SculpSure for the abdomen and flanks in London

The abdomen and the flanks, the love handles, are the areas SculpSure was cleared for first. Each has its own trial behind its US clearance, and the flanks have the MRI study that gives the "24%" figure people quote. A 25-minute cycle per area, up to four applicators at once, with normal activities straight away. Every treatment is led by Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, at Sculpsure Clinic, 8 Devonshire Place, London, W1G 6HP, with the price in writing at a free consultation.

What the studies measured

• Abdomen, 35 people (the trial behind the 2015 clearance): the fat layer 11.5% thinner at twelve weeks on ultrasound after one treatment.
• Flanks, 49 people (the trial behind the 2015 clearance): the fat layer 13% thinner at twelve weeks after one treatment.
• Flanks, MRI, six people (2017): average fat volume reduction of 24% at three months and 21% at six, an average change in fat volume rather than a share of cells destroyed.
• Satisfaction: 83 to 98% across the body trials, which are the maker's studies.

What it does and does not do

SculpSure reduces the bulge by a measured fraction of its fat layer; it does not remove a large volume of fat, tighten loose skin or repair separated abdominal muscles, and it is not weight loss. The US clearance sets a BMI of 30 or less for the body, and the maker says it is not for people who are obese. For a large bulge liposuction does what no applicator does, and in our practice the doctor says so where it is the better route; for loose skin over the area a tightening treatment is the right conversation.

The session and after

The applicators are fitted over the bulge on a belt, up to four at once, and the cycle runs 25 minutes per area. It feels hot, with contact cooling running throughout; the energy can be adjusted, as it was in the published studies. Red and warm afterwards, then tenderness, swelling or a firm feeling for one to three weeks, with normal activities throughout. The result shows from about six weeks and is best at about twelve, when the trials measured; in our practice we photograph the area again then. The side effects page has the other risks.

Who it suits

In our practice, an adult close to the weight they want with a stubborn bulge on the abdomen or the flanks, a BMI of 30 or less, and the patience for a result that shows over weeks. Your clinician checks your suitability at the consultation, including pregnancy, skin conditions, medicines and previous surgery in the area. The abdomen page and the flanks page take each area on its own, the thighs and back page covers the other body areas, and the full guide the rest.