Yes, You Can Fix That

New skin treatments target and tackle the annoying little areas that diet and exercise sometimes can’t.

- Alix Strauss & Batrisyia Jay

Many of us have a small pocket of fat in a spot we wish we didn’t—that bulge around your bra, the pinch of skin next to your armpit, an extra chin, love handles (who actually loves these?)— and seemingly no amount of calories reduced or burned gets rid of it. “No one is immune to trouble spots,” says Paul Jarrod Frank, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City and the director of the Fifth Avenue Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center . “Despite my patients’ work at the gym or smart dietary habits, they continue to struggle in certain areas.” That’s where noninvasive contouring and skin-tightening procedures, available in doctor’s offices, come into play.

“They don’t replace weight loss or diet control. They’re used for parts of the body resistant to those efforts,” Dr. Frank says. And this kind of shrinking is growing in popularity. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, from 2014 to 2015 nonsurgical fat-reduction treatments increased 18.7 percent and nonsurgical skin tightening procedures jumped 58.2 percent. This is partially because these treatments require little downtime with no anesthesia or incisions. “They meet the demands of people who are active and don’t want to miss work or skip exercising,” says Jennifer Levine, M.D., a plastic surgeon with a private practice in New York City. “And they don’t come with the dangers or complications of surgery or the obvious signs that you’ve had work done.” Of course, nothing is perfect. You may feel sore, and there can be bruising and swelling, temporary numbness, or nerve pain. Plus, there’s a hefty price tag. Are the treatments worth it? Consult our guide to help you decide. Here, where the latest fat-melting, body-sculpting options can help.

The double chin