Plastic Surgeon Lifts The Veil On Kim Kardashian's 'Painful' Stomach Tightening Treatment - Exclusive

In a world where more celebrities than ever are taking a more relaxed approach to beauty standards, Kim Kardashian is out here keeping the Flat Tummy At Any Cost approach alive. This time, Kardashian shared on her Instagram Stories that she got a skin tightening laser treatment on her stomach called Morpheus8. Posting a photo of her still-red stomach on August 3, Kardashian wrote (via People), "This is a game changer!" The reality star wrote that she got the Morpheus laser, which she praised, "I think this is my fave laser but it's painful lol but worth it."

We wanted to know more about this "painful" but "worth it" skin tightening procedure, so we went to the experts. Glenn Vallecillos, MD, FACS, exclusively tells Nicki Swift that Morpheus8 is a "radio frequency subdermal adipose [fat] remodeling device or 'SARD.'" So where does the pain part come in? "By introducing energy through several small needles with energy delivered in the way of radio frequency," Dr. Vallecillos says, "the treatment is able to remodel the dermis by stimulating collagen production which has a skin tightening effect."

Of course, some might still be confused about what this procedure really does, as well as why Kardashian is drawn to it above other procedures. Good thing we had Dr. Vallecillos on hand to fill us in!

While Kim Kardashian had the Morpheus8 applied to her stomach, we've seen many more users apply the laser to the face. Dr. Glenn Vallecillos explains that the laser can be used anywhere there's skin. "It is commonly used on the face for tightening and skin resurfacing and certainly the same applies to the body," Vallecillos says. "The Morpheus8 body can penetrate deeper, that's targeting fat as well as the connections between the skin and underlying muscle which, when weakened with time and aging, can lead to skin crepitation or loose skin and cellulite."

In fact, Dr. Vallecillos says that one of the best things about this laser is that it can be customizable for different individual patients. "Each face is its own unique mosaic and requires specific treatment in different areas for optimal results," he says. But be careful, because outcomes depend on the skill of the clinician performing the procedure. "Always seek out someone with a lot of experience who presents you with a well thought out aesthetic game plan," he says. 

Speaking of a game plan, be prepared with patience. "You shouldn't expect to see results in under six weeks and in our hands best results are seen at the four-month mark up until well after a year," Dr. Vallecillos explains. "So this is an evolving type of treatment that takes time and patience, but there really is no alternative in terms of its non-invasive efficacy."

In her IG Story, Kim Kardashian said she had gotten the laser to "tighten" her stomach, which Dr. Glenn Vallecillos says is probably to address some stretched skin following her pregnancies. "I think Kim is probably looking to get as tight as she can. Her pregnancies certainly took a toll on the abdominal skin," he explains. While it's not an alternative to a "tummy tuck" for people who have an "abundant" amount of loose skin, "it does offer one of the best modalities available and tightening skin without the use of a knife."

Kardashian tagged Dr. Ashkan Ghavami in her Story, as well as his practice, Ghavami Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills. While Kardashian said the procedure was "painful," the website promises "minimal discomfort" with the procedure. "Dr. Ghavami and our team use numbing cream to make treatment very tolerable, and the needles are sharp and fine, so they do not cause excessive trauma to the skin."

So will Morpheus become all the rage thanks to Kardashian? Well, that's TBD.