Rebecca Knight asked:


Many people want to have liposuction. There is a reason why it is the most popular surgical procedure in 2005 based on ASAPS(American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). On the flip side many of the same people are concerned with the pain, risks and recovery times associated with a surgical cosmetic procedure like liposuction. This is where the quest for a liposuction alternative begins. Are there really alternatives to liposuction that are both effective and safe?

Liposuction has been used in the world of body contouring and shaping since the 70s. The liposuction procedures work to remove fats from areas that can include:

* Abdomen

* Thighs

* Knees

* Hips

* Buttocks

* Chin

Liposuction comes with the customary risks associated with surgery. Some are minor but some major risks exist particularly when anesthesia is involved. Recovery time is also a consideration depending on where you are having the fat removed and how much your are having done. These concerns drive the need for a valid liposuction alternative.

The most basic and common sense liposuction alternative revolves around changing your lifestyle to a more healthy one. Diet and exercise are a fundamental part of fat reduction. Some people have the discipline and the guidance that allow them to succeed in this area but others tend to go so far and reach a peak when it comes to fat reduction. People concerned with certain areas of the body like the abdomen or the chin may find that they can’t lose that last bit of fat no matter how hard they exercise and how well they eat.

For people who really wish to get rid of excess fats without surgery, you have several options to choose from. You need to be advised though that the results may not be as instant as liposuction. They do help you to reduce pain, risks, recovery time and costs.

Some Available Liposuction Alternatives

Depending on the area involved your liposuction alternatives may vary. Some liposuction alternatives that we have found are:

1. Thermage

2. Lipodissolve

3. Mesotherapy

4. Liposelection

Mesotherapy and Liposelection appear to be better for the bigger parts of the body. While Thermage and Lipodissolve seem to work better for the face, neck and chin.

Thermage is a liposuction alternative that uses heated lasers to tighten the patient’s skin on different areas of the body as well as the face. This procedure is considered a pain-free liposuction alternative and has been a common alternative for face lifts.

Lipodissolve is a procedure where fats are flushed out through the urine. The areas with unwanted fat are injected with medications and enzymes, which causes fat to dissolve and to be flushed out. Lipodissolve and mesotherapy are similar but lipodissolve is the liposuction alternative that is recommenced for removing excess fats on the face, especially the neck and chin areas.

If you need to work other areas aside from the face, neck and chin, another liposuction alternative called mesotherapy can be your best bet. This procedure has been used for many years to reduce cellulite. Similar to lipodissolve a patient is injected with a combination of substances. In this case medications, holistic compounds and amino acids are used.

Liposelection is the last liposuction alternative we will discuss. This treatment works by filling the fatty areas with saline solution to restrict the patient’s blood flow while breaking the fat tissues. Ultrasound energy is transmitted into the area for softening the fats and then taken out using suction and massage. In some ways this sounds like Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction but is said to be less painful.

These liposuction alternatives are not yet approved and you should know that the only proven method of removing fat cells is liposuction. However, these alternatives could work for patients who require small treatments. There are more options that are popping up every day but you need to consider their safety. We’ve also noticed a trend in trying to brand certain procedures even though they are very similar to each other. Research each liposuction alternative carefully.



Marjorie

Chris Chew asked:


Going for Mesotherapy treatment to lose belly fat or fat loss from any part of the body has always been complicated and controversial subject. This method commonly used for targeted body part weight loss is very popular in France, but is frowned upon by health authorities in many countries such as Singapore.

In March 2008, Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) warned patients and doctors against a list of unproven aesthetic treatments offered by doctors, from Mesotherapy designed to dissolve fat to anti-aging hormonal injections. However, there are also patients believes that those treatments work and thus the shroud controversy.

This article is not discuss whether Mesotherapy treatment is effective and safe to reduce weight or ideal for spot reduction, but will describe what this body shaping treatment is about.

The Mesotherapy was medical technique developed in 1952 by a French doctor, Dr. Michel Pistor. It is a procedure where a cocktail of medication and vitamins is injected into the mesoderm, the layer of fat and connective tissue which lies just under the skin.

Since then, thousands of doctors and physicians all over the world have used Mesotherapy for a variety of reasons such as overall weight loss, spot weight reduction, body shaping, cellulite reduction, wrinkle elimination etc. Mesotherapy is also often used to correct unevenness, lumps, or divots that develop after liposuction procedures. Liposuction is also another body fat elimination technique where body fat is physically and painfully ****** out.

The French Academy of Medicine endorsed Mesotherapy as an inherent part of traditional medicine since 1987 and The International Society of Mesotherapy has membership of about 15 countries from Europe to South America.

Mesotherapy treatment involves using a very small needle and medication is injected into the mesoderm. Sometimes the technique of “multi-pricking” is used. This technique involve number of swift injections are concentrated in a specific body part. Although “multi-pricking” can be done by hand, some treatment centers offer mechanical delivery systems that deliver the medication in a more accurate way and to reduce patient discomfort.

The medications used in Mesotherapy are supposedly designed to melt the fat cells under the skin and shrink the fat cells in the Scarpa’s fascia layer. The fat is then said to be excreted along with the bowel without any changes in the patient’s bowel movement habits.

For cellulite reduction, weight loss, spot reduction and body shaping, the medications are injected directly into the areas that are being treated. Treatments are usually given weekly and patients are supposed to be able to see visible improvement by the third or fourth treatment.

The medication used in a Mesotherapy treatment is usually a combination of vitamins, herbal products and medication. Many factors are taken into consideration when determining which is the most effective and safe combination.

Physicians administering the treatments will usually ask patients to follow a natural and healthy diet to compliment the treatment and because toxins are also eliminated in the process, patients must drink more water than usual to flush out the toxins and dissolved fat.

Patients who are pregnant, insulin dependant diabetics, history of stroke, cancer, blood clots and heart diseases are not good candidates for the procedure.

So does Mesotherapy work or is it a safe technique for weight loss and body shaping? The verdict is still out there until more scientific and medical rather than anecdotal evidence become more apparent.



Albert