LADIES, raise your hands to the sky and say thanks, for your weight loss prayers have been answered!
Imagine wanting to get rid of fat in problem areas like your upper arms (bat wings), thighs, back (back fat), the side of your waist (muffin top/love handles) and most commonly, your stomach (the names for tubby tummies are too numerous to mention).
Well for decades, the only way to immediately correct those issues was with invasive surgery like liposuction or tummy tucks. These treatments were not only scary with numerous potential dangers and side effects, but they were and still are extremely costly…oh and they leave scars.
However, a revolutionary treatment which is fairly new to the U.S (and even newer to St. Lucia) was introduced with promises of eliminating fat from problem areas and the body overall at a surprisingly affordable price with no scars or even downtime.
Today’s WOTW spends her days performing this very service to locals and is building a rather popular reputation for herself.
Nathalie Giannoni-Henry better known as Nat is a French native who has lived in St. Lucia for the past 16 years.
Although her background is in HR, she is now certified in body sculpting working at The Aesthetic & Wellness Studio Health Spa in Rodney Bay.
“What is Body sculpting?” you might ask.
Body Sculpting (or body contouring) is a safe, comfortable and non-invasive way to minimise body fat and cellulite in specific areas of the body that will not improve in spite of a healthy lifestyle.
The Therapist uses the technology called “Ultrasound Cavitation” which is a non-surgical and non-anaesthetic method of liposuction where fat cells are exposed to low-frequency pressure and reduced to liquid. The liquefied fat is then expelled through the body’s normal metabolic method. The treatment is painless and has been likened to receiving a massage.
Giannoni-Henry started offering her services locally two years ago and said so far, her business has been progressing nicely.
She said: “Business was quite seasonal for the first year with clients definitely showing more interest around carnival time! The response has been great. The treatment is very flexible and there is no obligation to get it done weekly or more regularly, even and clients seem to enjoy that freedom. The cellulite treatment I have just introduced is definitely getting a lot of interest and I cannot wait to introduce a new treatment very soon.”
The Body Sculptor said she swears by the treatment and even uses it on herself: “Over the last two years, I have gotten about seven or eight treatments. Of course, I am completely biased because that’s what I do, but the treatment is effective. No pain, no surgery, no scar, no recovery time, hardly any side effect.”
She said she hasn’t had any complaints from her clients either: “A lot of my clients have told me that even when they’ve put on weight after getting a few treatments done, they’ve never put it on quite the same way as before. And it’s true, it’s happened to me too. This treatment is not about weight loss and it is not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle, it really is about shaping your body. It is perfect for anyone who does not want to consider surgery, someone who wants to get rid of the fat which never seems to disappear in spite of diet or exercise. It’s a perfect way to get your confidence and body back.”
On the other hand, Giannoni-Henry said she is in no way discounting the effectiveness of liposuction and tummy tucks.
For some, she said the two surgical procedures are better options as her treatments are not as effective for people who want immediate and to the minute results or for people who are very overweight or obese.
As Ultrasound Cavitation is a treatment of a cumulative nature, the sessions build up on each other and most people will probably need four to 10 plus treatments, depending on the problem area.
Upon meeting the therapist, you are immediately drawn in with her warm yet fun, chatty and charismatic nature.
So it was no surprise that her response when I made my usual WOTW request for a secret, was the perfect blend of funny, crazy and spontaneous, just like her.
She said: “In 2000, after being here for a two week vacation, my London bound flight was overbooked and Virgin Atlantic gave me a free ticket to anywhere in the world. So I decided to come back and just live here. And yes, I made that decision the same way I would decide to go out and get pizza.”
Well, I for one am extremely happy that she chose my neck of the woods!
