I will be spending Thanksgiving with friends in Nicaragua and I have been consciously trying to lose the few extra pounds that I have put on this year. However, with the realization that I will be donning a bathing suit in a few short weeks, the idea of a quick fix took on some appeal. I gave completely over to temptation when my esthetician Ildi Pekar announced a special 15% discount off her radio frequency treatments using her Trio RF machine.

Weight goes straight to my thighs. I am relatively slim and exercise regularly, but I could do with losing a good five to seven pounds and I have some loathsome cellulite on the backs of my thighs. So this is where Ildi and her Trio got down to work. I have had the radio frequency administered by Ildi once before. She demoed the treatment (which can be used on face or body, wherever gravity is getting the better of flab) on my neck. The thing is that my neck is in relatively good shape and the results, although noticeable were not dramatic. With my bum, I am sad to say, she had a lot more scope.

Forty five minutes later I was astonished at how firm my legs were. The skin wasn't just tighter and less bumpy, I actually looked toned and post-workout. The next day, I looked even better, although regular top ups would be needed for a long-term effect. I didn't do anything useful such as weigh or measure myself beforehand, so everyone will have to rely on my subjective analysis that I lost about an inch around my hips and thighs.

Radio-frequency, or RF, is the term for energy that is comprised of a very large portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio-frequency energy is a stream of photons that are moving at the speed of light. RF is considered low frequency and it produces a heat that goes deep into the skin and even muscle. This heat is supposed to melt fat and increases blood flow to eject toxins - it is necessary to drink a lot of water for the following 24 hours to flush out the system. Like, LED, RF also builds up collagen.

The Trio seemed to pretty powerful and there are multiple settings and heads for different body areas and levels of intensity. The heat feels comfortable and the sensation of deep-penetrating warmth is rather enjoyable. A very different experience than the miserable one that Emily had with Stop. I'm going to have one session a week before my trip and hope that I'll be poolside ready with the help of Trio.