Scottsdale/Phoenix Arizona
LipoDissolve and Mesotherapy - Don't Do It!

The term "Mesotherapy" comes from the Greek for "to treat the middle layer". The "Mesoderm" is the layer of the embryo that eventually develops into the fat, muscle, bones, and circulatory system. "Lipodissolve" is a newer term coined to describe the injection of materials into fat to try to reduce localized collections of fat. While the proponents of "lipodissolve" will sometimes claim that it is different from "mesotherapy", in truth, any treatment injected into the fat is, by definition, mesotherapy.

Mesotherapy has been employed since at least the early 1950's to treat a variety of problems. However, recently a strong marketing push, including the promise that it will "get you into your skinny pants", has brought mesotherapy onto the front page, especially here in Scottsdale/Phoenix, Arizona.

Nonetheless, the fact of the matter is that the scientific studies that would be required to determine whether these treatments are safe and effective have not been done.

At present, in the United States, the FDA has not approved any substance for injection into the body for this purpose. Proponents of mesotherapy and lipodissolve have claimed that these substances are natural compounds that can be considered nutritional supplements, and thus not under FDA's control, but, of course, nutritional supplements are taken by mouth, not injected.

It is actually fairly easy to damage fat with a number of substances, including the soap that dissolves grease from your dinnerware. However, what happens to the fat so damaged? And what happens to the leftover soap? Could it damage the liver or kidneys? In 2004, FDA prosecuted a mesotherapy practitioner, who was imprisoned, because "16 people were hospitalized suffering severe health problems" (FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, 2005 annual report), so this is not just an academic question.

You should also be aware that the major plastic surgery societies have warned about injection fat loss treatments, including The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. You may also want to check with the Better Business Bureau; when I checked with the Phoenix BBB at www.arizonabbb.org in November 2007, the BBB website reported that "Lipo Dissolve", at www.LipoDissolve.com (which has since renamed itself to "Fig"), "has an unsatisfactory record with the BBB due to one or more unresolved complaint(s)." If you are considering doing business with Fig in the Scottsdale/Phoenix, Arizona area, you should check with BBB for current information. For the Scottsdale/Phoenix, Arizona area, BBB can be reached at the website above.

Substantial additional information regarding these treatments is available at www.LipoTreatmentFacts.org.

Needless to say, Dr. Nachbar does not perform or recommend Lipodissolve or mesotherapy at present, and is awaiting scientific proof that these treatments are safe before trying them on his patients. He strongly recommends that you look at this very carefully, including the resources listed above, before undergoing these treatments.

One last thought: even if the fat cells were destroyed and released their fat, where do you think the fat would go? Fat doesn't get excreted by the kidneys, and once it is in the bloodstream, it does not leave through the intestinal tract. The body can do only two things with fat: burn it, or store it. So, even if LipoDissolve "worked", the best case would be that the fat would just get stored somewhere else in the body. So much for those "skinny pants"!!