Raj Kumar asked:


Cellulite removal is one of the fastest growing industries in the medical world today. With 90% of women as prospective clients, it is not surprising that many are trying to ride the wave, and trying to make some profit from the despised condition called cellulite. Lipotherapy or lipodissolve is one of the products trying to ride this wave. It has been marketed as an effective way of removing cellulite, but for a consumer, does it work and is it safe?

We work hard for our money, and we seek treatments to improve ourselves, especially those that involve looking good. We expect to see immediate results, and we also want to be assured that the procedure or treatment that is going to be done is safe, and has minimal risk, and is worth our every dollar.

Lipotherapy is one of the treatments being made available to remove cellulite. It allegedly works by injecting either of two substances, namely phosphatidylcholine (PPC) or Sodium Deoxycholate, for multiple sessions to dissolve the fat causing the cellulite.

FDA Approval

The problem is that Lipotherapy is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) of the United States.  First and foremost, when looking for a treatment, it should be approved by the FDA.    Secondly, even experts stress that lipotherapy should ideally be only used for small areas of skin, and is necessary only if there is excessive fat or skin or both. 

Lack of Medical Trials

There has been a lack of information, and scientific trials to prove that lipotherapy is in fact safe.  The processes involved in lipotherapy have yet to be thoroughly studied by scientists and medical practitioners.  However, the current trend points to its drawbacks and the complications that come with it.  So much so, that the procedure has been banned in Brazil.

Lipotherapy vs Mesotherapy

But why is lipotherapy being questioned as unsafe and untested, when mesotherapy which involves a similar process has been approved by the FDA for years. How can they be differentiated from each other?

Lipotherapy can be differentiated from mesotherapy in that, mesotherapy has multiple applications in the medical world. This is because mesotherapy can be used not only for cellulite treatments, but also for muscoskeletal problems, neurological problems, and other cosmetic problems, not necessarily connected with cellulite removal. Lipotherapy on the other hand is confined to the mass killing of fat cells, and nothing else. What it does is kill the fat cells under the skin without any mode of selection as to which cells are good or bad. There is no differentiation of targeted cells at all. This is different from trying to decrease the fat cells size which has proven to be safer.

Not Recommended

In the end lipotherapy is not recommended for cellulite removal. With the host of choices out there, there is no need to insist on lipotherapy if in the end it will endanger your health, especially as it is not FDA approved. Experts suggest that one should always find a physician who is certified, and not just any other physician who offer their services. After all, it is your safety and well being that is important, more than anything else.

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Edith

Lisa Jenkins asked:


The topic of weight loss is hot. People want to know how they can shed pounds and keep them off for good. The downside of the weight loss boom is that billions of dollars are spent each year on weight loss treatments that have not been adequately studied to substantiate the claims being made.

First, there are creams on the market that claim to reduce cellulite and slim the thighs. The acids in these creams are supposed to tighten the skin and pull collagen fibers back together. The creams claim to eliminate the “dimple” effect and contour the skin.

According to plastic surgeons and other medical experts, there is no cream that can burn fat or reduce the size of fat cells. Though creams may improve the look of your skin, unless you change your diet and add exercise, the fat will remain.

Second, there’s lipo-dissolve, which is sometimes called injection lipolysis and frequently confused with mesotherapy. Lipo-dissolve usually involves the injection of drugs known as PCDC or phosphatidylcholine and sodium deoxycholate, which practitioners say ‘melts away’ fat. This injection fat removal treatment has become exceedingly popular despite the Food and Drug Administration’s statement that, “these are unapproved drugs for unapproved uses” and the lack of controlled studies to prove the safety and effectiveness of PCDC. In addition, several medical societies have warned against the treatment. In May 2007, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery warned patients against the use of injection fat loss treatments stating that none have received FDA approval and there have been no published peer-reviewed scientific reports of properly performed prospective clinical trials to confirm safety or efficacy. This is not an alternative to liposuction for people that want to get rid of large amounts of fat. The injections are intended for small problem areas that can’t be changed by diet and exercise. Seriously obese people are not candidates for lipo-dissolve.

We’ve all heard of transdermal patches. They work by leeching medicine through the skin and into the bloodstream over time. The technology has been used for contraceptives, nausea, and smokers trying to kick the nicotine habit. Now, they say it can be applied to weight loss.

The claims are that this patch, worn behind the ear, can cause you to lose weight. It speeds up your metabolism and suppresses the appetite, The transdermal administration technology appears to work, look at Nicotine patches, for example. But it has not been evaluated by the FDA to be effective in weight loss.

Have you heard of seaweed diet and weight loss soap? It’s a Chinese soap that claims to firm, tone and contour the skin as well as eliminate the inner fat out of the human body. How does it do this? The truth is, we have no idea. The claim that the soap eliminates fat from the body has not been evaluated by the FDA and has not been adequately studied for effectiveness in weight loss.

What about body wraps? Spas claim that customers will lose several inches in one session. Combine that with several more sessions and your body will shrink before your eyes. What is the easiest weight to lose? You guessed it-water weight. These stimulating wraps will squeeze as much water out of you as they can. The kicker is that while you want to trim ten inches off your thighs, you may see a half or quarter of an inch reduction in each thigh. The ten inches comes from the minuscule losses everywhere else added together.

Diet pills have been a popular weight loss treatment for years. Many diet pills that claim to speed up metabolism contain ephedrine, which comes from the Ma Huang plant. Over time, these pills have been shown to cause heart problems in young patients. Other conditions, including increased heart rate and blood pressure were also noted.

Last, Hoodia is a known appetite suppressant that comes from a plant called hoodia gordonii. The plant is only found in the Kalahari region of Africa. Companies have tried to imitate its effects and are marketing everything from gum to pills to drink mixes with hoodia derivatives. Read the fine print. Most of these diet pills don’t contain enough of the hoodia to suppress the appetite.

When considering any type of weight loss treatment, do your homework. You want to be sure that what you are buying is safe and effective and that you aren’t stuck in a position having spent sums of money with no weight loss to show for it. Second, watch out for treatments that claim rapid, easy, and quick results. Healthy weight loss is anything but fast. Keep your expectations about weight loss realistic. You can’t expect to lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks by taking appetite suppressants. Healthy weight loss involves a balance between proper diet and exercise.



Jorge

Alien asked:


If you are looking for a non-surgical, non-invasive solution to stubborn areas of fat, your solution is on the horizon. Although still in clinical trials, ultrasound can now be used to melt way fat, and FDA approval should soon be on the way. Liposuction is the most popular procedure performed. Thousands of men and women undergo liposuction every month to remove unwanted bulges and bags of pesky fat pockets. Several non-surgical fat removal techniques are the topic of great interest. One of the most exciting new treatments is an experimental technique called non-invasive body contouring. This fat removal technique uses focused ultrasound waves to break up and eliminate pockets of stubborn fat on the stomach, thighs, and hips. This non-surgical fat removal technique takes only an hour and does not require an incision. This cutting-edge technique is non-invasive and virtually painless, allowing a patient to return to work right after the procedure.

Natural liposuction alternatives include dieting and exercise, the combination of which boosts metabolism. This particular liposuction alternative relies on the body’s ability to rid itself of fatty tissue in specialized areas; these liposuction alternatives vary by individual—for some people, they only alter body shape to a point. Other liposuction alternative recommendations include dressing to conceal body flaws, or simply ignoring them, the sort of liposuction alternatives that can be difficult to accept when you know that change is possible.

Another type of non-surgical liposuction available is collagenase injection. This enzyme, which can destroy the fatty tissue collagen, has been proven to work to get rid of unwanted fat cells when injected into a fatty area. Your body just reabsorbs the broken down cells and gets rid of them. This drug is still being tested by the FDA as it is unknown whether the enzyme could destroy wanted tissue as well as removing unwanted fat.

Mesotherapy

In Europe and South America, mesotherapy has long been a popular way to get the results of liposuction without surgery while also reducing cellulite. During mesotherapy, doctors use tiny injections of amino acids, medications, and holistic compounds to dissolve fatty tissue.



Diana