You've been hitting the gym and eating right, but some areas of your body just won't cooperate. Whether it's a stubborn bulge around the midsection or skin that's lost its youthful snap, it's frustrating when your hard work doesn't show the way you want it to.
If you're looking for a way to refine your figure without the downtime of surgery, our team can help. Choosing the right body sculpting option depends on whether your primary concern is excess fat or loose skin, called laxity.
At Carl N. Williams, Jr. M.D. Hand and Plastic Surgery, we understand that every body is unique. We offer advanced, nonsurgical options to help you cross the finish line of your fitness journey. Two of our most popular treatments are ThermiSmooth® and SculpSure®, but they do very different things for your physique.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS, 2024), reports that interest in noninvasive fat reduction has shifted recently, with many patients moving toward treatments that offer predictable, safe results without the risks associated with older fat-freezing methods. Here, learn the difference between SculpSure and ThermiSmooth for reaching your body goals.
The first step is identifying exactly what you're trying to change. A simple way to tell the difference is the pinch test. If you can physically grab and pinch a thick roll of tissue on your body, you're likely dealing with subcutaneous fat. If the tissue feels thin, crepey, or wrinkled when you move, your main concern is probably skin laxity.
It's common to have a bit of both, which is why body sculpting aesthetics often involves a combination of technologies. We look at your body as a whole to determine if you need to melt fat, tighten skin, or both.
SculpSure is a laser-based treatment designed specifically to destroy fat cells. It uses a 1060nm diode laser to heat fat cells under the skin without damaging the skin’s surface. This heat triggers apoptosis — programmed cell death — a natural process where the body identifies the damaged fat cells and clears them away through the lymphatic system over about 12 weeks.
This method is highly effective for patients already near their goal weight. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS, 2024) notes that the best candidates for noninvasive fat removal are individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or lower who have specific areas on their body that resist contouring with diet and exercise.
Because SculpSure uses heat rather than extreme cold, it avoids the rare but serious risk of fat cells hardening or expanding defensively.
If your goal isn't to lose volume but to smooth out crepey or sagging skin, ThermiSmooth is the better choice. This treatment uses radiofrequency (RF) energy to gently heat the deeper layers of your skin. The heat encourages your body to produce new collagen, the protein responsible for keeping your skin firm and tight.
ThermiSmooth is excellent for delicate areas like the face, neck, or even above the knees. Patients report that it feels like a warm stone massage, and it requires no downtime after treatment.
While SculpSure removes the "stuffing" from the pillow, ThermiSmooth irons out the "pillowcase" to ensure everything looks sleek and toned.
You don't have to guess which treatment is right for you. Whether you're looking for a single session or a multimodal approach that stacks these technologies, we want you to feel confident in your results. Our team is here to help you design a plan that fits your lifestyle and your anatomy.
Ready to see what's possible with SculpSure and ThermiSmooth? Contact our office in Las Vegas, Nevada, today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Williams and our team. We'll help you decide which path is right for your body goals.
