Concern · Hair & Body
Body Slimming
Stubborn fat in specific areas can be targeted without surgery.
Free, about 20–30 minutes, no obligation to book treatment.
- Not weight loss
- Contouring addresses a specific area. It does not change the number on the scales.
- For a stable weight
- It is generally considered for people already near a weight they can maintain.
- Pinch test
- Whether the fat can be drawn into an applicator decides whether cooling applies.
On this page
In brief
Body contouring targets localised pockets of fat (the lower abdomen, flanks, bra line) that persist at a stable weight, using fat freezing, microwave energy or muscle stimulation.
Results from Kaiteki patients
5 photos · tap one to enlarge
Body contour, before and after a course of treatment at Kaiteki
Abdominal contour, before and after a course of treatment at Kaiteki
Abdominal contour, before and after a course of treatment at Kaiteki
Localised fat pocket, before and after a course of treatment at Kaiteki
Body contour, before and after a course of treatment at Kaiteki
Photographs of Kaiteki patients, published with consent. Individual results vary and are not guaranteed. These images are not a promise of outcome. A doctor will assess whether any treatment is suitable for you.
What is body contouring?
Body contouring, often called body slimming, describes in-clinic treatments aimed at the shape of a specific area (a fat pocket, muscle tone or skin firmness) rather than body weight.
What contouring actually addresses
Where your body stores fat is largely genetic. The areas that most often persist:
- The lower abdominal pouch: a pocket below the navel that persists at a stable weight, common after pregnancy.
- Flanks and love handles: fat over the sides of the waist above the belt line. Spot exercise does not reduce it.
- Bra line and upper back: folds across the back and under the arm that show through fitted clothing.
- Skin texture and cellulite: dimpling caused by fibrous bands tethering skin to deeper tissue while fat pushes between them.
What it does and doesn't do
Five common beliefs, and what is actually true:
“It will help me lose weight.”
It will not. Contouring reduces or reshapes fat in one area; it does not lower your overall weight and it is not a treatment for obesity.“The fat comes back somewhere else.”
Fat cells removed from a treated area do not relocate. What happens is that if you gain weight afterwards, the fat cells you still have everywhere else enlarge, and the treated area can look proportionally different.“One session and it's done.”
Most areas are planned as a course with review points, and change from fat-reduction treatment builds over weeks to months as the body clears treated cells.“It will tighten loose skin too.”
Fat reduction and skin firmness are different problems. Reducing fat under loose skin can make the looseness more visible rather than less.“Cellulite can be removed.”
It can sometimes be made less obvious, but it is a structural feature of how skin attaches to the tissue beneath, present in people of every size and fitness level.
When to see a doctor
Have an area assessed if:
- A specific area has not changed despite a stable weight and consistent exercise.
- You are unsure whether what you are looking at is fat, loose skin or muscle tone.
Treatment options at Kaiteki
Which fits depends on whether the area shows fat, looseness or low muscle tone:
Fat Freezing
For a pinchable pocket that diet has not shifted
Controlled cooling applied to a defined pocket of fat, which the body then clears over the following weeks.
Fat FreezingMicrowave Contouring
For fat and skin firmness in one pass
Delivers energy that addresses fat volume and skin quality in the same treatment.
Microwave ContouringMuscle Stimulation
For muscle tone under the fat layer
Prompts intense muscle contraction to build tone in the underlying muscle rather than to reduce fat.
Muscle Stimulation
Not sure if it's fat or loose skin?
Send us a photo on WhatsApp and a doctor can tell you which it is.
Ask about this on WhatsAppFree consultation, about 20 to 30 minutes, no obligation.
Technology used
Fat volume, skin firmness and muscle tone are three different problems, and no single device addresses all three.
Risks and what to expect
Common and usually temporary
Redness, swelling, firmness, tenderness, bruising, tingling and numbness over the treated area, sometimes for several weeks. Muscle-stimulation treatment commonly leaves aching similar to a hard workout.Uncommon but important
Cooling-based fat reduction carries a rare risk of paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, where the treated area enlarges rather than reduces and typically requires surgical correction. Prolonged numbness and, rarely, changes in skin sensation can also occur.Pigment change and Malaysian skin
Where energy-based devices are used, medium and deeper skin tones carry a higher chance of post-inflammatory pigment change in the treated area. Body skin also heals more slowly than the face, so settings are conservative and the area is kept covered or protected afterwards.What treatment cannot do
It brings no metabolic health benefit, and it cannot reduce overall weight, treat obesity or tighten loose skin. Cellulite is not removed.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning pregnancy, have a hernia in or near the area, have a pacemaker or metal implant, take blood thinners, have a cold-sensitivity condition such as cryoglobulinaemia or cold urticaria, or have had surgery in the area.
What your first visit involves
The area is examined standing and seated, with a pinch test to separate fat from loose skin.
History
Your weight over the past year or two, any pregnancies, and what you have already tried.
Examination
The doctor judges whether the pocket suits the treatments available.
Discussion and plan
What is realistic, including waiting until your weight settles.
A microwave-based body treatment on the lower abdomen. The handpiece keeps moving over the marked area.
A cooling applicator in place on the upper arm. The area is assessed and marked before the applicator goes on.
Smaller areas such as the upper arm are assessed separately, because what suits the abdomen may not suit them.
What affects the cost
Pricing is set after assessment. It depends on:
- Which area, and how many areas are being treated in a plan.
- The size of the pocket, since larger areas take more applications to cover.
- Which treatment applies, because fat reduction, firmness and muscle tone are different treatments.
- How many sessions, which is set after assessment and reviewed as the area responds.
- Whether treatments are combined, which is common where fat and firmness both feature.
Common questions
Will the fat come back?
Fat cells removed from a treated area do not return or move elsewhere. The result depends on your weight staying reasonably stable.
How soon will I see a difference?
Gradually. Fat-reduction treatment works by causing treated cells to be cleared by the body over the following weeks and months, so there is nothing to see immediately and the area may in fact look swollen at first.
Does it hurt?
Cooling-based treatment is uncomfortable at first as the area numbs, then usually tolerable, with pulling and tugging sensations from the applicator. Muscle stimulation feels like intense involuntary contractions and leaves aching similar to a hard workout. None of it requires anaesthetic.
Can it treat cellulite?
The appearance can sometimes be improved, but cellulite is not removed by any treatment on this page.
Can I have this after pregnancy?
It is generally deferred until you have finished breastfeeding and your weight and body have settled, which usually takes several months at least. Abdominal separation is also assessed first, because a gap between the abdominal muscles produces a shape no contouring treatment addresses and is managed with physiotherapy.
How do I know if I'm a suitable candidate?
The usual picture is someone at or near a stable weight, in reasonable health, with a defined area that has not responded to diet and exercise, and with realistic expectations about the scale of change. If your weight is still moving, or if the concern is overall size, the honest answer is often no.
Read next
Related concerns
Face Contouring
Fullness under the chin is the same principle applied to a smaller area.Face Lifting
Skin firmness after fat reduction is assessed the same way.Aging
Skin quality and laxity change on the body as well as the face.
Not sure where to start?
The consultation is free, takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and there is no obligation to book treatment afterwards. A doctor will examine the areas you’re concerned about and talk you through what is, and is not, worth doing.
Book a free consultationMedically reviewed by
Dr Joaan Kong
Aesthetic Physician
MBBS, AAAM, LCP Board Certified · MMC 90047
Dr Joaan Kong obtained her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from International Medical University (IMU). She then trained as a Paediatric doctor before embarking her journey in aesthetic medicine. Her training in the paediatric department has refined her skills in needle handling and detailed meticulous work.
View full profile- Reviewed by
- Dr Joaan Kong, MMC 90047
- Last reviewed
- 8 Jun 2026
- Next review due
- 8 Jun 2027