A recent study by Cynosure found that nearly half of all Gen X and Gen Ys desire a gap between their thighs. They’re also desperately seeking hard-to-achieve body attributes such as the “bikini bridge” and “ab crack”. We ask leading Sydney cosmetic physician, Dr Saras Sundrum about the reality of unrealistic body obsessions and what we can do to get more body satisfaction.
Is the thigh gap a physical attribute that women can diet themselves into, or is it genetics?
Unfortunately, they can’t selectively focus on that area alone with dieting – as women they tend to lose weight all over. It definitely is a genetic controlled area as some women may never have that thigh gap!
Is it realistic for most women?
I think a lot of women associate this idea of a thigh gap with youth and firm skin so it gets harder to maintain the older we get.
If a woman wanted less fat on her thighs and she found exercise wasn’t budging it, what are some options you would recommend?
Technology such as Sculpsure is great for both men and women who have some excess fat but are not very obese. It can be used on most areas of the body and with one treatment we can expect 20 to 24 per cent of the fat in that bulge to be removed.
The study also says that the majority of women, including the older age groups, want less fat on their stomach (65 per cent of Gen X and 66 per cent of Baby Boomers). What technology would you enlist in your clinic to address excess fat?
The easiest would be Sculpsure as each area treated only takes 25 minutes and the patient can go straight back to normal activities. It’s non-invasive, quick, well priced and not painful. [Post treatment] they must continue with regular exercise and good nutrition to maintain their results.
Do you think women should aim to look like celebrities with trending (and hard-to-attain) physical attributes such as thigh gap, “ab crack”, and “bikini bridge” ? What do you tell women who come into your clinic when they ask for these things?
No I don’t think women should want to achieve such results, it is often a doctored result which is not realistic. But we definitely can improve the shape of their bodies and they can maintain it into the future.
With so much influence on social media, how can real women improve or maintain their own looks without wanting to change themselves to look like someone else?
It isn’t about trying to look like someone else, it’s about getting our bodies looking the best we can.