There is a gap between what body contouring is marketed as and what it actually delivers & most patients only discover it after they have already paid for something that was not right for them.

This is the conversation Dr. Gregg Reger has been having with patients at Vein and Laser Center in The Woodlands since 2005. Not the promotional version. The clinical one.

Why does exercise stop working in certain areas?

Fat does not distribute itself evenly, and it does not respond to effort evenly either.

Most people who eat well and stay active will lose weight broadly — across the face, the arms, the chest — before the body reaches certain stubborn deposits. The lower abdomen. The outer thighs. The area under the chin. These pockets are not signs of inconsistency. They are where the body stores fat reserves longest, and they are the last to respond to a caloric deficit and to movement.

This is not a motivation problem. It is a physiological one. And it is exactly the category of concern that non-surgical body contouring was developed to address.

What Venus Legacy actually does inside your skin

The Venus Legacy system — which Dr. Reger was the first provider in The Woodlands to offer — uses two technologies operating simultaneously.

Multi-polar radiofrequency delivers controlled heat into the deeper layers of skin. That heat triggers the body’s collagen production, which firms the skin from within and gradually reduces the volume of localized fat deposits through a process called lipolysis. At the same time, pulsed electromagnetic fields work on the surrounding tissue — improving circulation, supporting cellular recovery, and helping the treated area clear the byproducts of that fat breakdown more efficiently.

The VariPulse feature allows the provider to adjust suction pressure during treatment, gently pulling the skin upward so the energy reaches the exact depth where the work needs to be done. This is what separates Venus Legacy from older single-energy devices — the combination reaches tissue layers that surface-level treatments simply cannot access.

Patients feel warmth and mild pressure during treatment. There is no cutting, no injections, and no recovery period afterward. Most sessions last 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the treatment area.

Realistic expectations — what the research and clinical experience actually show

Body contouring is not a replacement for weight loss. Patients who come in hoping to lose significant overall weight from a treatment series will be disappointed — and any provider who suggests otherwise is not being straight with you.

What Venus Legacy does well is address the specific areas that haven’t responded to other treatments. Visible cellulite texture. Loose skin on the abdomen or thighs after pregnancy or weight loss. Circumferential reduction in localized pockets. Skin laxity around the neck and jaw.

Venus Freeze — the predecessor is still worth knowing about

Venus Freeze uses the same foundational MP² technology (multi-polar radiofrequency combined with pulsed magnetic fields) as Venus Legacy. The difference is in the delivery system and the depth of penetration.

Venus Freeze produces a uniform heat response in the treated tissue, stimulating fibroblast activity, collagen contraction, and the formation of new blood vessels. It is effective for reducing cellulite, tightening skin, and improving wrinkles in areas with moderate rather than severe concerns.

For patients whose goals fall within that range, Venus Freeze remains a clinically sound option. The choice between the two systems is one Dr. Reger makes based on the individual assessment — not a blanket recommendation applied to everyone who walks in.

Who gets the best results?

The patients who see the clearest outcomes from body contouring at Vein and Laser Center share a few characteristics.

They are already reasonably close to their goal weight and are dealing with specific resistant areas rather than broad overall volume. Their skin has some remaining elasticity — not necessarily the elasticity of someone in their 20s, but enough that the tissue responds to the collagen stimulation the treatment triggers. And they commit to the full recommended session series rather than expecting dramatic change from a single appointment.

Age is less of a limiting factor than most patients assume. Dr. Reger has seen strong results in patients across a wide age range. Skin that has lost elasticity through aging can still respond meaningfully to radiofrequency treatment — the collagen response slows with age but does not stop entirely.

What the consultation at Vein and Laser Center looks like

Dr. Reger does not use a standard script in consultations. The assessment starts with a direct conversation about what you are actually trying to address — which areas, what you have already tried, what your timeline looks like, and what outcome would genuinely matter to you.

From there, a physical skin assessment determines which treatment approach is appropriate and what a realistic session series would look like for your specific situation. If body contouring is not the right tool for what you are dealing with, that conversation happens in the consultation — not after you have already committed to a plan that will not deliver.

Dr. Reger holds board certification in Phlebology from the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine and brings research experience from MD Anderson and the Mayo Clinic to every clinical decision made at the practice. That background shapes how he evaluates patients — methodically, not commercially.

Serving The Woodlands, Spring, Houston, and Conroe

Vein and Laser Center is located at 9004 Forest Crossing Drive, Suite D, The Woodlands, TX 77381. The practice sees patients from across the greater Houston area, including Spring, Conroe, and Katy.

If you have been sitting on a question about body contouring for longer than you should have, the consultation is the right first step.

Call 832-585-0090 or visit  to schedule.