Most people go to a spa for relaxing massages, manicures, pedicures, and facials. But not Jessica Napiza. Her goal is to lose inches in just hours.
Body Del Sol Med Spa in Northeast Fresno is the only Valley spa to offer the LA Slim Wrap treatment, as featured on Rachael Ray and other daytime talk shows.
Ayde Mendibles: "In Miami, LA, Napa it's pretty big but no one in the Central Valley has it not even in San Francisco or San Jose."
Mendibles worked with the creator of the LA Slim Wrap, to bring it to Fresno. She says it's an ideal quick-fix for upcoming vacations, special events or weddings.
Ayde Mendibles: "You can fit in that dress and you will still look good on your honeymoon in the bikini. Where else are you going to lose that many inches in one afternoon?"
The $150.00, two-hour process starts with 30 minutes wrapped in an infrared blanket, to increase metabolism and burn calories. Then measuring over a dozen areas around your body, arms, waist, hips, and thighs. Next comes the wrapping, and more wrapping.
Ayde Mendibles: "These wraps are Ace Bandages, soaked in mineral solution and it's warm. It's magnesium, calcium, potassium, aloe. So you're wrapped very tight, there's a special technique to wrapping them, we wrap from the bottom up so it's to lift and tone you."
The next 45 minutes are spent looking ridiculous.
Jessica and I, stiff like mummies, alternating every 15 minutes between light exercise and being basted in more mineral solution, which was supposed to be extracting toxins from between our fat cells, and replenishing nutrients to the body.
That's the part Fresno plastic surgeon, Dr. Mark Chin questions. He says less than one percent of our bodies' toxins are lost through skin.
Dr. Mark Chin: "Does it pull out some toxins, maybe yes, but in such a low amount does it really make that difference?"
Finally the unwrapping and unveiling and re-measuring. That's the fun part.
Jessica Napiza: "I certainly noticed a difference and was able to fit into something that had been hidden in my closet for a while."
Dr. Mark Chin: "The inch loss comes from compression of the tissues."
So LA Slim Wrap clients are losing inches not pounds. Doctor Chin specializes in more traditional and more permanent body contouring and fat removal, including liposuction. He says LA Slim Wrap is a reasonably safe albeit temporary solution.
Dr. Mark Chin: "Hey I look good for that moment or for that event. So I think it just depends on what patients want to do it for. Slimming the body to fit into certain things, might be beneficial but the main caution is dehydration and overheating."
Both he and Ayde warned us, the wrap isn't for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, and people with high blood pressure or poor circulation.
