These days, there are a hundred treatments available promising ‘non-invasive liposuction’. From fat freezing to external laser treatment, they are all marketed well, cheaper than the more invasive versions and more readily available – frequently they are available at beauty salons.
However, I have lost count of the number of patients who have come to my London aesthetic clinic for liposuction after these other ‘non-invasive’ treatments have failed. I hasten to add that these procedures do have their place – if you have a very small area of stubborn fat, with no real skin laxity, then an external procedure may well have an effect.
Fat Reduction – A stitch in time
The problem most people have with these procedures is that the majority of them rely on the body’s immune system in order to work, which can take up to twelve months. So the procedure might be very effective, but if you have paid for a procedure to get rid of fat as a last resort after diet and exercise have failed to work, you do want to see results quickly.
Fat Reduction – The larger issue
Another problem is that the vast majority of patients have more than just a tiny amount of fat to be treated, and if the fat really is that stubborn it may well have been there for a long time, meaning there will also be some skin laxity. If you have more than a very small amount of fat to be removed, you do need some form of suction for a treatment to be successful.
The fat reduction solution
Many people have sought these treatments not necessarily for reasons of cost, but because they are frightened of undergoing a surgical procedure, with all that entails.Thankfully, these days there is a middle ground between minimally effective, non-invasive ‘liposuction‘ and traditional, surgical liposuction. VASER liposelection and micro lipo are both minimally invasive forms of tumescent liposuction. This means that they do use aspiration (suction) to remove the fat, which means guaranteed results, but they do so through a tiny incision, which means the whole process is less traumatic to the body than traditional liposuction.
Both procedures actually offer a smoother result than traditional, surgical lipo, and Vaser lipo uses ultrasound technology to help break down the fat, which can provide a skin tightening element as well. My advice to anyone seeking non-surgical liposuction in London is to do your homework – read up on all the treatments available, and if possible seek an expert opinion on whether these procedures can work for you.