Body sculpting made easy

These days, there’s an enormous pressure to be thin, which gives way to eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia. Just look what happened to Mary Kate Olsen, Victoria Beckham and Calista Flockhart. Truth is, being thin does not mean one is in. I think changing your lifestyle – eating healthy and exercising – is definitely way cooler.

However, keeping fit is not enough. Deep inside your body lurks cottage cheese-like fat cells. Eww, huh? Cellulite is what women dread the most because it is difficult to lose – and it is yucky. Just squeeze your thighs and you will know what I mean about the dimpled, orange-peel effect found on the lower part of the torso.

Now, there are a lot of treatments to remove excess fat and cellulite. Liposuction is a popular way to do so. This surgery sucks out body fat. But expect bruising, slow recovery and sagging skin. Mesotherapy, on the other hand, makes use of multiple micro-injections into the skin to target deeper scarred areas of cellulite. If you have tomophobia (fear of surgical operations) or trypanophobia (fear of injections), try something else.

After decades of research and over 40 years of experience, Guinot Institut Paris introduces Techni-Spa, a non-invasive treatment that gets rid of cellulite while firming and toning the body at the same time. This is perfect for women who are worried about cellulite, water-retention and excess fat.

It has been proven that lymphatic drainage is an effective way to treat cellulite, and Techni-Spa provides regulated and consistent machine-based lymphatic drainage, which is far more effective and reliable than manual massage. With just 12 sessions, the Techni-Spa contours the body by tightening sagging skin on problem areas such as the abdomen, back, buttocks, arms, thighs, and legs.

Sandrine Carliez, Guinot Institut international training manager, says, "Techni-Spa is a complete slimming treatment because not only do we break down the cellulite but also dissolve and drain them from the body." We get these dreadful orange-peel dimples if toxins are stored in the body. She adds that Techni-Spa boosts the elimination of toxins to remove cellulite.

There are two treatments, depending what you are looking for. The lipo-dermo-sculpting is a simultaneous combination of three body-contouring actions: massage, ionization and stimulation. Slimming, in other words. The other is super-stimulation treatment – in-depth muscle stimulation with a firming and contouring effect. Both treatments last for more than an hour.

Since I do not exercise and have a lot of cellulite, I tried the lipo-dermo-sculpting treatment. A starter contouring lotion was applied on the problem parts of my body like my calves, inner thighs, buttocks, abdomen, back and arms to exfoliate dead skin cells. Then an ionizing gel was massaged into my skin, making way for the "sculptor," a device with massage rollers and a vacuum chamber.

Mind you, the galvanic current helps the gel’s anti-cellulite ingredients (including caffeine, boldo tree, maté, horse chestnut, and red vine extracts, as well as lipo-reductine complex) penetrate more readily.

"In the cosmetic industry, we use caffeine because it has a fat-burning effect," explains Carliez. This ensures lymphatic drainage to break down cellulite.

The second body-contouring action was the ionization process. Guinot’s Age Logic Silhouette lotion was massaged on my body to refine stubborn cellulite. The active ingredients work at the cellular level to dissolve cellulite and firm/lift skin. After an hour of electric currents and massage, I felt so relaxed. Thankfully, the treatment didn’t have side effects like prickling, itching, redness or bruising.

The last step was stimulation. The Intensive Contouring Care with lipokinases or the slimming and toning gel was massaged on my skin. The stimulation of muscles drains fat deposits, firms tissues and stimulates oxygen flow to the blood, while an alternating micro-current transmitted through the rollers stimulates muscle contractions, resulting in a firmer, more toned appearance.

The other treatment is the Super Stimulation Firming, which concentrates on muscle tone. The rollers stimulate muscles on three different levels to boost microcirculation, burn calories and firm tissues. Active ingredients within the ionization gel applied prior to electro-stimulation include hazelnut, malt, sage, and wheat germ extracts, and vitamin C. These help boost collagen production, firm tissue and tone the epidermis.

After the treatment, you can expect to lose centimeters or go down a size, but it depends on the client. The skin feels smoother, finer and the orange-peel appearance is generally minimized. "An effectiveness test conducted in the Metrology Dep-artment of R and D Laboratory showed a 35 percent increase in thigh skin firmness and a reduction of 3.4 cm. in the measurement of thigh circumference after 12 treatments," Carliez adds.

So, how often do you need to go for Techni-Spa? Since there are 12 treatments, the idea is to schedule it twice or thrice a week. For maintenance, once a month should be enough. However, while doing Techni-Spa, it is necessary to watch what you are eating. If you are eating a lot of fat and sugar, they will be stored in the body. Also, drink a lot of water to eliminate toxins. "We also recommend exercise – at least try to walk 30 minutes a day to burn calories," concludes Carliez.

Say goodbye to cellulite and hello to a well-contoured body.

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Guinot’s Techni-Spa body contour treatment is available at the Guinot Institut at 6750 Retail Arcade, Makati (816-3952) and at the fifth floor of Wellness Zone, Shangri-La Mall, EDSA (635-4538).