness, burning, pain, paradoxical adipose hyperplasia
  • Can be expensive, costs vary
  • Area needs to be large enough to fit into the freezing applicator

Do-It-Yourself (DIY): Strength Training, Squats, Core Strengthening 

The final method on our list of hottest body sculpting trends of 2022 is a DIY approach! It involves putting more focus on your diet, exercise, and overall well-being. The DIY way personally invests you more intimately in your physical fitness journey. Most candidates for any surgical or non-surgical body sculpting activity already focus on diet and exercise and are simply in need of that last bit of help to help them get to the next level. Yet, focusing yourself on taking the initiative to work hard to get there without the help of the other tools will build your confidence! And a confident person already has a beauty about them as he or she transforms their body to reach their fitness, strength, and toning goals.

How can I sculpt my body naturally?

Before you even step inside a gym, it’s important to do an honest assessment of your body sculpting goals. Body sculpting naturally involves numerous physical activities. These include weight training, strength training – including resistance training, but also require good nutrition and cardio activities to help your body burn fat and lose inches. Because there are so many areas to consider, the best way to begin to assess your goals is to simply focus on your overall lifestyle and determine how you can live more healthfully. Lifestyle includes getting good rest, eating healthy, whole foods, and it is important to include mental, spiritual, and emotional health in your assessment. This makes an overall fit and healthy person. Remember, sculpting your body naturally will require patience. This body sculpting trend is not the quick results option!

Which DIY body sculpting exercises work best?

Body sculpting brings many beneficial rewards. Your body will experience increases in both strength and lean muscle mass. You will also get stronger bones and joints. With more muscle mass, you will likely have better burning metabolism and that means you’ll burn calories at a higher rate than before, throughout your day. Some of the best DIY body sculpting exercises are:

Strength Training and Resistance Training. Beginners, do 10 to 15 repetitions and 1 to 2 sets.

• • Bicep Curls, Tricep Extensions
  • Leg Extensions, Leg Curls
  • Push-ups
  • Squats, Lunges
  • Bridge, Planks
  • Sit-ups
  • Lateral raises
  • Military Press
  • Cardio Training.
  • Anything that elevates the heart rate over a period of time such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, sports, etc.
  • Introduce interval training to periodically stress your body

Consistency and patience are key. And, because strength training causes micro-tears in the muscle, rest is crucial. It is recommended that you allow at least 24 hours between each weight training routine. This is how muscles gain strength! Make sure your workout routine doesn’t get old and stale. Work hard to always challenge yourself and perform each exercise correctly to avoid injury.

What parts of the body can DIY body sculpting exercises target?

All of the major muscle groups within the body can be targeted with DIY body sculpting exercises. There is an exercise for meeting all of your fitness goals to help you tone your body and shed those unwanted pounds and inches. Areas of the body that can be targetted:

• Abs
• Arms
• Shoulders – the trapezius and deltoid muscles
• Triceps – the muscles on the backs of the upper arms 
• Biceps
• Chest 
• Glutes and Thighs 
• Calves
• Back
• Belly and flanks (love handles)
• Buttocks
• Neck and chin

These blazing hot body sculpting trends of 2022 include both surgical and non-surgical options as well as some tried and true DIY strength and cardio training! Each option could help you crush your fitness goals, define and trim your body, and strengthen your muscles – delivering your hottest body ever for 2022!