Shrink and Sculpt Your Butt with Tripollar POSE

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about Tripollar STOP, a break-through radio frequency (RF) technology at-home device for the face and neck. Today I’ll continue with my review on its heavy-weight sister, the POSE device.

As a quick recap, Tripollar is an advance Radio Frequency (RF) technology that can penetrates to the dermis and hypodermis layer of skin where fat cell reside to heat and force the fat cells to release their liquid, causing them to shrink and contract and also stimulate dermal activity to encourage collagen production.

Tripollar POSE heat penetrating to the fatty layers of skin

Tripollar POSE:

The POSE unit is a skin tightening device made especially for the body. Physically, it is the same shape as the STOP device but larger, with a wider base and the electrode tips are bigger, each about as size and shape of a metal marble.  It has a higher output power 2.5v vs 1.5v and and it has different preset parameters (as it doesn’t state it, I can only make conjectures here based on information on the manual) designed to penetrate into the fat layer to stimulate the cells to release the fat and and improve overall skin laxity.

 
The POSE device promises to:

• tighten slack skin (goodbye flabby upper arms
• contour the body (svelte waist, here I come) 
• reduce the appearance of cellulite and stretchmarks (yes, please!) 
• break down body fat stomach and thighs (that would be a miracle!) 
• provide immediate and lasting results (that was my final tipping point in getting the unit)

I will include only 2 of the clinical before or after photos in this post as I feel the angle of these photos and the lighting conditions in the before and after shot were similar enough to give more accurate comparison of the differences. If you are curious for more visuals on dramatic difference, head over to see them here and Google will be your best friend as well. 

Operating the Unit

The power settings on the POSE device is on the unit instead of the power supply like the STOP unit. Once turned on, pressing the power switch will repetitively toggle from Low, Med to High.

To turn to unit on or off, just press and hold the Power button on the unit for 3 seconds. Again for use, you apply the preparation gel (this is the same gel as the STOP unit but instead of being in a jar, it’s in an easier to dispense tube) to allow for effective conducting of the RF technology into the body.

Tip: when you need to buy the refill, get the POSE preparation gel, even if you only own the STOP device as it works out cheaper per unit. 

The usage direction is very similar to the STOP but if you ever feel confused, there is even the instructional video to watch.

I begin my treatment session by concentrating on my problem zones - the butt and thighs (stretchmarks and slight dimpling which is possibly the early signs of the dreaded cellulite), calves of legs, the left waist and upper arms where skin is a bit laxed and could do with some tightening.

The recommended treatment procedure

click to enlarge: the recommended treatment time for different body zones

Some notes from my experience with the device:

• I always use the device on High setting since the problem areas like the butt and legs has more fatty tissues and tolerate higher power from the start. Try the medium on the arm area if you feel the heat gets too intense. I generally don’t find much use for the low setting.
• It’s quite awkward to sit semi-naked and covered with tacky gel across various parts of your body during treatment. I usually lie on the coach covered with a large towel so that the mess doesn’t go anywhere. On warm days, it’s fine but in winter, the feeling is not as pleasant. Good thing the device emits a warm sensation and heats up the area being treated but a heater wouldn't go amiss as well.
• As instructed by the manual, I try to ensure the four electrode tips touch the skin to get even and optimal power and heat penetration into skin and generally have no issues but on tricky contours such as back of legs, it can be hard to tell if all four electrodes are in proper contact. When in proper contact, you will feel the warming sensation of the electrodes on your skin.
• I work the device over a particular area of my body the size of my palm at a given time until it’s warmed up and the amber light on the body of the device shows up, indicating the skin area has reached optimal temperature. Given there is a larger surface area and skin is thicker in the body, this takes considerably more time. I stay on the area once its heated to the optimal temperature for another 10 seconds in the area before moving to the next section. 
• Like the STOP device, the lights amber light on POSE can be fiddly – it would take ages for it to turn on, especially when on high setting. On low setting (it must have a lower temperature threshold), the amber light turns on more readily and within a short period of time on a section of skin. 
• The bigger electrode tips  makes a difference in helping to get the job done a bit quicker but is still too small in my opinion to cover a bigger area. It takes me over 40 minutes just to do each side for butt and thighs area. In total it usually takes me over 100 minutes to do my butt, thighs and calves, time I don’t really have to spare.

Using POSE on my thighs

Results and Verdict:   

Reduced circumference sizes and toned skin 

On my thighs and calf, I definitely feel and see that the skin has tightened. I measured the circumference of my thighs before and after 1 session and I had about 07mm shrinkage in the circumference of my thighs! On my calves, I noticed about a 4-5mm reduction in circumference.

Not each session yielded this dramatic same result though. Subsequent results only gave reduction of 1-2mm that was very hard to measure but the legs definitely look more toned and sculpt after each use. It might not sound much and doesn't warrant a photo (because it won't show up) but every bit counts and its entirely due to the use of the product, not weight change or excercise.

Tip: If you are suffering from a double chin, try using this device  to help break down the stubborn fat in that area. 

Tighter and Smoother Skin 

When I do the pinch test on my skin on my legs, it looks and feel smoother in texture with less unevenness or dimpling effects. After 8 sessions, the improvements are plateauing but my skin is visibly more even than before I started the treatment.

Thankfully the dimpling look on the back of my legs were very minor to start off with, and with the use of this device, there really isn’t any sign of cellulite visible.

Lifted and Toned Contours

This is my favourite result. I couldn't measure myself to give definitively but for at least a week after each session, my butt definitely looks lifted and not so saggy or sad, which is always a welcomed outcome, making that almost 2 hour treatment session more palatable (I'm afraid you won't be seeing any butt pictures from me, people from work read this blog and I need to preserve some modesty!).

When pinching the area in arms where skin was beginning to become a bit loose, it felt tighter with less give and laxity. In fact I would say it is more taut and toned so that my upper arms doesn't wobble like a jello when I tap against it.

Stretchmark Improvements
The stretchmarks are definitely smoother against the rest of the skin, with the lines no longer as pitted. In terms of colour changes, my old silvery lines is slightly (it’s hard to be conclusive with such small changes) fainter in colour, blending better against the rest of skin, making them slightly less obvious (but it could be that optical illusions are at work with the smoother skin casting less shadows).

stretchmark improvements - lighting make its more dramatically improved than in real life

So although POSE can’t get rid of the appearance of stretchmarks, it definitely seems to iron them out and gives smoother looking skin on the affected areas.

Last Words:
Having been using this device for 8 sessions now, the results area nothing short of incredible on my skin. I’ve never had a topical product give so much visible difference so quickly. My only issue is the time commitment required each session on my body parts.

I wish I had the luxury of doing 2 session a week for 6 -8 weeks (treatment phase) and then twice a month (maintenance phase) as per the usage guideline but for time-poor me, it is not achievable. In the 4 months I’ve owned the device, I’ve only racked up 8 sessions and sometimes a month would lapse before next use; it feels like I’m starting off from the first session again at times especially now that winter has set and I’ve gained some weight.

If you can stay committed and want to have your body trouble spots tightened, toned and smoothed out, then POSE is the right device for you (unless you have these contra-indications).

I’m glad I own this device so that when I can have the time, it is at my disposal to put it to use. In fact, writing this review has given me renewed motivation to try and get a session in every 2-3 weeks.

What body parts you want to have zapped and shrinked? 
Did you read my STOP review - that's pretty amazing too!

Tripollar POSE RRP A$499.99 online and selected Myer stores.