— Lipodissolve—

Over time, fat cells accumulate where we least want them, around our middles, the buttocks, thighs, arms or chin.

To dissolve those pockets, micro-injections of the body’s natural detergent, a type of lecithin, are delivered into the targeted treatment area. When injected into your fatty tissues this substance destabilizes the membranes of some of your fat cells, resulting in cell destruction and the release of their fatty contents into the tissues.

The fat cells absorb the product and become slightly inflamed and then harden. The biology of the fat cell is modified by blocking the signals of fat accumulation, stopping the cells from storing fat, and triggering the release of stored fat by disrupting the cell membrane.

The dissolving fat cell begins to break down. Within a couple of months, the cells damaged in the targeted area are eliminated from the body. Once the fat cells have been resorbed, they should not return, although it is possible that over many years the body can create new fat cells. Additionally, the injected substance causes a mild inflammatory response that triggers an increase in collagen production, which can produce a little skin tightening.

The natural substances within Lipodissolve have been used medically in emergency departments since 1959 to dissolve fat from the liver & vascular system and prevent fat embolism. It has been used to decrease blood levels of cholesterol and triglyceride, decrease insulin resistance and dissolve atheromatous plaques inside arteries. The components that form Lipodissolve already exist within your body. It has been used intravenously for many years to remove fat blocking the circulatory system and to protect the liver during severe liver illness. It is the same as the substances found in abundance in your fat cell membranes and bile salts.

The cosmetic use of this specific technique was developed in Italy by the cosmetic physician Dr Sergio Maggliare in 1988.

Just like liposuction, it is not a substitute for diet, exercise and overall weight reduction. It is suitable for patients with implanted devices such as pacemakers, who are unable to have radiofrequency fat removal, and is excellent for making small adjustments to contours such as post liposuction ridges, or for dissolving lipomas.

Lipodissolve does not involve the surgical “down time” or the wearing of tight garments for weeks, associated with traditional liposuction or abdominoplasty. The minimal disruption of one’s daily agenda is another reason that patients find this treatment so ideal. The procedure is generally very well tolerated.

Patients often report that dieting is easier after Lipodissolve and this is often associated with weight loss. The exact mechanism behind this is not known but the decreased hunger is not associated with any ill effects such as nausea. It is most likely that the extra fat in the blood resulting from breakdown of fat cells fools the body into thinking you have already eaten. The effects of Lipodissolve are greater for those who simultaneously improve their lifestyles during the 2 – 3 month fat dissolving period. Apart from lean people who are simply using Lipodissolve to remove an annoying fatty lump or two, we encourage all patients to actively diet.

Many people are satisfied with the results obtained with two to four treatments.

Within 2 weeks the treated areas slowly begin to soften, minor bruising resolves and the fatty tissue thickness gradually begins to reduce.

Most people begin to notice contour improvement around the 4th week. The maximum fat loss occurs between the 4th and 8th week, and this is when the maximum changes in contours are noted. As it takes your body up to 12 weeks to fully remove the dissolved fat, but improvements continue to occur up to this time. Slight lumpiness due to the body preparing the fat cell contents for elimination can sometimes be felt in the treated areas during the first 10 weeks.

Side effects include stinging or burning, redness, itching, swelling and discomfort. This can last from a day or two, up to a few weeks. The amount of swelling varies between patients. The treated area feels warm and tender and is usually treatable with simple analgesics. During the first day a minority of patients can rarely also experience nausea, fever, dizziness or fainting.

These side effects are minimised by not using too high a dose. Sometimes as the healing proceeds there can be tender lumps but these generally respond to massage and heat. Ocasionally the skin can be discoloured for some time after the treatment and in some cases lipodissolve fails to effect a change.

When very small amounts are used to dissolve tiny bits of fat the side effects are much less and recovery speed much greater. Treatment of double chins is usually performed in a much more delicate manner than treatment of fat collections on the body.

Lipodissolve is not recommended for children, pregnant or breast feeding women, or those who suffer from lymphedema or lipedema, cancer, HIV AIDS, Hepatitis B or C or a severe end stage metabolic disease. It relies on effective vascular, lymphatic, immune and repair systems.

It is a good idea to avoid aggressive exercise for the first 24 hours after having lipodissolve, as a minority of patients can feel unwell during this period. Exercising can recommence the following day but remember that any activity that wobbles the treated fat will be uncomfortable as your treated fat will be sore. This can be lessened by wearing tight garments such as bike pants, leotards or skins. It is a good idea to swap high impact exercises with low impact exercises for a few days, whilst the treated fat is still sore.