Fat Dissolving Injections – Will They Work for Me?

Fat-dissolving injections have made a huge impact on the current aesthetics industry. The term ‘fat dissolving’ is greatly appealing to pretty much every human in the modern-day world. But what exactly is it and will it work for everyone? Many clients and therapists at beauty schools ask this question every day, hopefully, this blog will help answer and explain these queries.

How does it work?

Fat-dissolving injections work by emptying the fat cells within the hypodermis, otherwise known as the subcutaneous layer of the skin. However, not all fat is dissolved during this treatment as the injections will only affect the type of stubborn fat that we do not need to live. For example, the fat that is naturally occurring in the body and is there for protection is formulated differently to the extra fat that is deposited due to an excess, unbalanced diet. If we put on weight, it is generally distributed evenly around the body and no matter how big or small we become, our general shape will stay the same. Fat-dissolving injections should be targeted on stubborn areas of fat that would still be apparent if we lost all of our excess weight.

What areas can be treated?

• Jawline
• Jowls
• Double chin
• Bingo wings
• Arms
• Bra fat
• Love handles
• Flanks
• Stomach (upper, lower or all)
• Thighs (inner and outer)
• Knees

Other areas can also be possible to treat if the therapist believes it will work in that specific area. The main way to tell this is by doing a pinch test. Many people believe they have pockets of fat however this may be more skin and or loose muscle. When testing a specific area, the therapist will feel around to see if the area is main area of stubborn fat cells. The most common misconception is the ‘double chin’ clients may come forward for the fat dissolving treatment, however, the therapist may find that this area is mainly loose skin. They would then need a skin tightening treatment to combat this desired area. The client may have a degree of loose skin and some stubborn fat in which case the client can have 2 separate treatments to combat both issues.

Ok, so we know how it works but what exactly is it?

The 2 main fat-dissolving products on the market are Aqualyx and Kobella. Generally, Kobella is only available in America so the most common one used in the UK is Aqualyx. Both are synthetic copy of the body’s gastric acid. It absorbs the fat within the fat cells which is then passed out through your kidneys naturally. Because of the way the body excretes this product, it is near on impossible to inject too much into any given area. Making this treatment extremely safe and effective. Should the product be injected too deep, say into the muscle, there will be a slight bump for 4-5 days, and then it will be absorbed into the body and excreted anyway?

How long will it take to see results?

Immediately following this treatment there will be swelling and bruising for up to 7 days. After this time, once the swelling has subsided you should see an improvement within the treated area. All clients should be advised to have 3-6 treatments spaced 4 weeks apart to see lasting effects. However, you cannot just be injected a few times, see results and then embark on an unhealthy lifestyle. This treatment need to be accompanied by healthy eating, light exercise, and plenty of fluid intake. The fat cells within the skin can and will quickly fill up again in your client falls into an unhealthy lifestyle. It can sometimes be described as going to the gym: To maintain results, you must first commit to getting to where you want to be physically and then maintenance must continue. Once you have had your course of fat dissolving injections and are living a healthy lifestyle, you can start to space your testaments our further and further. Some clients will get to the point where they have top-up injections 1 to 2 times a year.

Can I train in fat dissolving injections without any previous qualifications?

The prerequisites for Aqualyx, fat dissolving (Napage technique) are as follows:

• Full NVQ in Beauty therapy (electrical or massage route)

OR

• 12 months needling experience (microblading, SPMU, micro needling, etc)

OR

• 6 months needling experience AND Anatomy & Physiology level 3 or above.

At Eclipse we offer all of the above course so if you are thinking of getting into fat dissolving, we can create a learning program so that you are able to complete the Aqualyx course even if you’ve got no previous experience or qualifications.