Nobody loves love handles. The good news is, it is not too difficult to get rid of themUnloving the love handles

‘Love handles’ refer to the areas of skin that extend outward from the lower abdominal area. These are bilateral overhangs of fat and soft tissue on the antero-lateral flank of lower abdomen. The underlying cause of love handles is fat retention. This fat can be very stubborn to shed.

Despite their name, these handles are not loved or liked by anyone and those who have these want to get rid of them as rapidly as possible. Over the last three decades, society’s definition of beauty is a body with well-defined muscles and very little body fat.

Beauty and fitness marketers everywhere are capitalising on peoples’ attempts to remedy this unsightly condition. The fat cells accumulate when our body takes in too many calories or one doesn’t burn as many calories as one is consuming. Over time, these fat cells can become noticeable as they accumulate in certain areas, such as around the waist and hips.

Blame it on your genes

Fat can accumulate anywhere in the body, but there are certain factors that increase the likelihood for retaining fat in the hip, lower back, and abdominal areas.

It tends to run in families, so genetics play the biggest role in whether you develop these love handles. An inactive lifestyle increases the chances of having this fat deposit.

Factors that contribute to love handle formation include:

n Hormones, especially high levels of cortisol

n Age (belly fat accumulation is more common as one gets older)

n Lack of physical activity

n Diet high in fats, sugars, and high-calorie foods

n Sleep deprivation

n Undiagnosed or untreated conditions that slow down metabolism (for example -underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism — makes it difficult to burn off extra calories)

Read between the layers

Love handles aren’t dangerous, but they may indicate underlying risk factors for chronic illnesses like hypertension, cardiac ailments, sleep apnea, insulin resistance, etc.

Increased activity and healthier eating can contribute to shrinking love handles as part of overall fat loss. When diet and exercise don’t work, treatment options available are both invasive and non-invasive.

Laser induced lipolysis— The FDA has recently cleared the use of laser energy to treat fat deposits. Radiofrequency induced lipolysis, ultrasound cavitation and cryolipolysis are other techniques which help to melt and break down the fat deposits. They work by sending cold, heat, or sound waves directly into the fat cells. Without making an incision— without injuring the skin, nerves, and other parts of the body, these techniques can destroy fat cells. These methods are safer, non- invasive and cheaper than conventional surgical liposuction with absolutely no downtime.

Freezing the fat

Cool-sculpting is a clinically-proven and safe procedure that freezes fat cells while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed. While results can be seen in a few weeks, the procedure’s fat-busting effects continue for months. The result is significant reduction in areas that are tricky to address with lifestyle changes.

While there is usually no downtime, non-invasive fat removal generally requires more than one treatment session, and each session tends to last between 30-90 minutes. These treatments help reduce areas of stubborn fat and help shape and tone the body. Good candidates for non-invasive fat removal have a small bulge of fat that remains despite diet and exercise. Preventing love handles may help boost the overall health

(Dr. Sharma is a Chandigarh-based

dermatologist)