There’s just one problem. While those in the Northern Hemisphere can gobble pudding to their heart’s content and hide a bloated belly under bulky jumpers and coats, here in Oz all that festive feasting comes at the exact same time we’re expected to bare a beach body. It’s not fair!

With this in mind, we were invited to trial the Med Contour MC1, a non-invasive cosmetic procedure that claims to ‘melt’ fat cells and leave your stomach, butt or thighs looking smoother and smaller. How could we resist? The bikini draw is calling, after all…

How it works

The Med Contour MC1 uses ultrasound technology to target unwanted fat directly underneath the skin.  As the therapist moves the handpiece (it’s similar to other ultrasound machines but with two plates for added intensity) over a part of the body, the ultrasound treatment breaks the membranes of the fat cells and the fat cells burst.

The content of the fat cells are transported through the vascular and lymphatic system to the liver.  The liver processes this fat through the natural metabolic process to eliminate it from the body.  This elimination is assisted by the lymphatic drainage handpiece on the machine.

It all sounds logical enough, but how well does it really work?

What happened

The CLEO guinea pig fills us in…

“I turned up to Reveal Beauty Lounge in Sydney’s Balmain and was relieved to find it had a nice relaxing vibe, with candles, music and a smiling therapist. After discussing which part of my body was best to treat, we decided on the stomach, because while the thighs take a few treatments to see great results, my therapist tells me the tummy looks really different after just one treatment. Sounds good to me!

I’m told the session will take about an hour and lie back on the bed in the treatment room. The therapist starts by rubbing some massage oil on my stomach to help the machine move the skin. She talks me through the whole procedure, which was handy as I can now explain it and sound like an expert!

It starts with the rubber lymphatic drainage handpiece being placed near my neck and groin, to “open the channels” to aid in the excretion of fat after the treatment.

Then, it’s go time. The machine makes a soft humming noise as the dual-head ultrasound hand piece moves back and forth across my stomach. It’s nice and warm, and is actually really soothing. Different to most of my experiences at the beauticians – Brazilian wax, ouch!

After moving it back and forth across my stomach for half an hour or so, with the hand-piece getting warmer all the time but never feeling uncomfortable (just like having a really hot shower), I turn over and my lower back and sides are treated in the same way.

Lastly, the lymphatic drainage handpiece is moved across my stomach and back for 10 minutes or so to help guide the lymphatic drainage of the fat tissue.

I stripped off as soon as I got home after the treatment to check out the results. My stomach really does look so much flatter.

The machine can’t replace good old diet and exercise, but I think it’s great for targeting a specific area you want to work on. I feel like I’m on an infomercial for saying this, but it really works! Now my stomach looks flatter I feel motivated to exercise more to make it look even better. I feel so much more confident about getting into my bikini this summer. Now I just need to get my thighs treated…"

Need to know

The first session will take a full hour for one area.  After that, each session will be just under an hour.  The treatments are performed weekly with a short lymphatic drainage follow up which is performed in the same week.  Most people require 4-8 treatments depending on the area and the size of the person. Costs will vary depending on the clinic, but for a treatment of 4-6 treatments expect to pay $1400 and up.

To find a Med Contour clinic near you visit www.medcontour-australia.com

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