“Love handles” – they’re a common complaint for people of all ages and genders. Well documented in pop culture and a mainstay of women’s magazine articles for decades, these extra little bits of wobble are the thief of body confidence for millions of people.

In reality, there’s nothing wrong with love handles – they’re a part of the body that probably only you have noticed and feel conscious of. As long as you’re a generally healthy person with a balanced diet and a good exercise regime, there’s nothing to worry about. Having said that, it’s understandable to feel self-conscious, so what are love handles, and how do you get rid of them?

What are love handles, and what causes them?

The term “love handles” generally refers to the excess bit of skin and fat that sits just above your hips – the same area commonly used to be referred to as a “muffin top”, although most people have recognised that the phrase is unkind and have stopped using it in recent years. Put simply, love handles refer to any fat or skin that hangs over your waistline.

The usual cause of love handles appearing is fat retention. This could be because you are generally carrying more fat on your body or you’re overweight. Love handles can also be caused by your body’s natural fat distribution, which is usually decided by your genetics. 

Even naturally slender people can get love handles – everyone carries some fat on their bodies, and your appearance depends on where the fat naturally tends to gather, which is largely controlled by your genes. 

How to reduce the appearance of love handles

Contrary to popular belief, there is no natural way to target specific areas for fat loss. Exercising to target a specific muscle group can make it more toned, but it doesn’t remove the fat in that area. In order to reduce your love handles, you need to reduce the amount of fat on your body as a whole.

Diet and exercise 

It’s an obvious answer and potentially not one that you were hoping to hear, but having a healthy diet and getting regular exercise is the best way to lose fat, including the fat stored in your love handles.

There are hundreds of studies that have looked at the best exercises to do to lose fat, but many scientists are in agreement that a combination of strength training and cardio is much better for your overall health than focusing on just one type of exercise. 

The important thing to remember is that the best kind of exercise for fat loss is the one that you enjoy doing because you’ll be more likely to keep going on a regular basis.

Another important factor to remember when reducing your body fat percentage is that a healthy diet is subjective. Some people swear by intermittent fasting, others by intuitive eating, and others choose to follow a specific diet. Ideally, speaking to a nutritionist who understands your lifestyle can help you to work on a food plan tailored to your needs and lifestyle and create something you can stick to long term. However, focusing on eating whole foods that are nutritionally rich rather than calorie-dense is a great place to start.

Targeting love handles with VASER liposuction 

If you’re following a balanced diet, a solid exercise regime, and you’re at a healthy weight but still have love handles, your genetics are likely to blame. Just as your DNA controls where fat is distributed, it also dictates how easily you lose fat and where you lose it from. This means that while the fat may naturally go to your hips, you might struggle to lose it from there. 

VASER liposuction is a great way to remove love handles. It’s designed to target stubborn areas of fat, using micro-incisions and radio frequency technology to break down fat cells. VASER is powerful enough to target large areas of stubborn fat like love handles, thighs or abdomen, but it’s also gentle and can be used for detailed sculpting. 

The flexibility of VASER Liposuction makes it a great option for anyone that is struggling to get rid of stubborn areas of fat on their own. VASER can be used to sculpt your body into a shape that makes you feel more confident, in addition to breaking down fat. The wand targets specific areas, which means that you can define your waistline as well as flattening your love handles.

There’s nothing wrong with having love handles, but if they make you feel less confident, then VASER liposuction could be a great option for you. Booking a consultation with Dr Comins to discuss your areas of concern is the best way to find a treatment that works for you.