New fat removal techniques tackle stubborn areas

New fat removal techniques tackle stubborn areas

Sometimes no amount of diet and exercise can shift unwanted love handles or excess flab around the knees or upper arms, but the introduction of several new non-invasive techniques could help more people get rid of stubborn pockets of fat safely and effectively.

Dermatologists are looking at three new fat reduction technologies to use with patients who have areas of fat that do not respond to diet and exercise and also those who have contraindications for liposuction surgery.

Key to these new approaches is the response of fat cells to temperature. Radio frequency techniques such as Bodytite use heat to melt away excess fat, while cryolipolysis freezes the lipids in fat cells, which subsequently dissolve. Ultrasound, on the other hand, uses high intensity, focused ultrasonic waves (sound waves) to destroy fat cells.

Dermatologist Dr Lisa Donofrio, associate clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine, explains, “Fat cells are by nature very different than other cells, particularly in how they respond to stimuli such as temperature.

“Most of the new technologies recently introduced for fat removal were developed based on this knowledge and, as a result, can target specific areas of body fat using energy delivered as either heat or cold.”