What is body sculpting? How much does it cost?

In modern society, the need for a balanced and firm body is not only about health but also an important factor that affects confidence. However, not everyone is lucky enough to have an ideal body with only diet or exercise. Stubborn fat and loose skin after weight loss or childbirth can become major barriers. This is when body sculpting methods show their role. So, what is body sculpting? This article will give you the full answer.

What is body sculpting?

Body sculpting is an aesthetic method that reshapes, sculpts, and improves the overall contours of the body. This process removes excess fat, tightens loose skin, and firms muscle tissues in different areas to create a more balanced and harmonious figure, especially in stubborn fat areas that diet and exercise cannot reduce such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, arm liposuction, and double chin. Therefore, aesthetic experts note that this method is often applied for people who have reached their ideal weight but still have excess fat and loose skin in certain areas.

Body sculpting methods can be divided into two types: surgical and non-surgical. The details are as follows:

• Surgical body sculpting: Liposuction, tummy tuck.
• Non-surgical body sculpting: Fat-freezing technology, RF radiofrequency, laser, ultrasound, fat-dissolving injections, and more.

The pros and cons of body sculpting

Today, the demand for body sculpting is increasing because this method offers many advantages that help users regain a balanced figure without surgery, strict workouts, or strict dieting. However, body sculpting still has some drawbacks, so before choosing this method, you need to understand its pros and cons as follows:

Non-surgical body sculpting

Pros

• Safe: Non-surgical body sculpting procedures are approved by medical organizations. The process does not require incisions, needles, or general anesthesia. This removes almost all risks of infection and major surgical complications. It is a clear advantage for people who fear pain or have medical conditions that do not allow surgery.
• Fast recovery time: A non-surgical body sculpting session usually takes only 30 minutes to 1 hour. This method is non-invasive, so the body recovers very quickly. Clients can return to daily activities right after the treatment. The process is similar to a short break or a relaxing session and does not interrupt work or daily routines — a big benefit for busy people.
• Precise localized results: This method is designed to sculpt stubborn fat areas that diet or exercise cannot target. Devices are placed precisely on the areas where fat needs to be reduced, such as the hips, lower abdomen, waist, arms, thighs, and double chin, to create more balanced and harmonious body contours.
• Dual benefits: Besides removing fat cells, many technologies also stimulate collagen and elastin production, making the treated skin firmer and reducing looseness and sagging after fat reduction.

Cons

• Limited suitability, not for weight loss: Body sculpting cannot replace surgical fat removal when there is a large amount of excess fat or loose skin to remove. It only removes up to 20%–25% of fat in the treated area. The ideal candidates are people with stable weight, a healthy (or slightly high) BMI, who only need to adjust localized fat areas.
• Slow results and multiple sessions needed: Because fat cells are gradually eliminated through the body’s natural process, results are not immediate like surgical liposuction. This waiting period can last from 1 to 6 months. To achieve the desired outcome, clients usually need 2 to 4 sessions per area, increasing total time and effort.
• Risk of side effects and rare complications: Although safe, body sculpting may cause temporary side effects such as swelling, bruising, mild pain, or prolonged numbness in the treated area. The rarest complication is paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), where fat cells enlarge instead of dying (more common with fat-freezing methods), which may require surgical correction.
• Lifestyle maintenance required: Like any fat reduction method, body sculpting does not prevent fat from accumulating in other areas if the client gains significant weight after treatment. Maintaining results requires a balanced diet and regular exercise.

Surgical body sculpting

Pros

• Drastic and noticeable change: Surgical body sculpting can remove a large amount of fat and excess skin, creating firm and slim body contours immediately. It is especially effective for people who have lost significant weight.
• Permanent results: Once fat cells are removed, they do not regenerate. If weight is maintained and a healthy diet is followed, the results can be permanent.
• Solves loose and excess skin: For people who have lost a lot of weight, excess skin is a major issue. This skin affects appearance and can cause physical problems such as rashes, irritation, skin infections, and restricted movement. Surgical body sculpting is the only effective way to remove this loose skin.
• One-time procedure: Surgical body sculpting is performed only once. Therefore, clients save more time compared to non-invasive body sculpting methods.

Cons

• Results are not immediate: After surgery, the treated area usually needs several weeks to months to recover, so immediate results are not possible.
• Scarring: Most surgical procedures leave scars. Depending on the technique, scars can be long or short. These scars need time to fade. To speed up healing, clients must carefully care for the treated area.
• Surgical risks and side effects: Surgical body sculpting is a major surgery and carries potential risks such as infection, anesthesia complications, fluid accumulation, or blood clots. However, these risks are minimized when the procedure is performed at a reputable clinic with experienced surgeons.
• Pain: After surgery, when anesthesia wears off, the treated area may feel sore, bruised, and swollen. During this period, surgeons prescribe painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications.
• High cost: Surgical body sculpting is usually not covered by health insurance. The cost varies greatly depending on the type of surgery and the number of treated areas.

How much is body sculpting?

The cost of body sculpting services in Vietnam varies greatly, depending on factors such as the method, technology used, number of treatment areas, and the reputation of the clinic.

Non-surgical body sculpting on the market ranges from 2,000,000 to 15,000,000 VND per session, depending on the method used. For surgical body sculpting methods, such as liposuction, costs can range from 15,000,000 to 125,000,000 VND or even higher.

These prices are for reference only at the current time and may change according to each clinic’s policy. You should consult directly with a specialist surgeon at a reputable hospital to get an accurate quote suitable for your body condition.

How long does body sculpting last?

Usually, the duration of body sculpting results depends on the method used. In general, results can last for several years, and even permanently if you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

For surgical body sculpting methods, such as liposuction, tummy tuck, or full-body lift, the procedure can take 3–5 hours, but the results last long, potentially up to 10 years or permanently. In contrast, non-surgical body sculpting methods (fat-freezing, ultrasound, fat-dissolving injections) take only 1–2 hours, but the results are temporary, lasting 1–5 years.

This duration can vary depending on lifestyle, diet, and exercise. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps ensure that the results last longer and remain stable after the procedure.

What is the recovery time after body contouring?

The recovery time after body sculpting depends largely on the method chosen and the level of invasiveness. For surgical body sculpting, basic recovery usually takes 2–4 weeks, but full recovery, including scar fading, can take 6 months to 1 year.

In contrast, for non-invasive body sculpting, recovery usually takes only 1–2 weeks. During this period, careful aftercare is needed to help the treated area heal quickly and prevent unwanted complications.

Notes after body sculpting

After body sculpting, caring for the treated area is very important as it determines the success and aesthetic results. You should carefully follow these instructions to ensure safety and prevent unwanted risks:

• Keep the incision dry and clean. Change dressings and clean with antiseptic solution as directed by your surgeon.
• Avoid direct contact with water on the incision during the first days until permitted.
• Wear a compression garment nearly 24/7 for the first 4–8 weeks, depending on the level of surgery.
• Rest during the first 1–2 weeks.
• Only perform light movement or walking after 1–2 days to promote circulation and prevent blood clots.
• Do not lift heavy objects for 6–8 weeks. Avoid strenuous activities, sit-ups, or high-intensity exercise until your surgeon allows it.
• Keep a slightly bent posture during the first 1–2 weeks to avoid stretching the incision.
• Placing a pillow under your legs while sleeping can help reduce tension on the wound.
• Include foods that promote wound healing in your diet, such as green vegetables, fruits, carrots, pumpkin, lean pork, fish, tofu, and nuts.
• Drink plenty of water and fruit juice to prevent dehydration.
• Eat soft foods like porridge or soup during the first few days while your body is still weak.
• Avoid foods that may cause scarring, pus, or dark marks, such as water spinach, beef, chicken, glutinous rice, seafood, eggs, spicy foods, fatty foods, fast food, and stimulants.
• Take antibiotics, painkillers, and anti-inflammatory medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop medication on your own.
• Start applying scar cream only after the wound has dried, formed a scab, or after stitches are removed, following your surgeon’s instructions.

Body sculpting before and after photos

To better visualize the changes in the body after body sculpting, you can refer to some before and after body sculpting photos as follows:

Based on the information shared about body sculpting, readers should now have a clearer understanding of this aesthetic method. It is an effective way to regain a desirable figure and maintain it permanently, but it carries many risks if not performed at a reputable clinic. Therefore, you should carefully choose a trusted clinic or hospital with experienced surgeons to ensure the best aesthetic results and avoid unwanted risks.