Lipo-dissolve- does it work and is it safe? |
Update 5/2/2016 Plastic surgeon states lipodissolve isn't a good idea UPDATE Jan 8, 2008: Fig.com has filed chapter 11, closed 17 clinics releasing 500 employees into the unemployed. A CEO interviewed by one reporter, cited "decreased discretionary spending by consumers, lower seasonal sales in the third and fourth quarters and bad press about Lipodissolve products" as the reason for the company's decision to shutdown. Apparently the clinics were closed in December, but the filing for chapter 11 was done on Monday Jan 6, 2008. The Better Business Bureau has received over 100 complaints about lipodissolve so it's not necessarily "bad press" which hurt the company. Following is my researched article about lipodissolve because I'm sure it will be back in another form! --- end update ------ A new procedure has been heavily advertised on TV. This procedure is called lipodissolve and is supposed to dissolve the fat without liposuction. One outfit called "FIG" (for figure) has been hard selling this over infomercials. Their website is fig.com and if you can believe them, it's the greatest thing since apple pie. Minimally invasive, they tell us and "it really works"
However, like anything else, there
are trade offs.
Even the venders of these shots
which go under the skin admit that they are not (as the infomercials
suggest) for large areas of fat and also treatments do not ensure that
fat will not return.
The shots themselves are not
approved by the FDA per se but venders are getting by that, by using the
compounding allowance i.e. registered pharmacists may compound
medications. However, at least one of the medications often included has
NOT been approved by the FDA.
As for what the shots contain, this
seems to vary from vender to vender, also not a good thing - because
without FDA approval, one can put anything into the shot.
One description stated:
Shots may not be as painless as
advertised. A couple of doctors experimented and experienced not only a
lot of swelling but after the swelling went down, no visible changes in
the fat. One doctor stated that 30 minutes after his shot of
lipodissolve, he felt like he had been stung by 50 bees, and his skin
had turned black. "I thought I would need a skin graft" he said.
Another doctor described his stomach looking like he was pregnant after
a lipodissolve shot.
"Missouri is the show me state",
said one doctor who decided after trying it on himself that he was NOT
going to offer it to his patients.
The venders of lipodissolve admit it
can cause irritation, swelling, red bumps on the skin. They also say
it's hard to gage the "after" effects as far as fat removal but that
"satisfied customers are the best proof".
(skinsperation is not up at present
- the site from which I quote the above)
There apparently is a long list of
people who are NOT APPROPRIATE candidates for lipodissolve. From one
cosmetic surgeon's site:
I was not able to obtain the
informed consent form but it might be interesting. My suggestion....
since the safety of this procedure is FAR from being established and the
group of those "inappropriate" for the procedure is rather large, and
the disclaimers of the providers suggest that it isn't that effective, I
would pass on this one.... JMO. In fact, I'd run the other way... :)
sources:
http://www.yourplasticsurgeryguide.com/liposuction/lipo-dissolve.htm
Thanks to Daphne Bradshaw for her research
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