Different Types of Fat – Subcutaneous vs. Visceral
Did you know that all fat is not created equal? The average person typically views fat as a single type of tissue. In reality there are two very distinct types of fat that react differently to diet, exercise, and popular cosmetic treatments.
Subcutaneous Fat
Subcutaneous fat is located right under the skin. This is the type of fat that is pinchable, it can be measured through skin fold calipers to determine body fat levels.
While subcutaneous fat does not cause detrimental health issues like visceral fat can (described below), excess subcutaneous fat tissue causes undesirable conditions such as saggy belly buttons, abdominal pouches, and love handles. Subcutaneous fat is not as responsive to a good diet and exercise and, as such, even healthy men and women who work out regularly and eat well struggle to lose this type of fat.
There are some effective cosmetic options that can eliminate subcutaneous fat:
- CoolSculpting: A non-surgical procedure that uses controlled cooling to eliminate fat cells without damaging surrounding tissue. It literally freezes the fat away. The procedure is non-invasive and requires no recovery time.
- UltraShape: The first and only FDA cleared procedure for non-invasive fat reduction using focused ultrasound energy. UltraShape emits waves of focused, pulsed ultrasonic energy to disrupt fat cell membranes. Destroyed fat cells are later eliminated by the body’s natural processes.
- Liposuction: Also known as lipoplasty, liposuction removes subcutaneous fat cells from the body. It is designed for those who have specific areas of localized fat deposits and who have tried unsuccessfully to eliminate them through diet, exercise and weight loss. Fat can be removed from many specific areas of the body including the stomach, buttocks, thighs, arms, and neck.
- SmartLipo: Next generation laser assisted liposuction procedure that eliminates localized subcutaneous fat. SmartLipo uses a very small cannula (tube) containing a laser fiber is inserted into the skin. The cannula delivers the laser energy directly to the fat cells, causing them to rupture and easily drain away. Tumescent liposuction then removes fat cells from the body.
Visceral Fat
Visceral fat (sometimes referred to as “deep” fat) grows around the inner abdominal organs like the stomach and liver. This type of fat is associated with various serious health issues including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes (visceral fat is suspected to be the biggest factor in the development of insulin resistance).
Shedding visceral fat can dramatically lower blood pressure, provide more favorable cholesterol levels, and improve your overall health. Visceral fat is highly responsive to diet and exercise.
Basic Exercise Tips
- Get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity daily
- Strength Training (weight lifting) is proven to accelerate visceral fat loss
- Isolation exercising (spot exercising) can tighten area muscles but will not reduce visceral fat
Basic Diet Tips
- Pay attention to portion size
- Eat complex carbohydrates like vegetables and whole grains over simple carbohydrates like white bread and pasta
- Replace sugary or calorie filled drinks with water
- Reduce saturated and trans fats intake
Kelly Wala is a Registered Nurse with a Baccalaureate Degree of Science in Nursing from Eastern Kentucky University. As an Aesthetic Nurse Specialist for the past 10 years Kelly specialized in a full complement of non-surgical aesthetic services such as facial injectables, laser and light therapy, body contouring, and skin care. Kelly was the first in Texas to perform the Injectable Threadlift. Kelly is a Faculty trainer for Allergan Facial Aesthetics and Coolsculpting as well as a Faculty trainer for Galderma Facial Aesthetics and Sculptra. Aesthetics
To the average person, fat is fat, but there are actually several types of fat that each serve different functions. Some fat is good while some is bad. It’s best to consult with an experienced doctor on what procedures will work best for you.
Thank you for blogging 🙂
Thanks for posting! 🙂
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Great post!
This is a really nice and helpful piece, thank you for taking the time to write this!
Great post by the way
Very interesting to hear that there are different types of fat. I’ve never thought about it like that
What if you dont want any fat lol
I am really interested in both these procedures, but they are very costly. Will there be any specials or price reductions before the June 2017?
Sharon
Hi Sharon, we will actually be having our semi-annual event next month, which will feature special pricing on both procedures. Please check our specials page early next month: https://www.westlakedermatology.com/specials/.
Thanks,
WD Staff