The Lipodissolve Clinic Blog

Why chose a non-surgical procedure involving many injections that might involve a few visits over a single surgical procedure?

The answer is the risk/benefit ratio.

Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty or suction-assisted lipectomy, is cosmetic surgery performed to remove unwanted deposits of fat from under the skin. The doctor sculpts and recontours the patient's body by removing excess fat deposits that have been resistant to reduction by diet or exercise. The fat is permanently removed from under the skin with a suction device. The patients is typically under general anesthesia.

The morbidity and mortality from liposuction is reported from several studies to be on average, 20-100 deaths per 100,000 surgeries. Higher with general anesthesia and higher when combined with other procedures like a tummy tuck. Tummy tucks have a death rate of 1 per 600 procedures just by itself.

Lipodissolve is a non-surgical procedure where phosphatidyl choline (lecithin) and deoxycholate (bile salt) is injected directly into the subcutaneous storage fat. The fat cells are lysed open from the substances and the patient's immune system sends macrophages to the area to clean up the debris. Swelling ensues enabling many macrophages or clean up cells to enter the area and the body then eliminates the macrophages and dead fat cell debris via the lymphatic system and the intestinal tract. This procedure is performed for the same reason liposuction is performed and in the same areas.

There is a zero mortality risk from lipodissolve. Thousands of procedures have been performed world wide without any death risk. The morbidity is also close to nil. There have been a few cases of infection of the area treated, but these cases were not performed by medical personnel.

The results from lipodissolve can be remarkable. The skin shrinks over the area where the fat has been lysed as needles promote skin tightening and the fat disappears over a few weeks allowing the skin to shrink as well.

There is swelling and some bruising, this is part of the process and necessary for the process, but not a risky side effect.

Lipodissolve can be done in small areas such as the jowls, under the chin and on knee fat pads, liposuction is difficult in such small areas.

With a desirable outcome and little risk, lipodissolve is preferable to the surgical procedure liposuction.

Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins that promote tissue growth. They are the hottest trend in upscale skin care lines.

The growth factors that are being used have been shown in the lab to promote collagen generation and to decrease collagen degeneration.

Skin is a wonderful impermeable protective organ. Water soluble topical applications to not absorb well.

Mesotherapy with needles or with an electric current greatly improve delivery of product.

The newest form of mesotherapy to hit the medical spa market is the microneedle derm roller. This is typically accompanied by pharmaceutical growth factors EGF and TGF, often with copper peptides.

In my Chicago area office in Evanston, I employ the use of full needle mesotherapy, electric mesotherapy which has the added benefit of an electrical current that contracts the muscles and tightens them, and microneedle derm rollers.

All the above methods greatly improve delivery of often expensive products that one would not want to waste by just applying them topically.

I can achieve lightening of dark skin spots while avoiding the use of hydroquinone by applying safer water soluble products.

By placing patients on oral astaxanthin which reduces collagen breakdown by 30%This accompanied by pharmaceutical EGF and TGF used with dermal rolling can not only prevent collagen loss, but can actually promote new collagen growth to the point of filling in small vertical lines.

Mesotherapy is not well known or frequently practiced in the states. However, it is a popular procedure in Europe where aesthetic medicine is a medical specialty. And, it is popular in my Chicago area office.

Typically mesotherapy is performed with small needles attached to a syringe in order to inject growth factors and vitamins just under the top layer of skin. This is performed to either enhance the collagen growth, reduce wrinkles or lighten dark spots.

Needleless machines which use a microcurrent to pulse the product under the skin have become popular as have meso guns and dermal rollers. The products that are used to encourage dermal growth and reduction of wrinkles have grown into a large list based upon ongoing research in skin repair and clinical outcomes.

Very fine needles are used as a method of getting product into the skin, but needles also stimulate the growth and repair cycle of skin as well as encourage tightening. Needleless machines use a current to open micropores in the skin in order to achieve similar results.

One of the benefits of mesotherapy on the face and neck, is a reduction in fine lines and an increase in the glow of the skin. The fibroblasts or cells responsible for the growth of collagen, become bathed in vitamins, minerals and growth factors. Micro trauma promotes new collagen growth even on its' own.

The mesotherapy technique can be used for cellulite reduction very effectively by using collagenase, a naturally occuring enzyme. The collagenase is injected into the abnormal collagen fibers that trap the fat cells, creating a smoother surface.

This technique can also be used for pain management by injecting lidocaine or traumheel or even just sterile saline as the needling itself often breaks an abnormal pain cycle.

There are so many products out there professing to turn back the clock. And, the barrage of supplements you "must" take lest you fall apart is mind boggling. However, for improved collagen and young looking skin, there are not many supplements that compare to red micro algae or "astaxanthin".

This is a naturally occurring plant called hematococcus pluvialis. It creates a red pigment which turns out to be the most potent of all carotenoids on the planet. It has many effects on the body.

When taken orally, it is one of the most potent antioxidants known to man, without any pro-oxidant state. It is one of the most known potent anti-inflamatory agents that has no negative side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding. It stimulates collagen production in skin and joints.

When used topically, It slows down collagen breakdown and decreases wrinkle formation by its' prevention of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from damaging the top layer of skin and its' reduction of inflammation from UVB light.

Astaxanthin is one of the key supplements I recommend to patients in my Chicago area office who either want younger skin, have elevated inflammatory markers, or have known decrease of collagen in their joints.

I also add this ingredient to the natural skin care and sunscreens that my patients buy.
Many of the commercial products on the market that claim to have astaxanthin as an ingredient, have too little to make a real difference.

Many prospective patients come to my Chicago area clinic asking for botox and fillers in the hope that their skin will look younger. The truth is that botox and filler can make a huge difference but not in enhancing the look of one's skin.

As we age, our skin becomes less reflective to light due to enlargement of pores and hyper-pigmentation in the deeper layers of skin. Both of these events happen secondary to damage. The abnormal pigmentation can be either red or brown.

I have found that the best way to brighten up the skin is to use intense pulsed light or IPL, and bipolar radio frequency (ELOS technology). I can get very good results using LED light, facial ultrasound and mesotherapy but it would take more treatments to get the same results as compared with ELOS technology. Occasionally, I might choose to use one of the other technologies if I need to achieve a specific goal.

There are many med spas offering "fotofacial" but only ELOS technology is "fotofacial". The other machines or lasers are not IPL coupled with bipolar radio frequency and therefore are either uncomfortable or not as potent.

While filler and botox are temporary, facial rejuvenation is not. Once the damage is removed and the pore size corrected, this is permanent until the skin might get damaged again. I always council my patients on what supplements to take and what to avoid on the skin in order to protect it in the future.