The joy of childbirth is often tempered by the distress brought about the changes which occured to your body.
One of the main complaints is over changes to the stomach area. Often this includes stratch marks, bloating and sagging skin.
More than half of new mothers who were surveyed for a parenting magazine said they were unhappy with their shape after giving birth.
So it’s not surprising that shelves at clinics and chemists heave with non-surgical treatments that claim to rid women of their post-pregnancy bellies.
But do any of them work?
The Daily Mail did a test of a range of products and here is what they reported.
THE TREATMENT
Lipocryolysis.From £650 per area. aestheticmedicontour.com
THE CLAIM
Dubbed ‘The Paris Freeze’, in this non-invasive procedure ‘fat is rapidly cooled until the fat cells crystallise, which permanently destroys up to a third’.
A device is positioned around the target area, which creates a vacuum effect. The treatment takes 25-45 minutes per area. Up to six weeks later, the makers say that patients notice a visible and lasting difference.
EXPERT VERDICT
Dr Ross Perry, of www.cosmedics.co.uk and an expert in non-surgical treatment, says: ‘Freezing is a novel approach and one that has approval from the FDA [the American regulatory body] for getting rid of fat.
‘It is one of the few methods that actually does work. The low temperature kills fat cells but does not damage the skin.’
THE TREATMENT
Pupa Intensive Shaping Abdomen Treatment. £38 for 250ml. urbanretreat.co.uk
THE CLAIM
At-home treatment cream that makers claim supplies the skin with oxygen to ‘help restore energy’ to the fatty tissues, ‘aiding activation of the lipid metabolism and circulation which in turn boosts its detoxifying capabilities . . . to reduce fatty deposits and leave the skin looking younger’. Users should apply the cream in upward strokes on the stomach.
EXPERT VERDICT
‘Any cream being massaged on to the skin may appear to give a small lymphatic shift and therefore may make the user feel as if they have a tiny amount of fat, but the effect won’t even last a day,’ says Dr Perry.
‘Fat is a natural structure between the skin and the muscles and only diet and exercise, freezing, radio frequency, ultrasound or surgery can reduce it.’
THE TREATMENT
Slendertone Flex Female. From £49.99 to £149.99. slendertone.com
THE CLAIM
Worn under the clothes, Slendertone, the couch potato’s exercise machine, uses electronic muscles stimulation to mimic the body’s natural muscle movements and therefore strengthen them without you having to move.
Gel pads are attached to the body and an electronic signal passes through them, switching on the nerves that control your muscles and causing them to contract naturally.
EXPERT VERDICT
‘These machines are great for the right patient,’ says Dr Jain. ‘I used to recommend one after liposuction as they improve muscle tone.
‘You can be skinny, yet flabby and untoned – something many mummy tummy sufferers will relate to. If your abdominal muscles are tighter, your stomach will look better. What this won’t do though is get rid of fat.’
Consultant cosmetic surgeon Patrick Mallucci adds: ‘Doing some sit-ups would be far cheaper and much better for you.’
THE TREATMENT
Strawberry Laser Lipo. £175 per session. Eight are recommended. www.strawberry-laser.com
THE CLAIM
Billed as pain-free and non-invasive, this state-of-the-art laser system claims to ‘melt fat’ from the stomach area.
Rectangular laser paddles are strapped to the stomach with an elasticated band and the cold red laser beams penetrate the skin just deep enough to reach the layers of fat. When the light hits the fat cells, the makers claim they shed their content (oil) and reduce in size.
EXPERT VERDICT
‘This sounds a bit far-fetched,’ says Dr Perry. ‘Red light can penetrate the skin and is used for acne treatments. It can also have a rejuvenating effect on the skin so the tone might appear firmer, but it won’t be as a result of fat loss.
‘I do not know of any scientific papers or research to say it reduces fat cells.’
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