These inches suck.

October 14, 2012 8:01 PM

LIPO-Light: Does it work? Would I be able to get it without my boyfriend noticing any side effects (besides inch reduction)?

I'm in my thirties, female and am in good shape and eat healthy. I work out 5-6 times a week and run 25-40 miles a week and have been doing this for years. However, despite diet, exercise, etc., I just cannot lose fat on my lower abs and outside upper thighs.

I found a Groupon for a LIPO-Light in Boston (Skin Spa Clinic on Newbury Street) and was thinking about getting it.

After doing a bunch of Googling, it seems that this isn't surgery but laser therapy. No surgery? Awesome!

However, I don't want my boyfriend to know that I'm doing this. Does it leave any bruising? Scars? Marks? I can talk openly to him about my body but he thinks I'm "Beautiful just the way I am". However, I know I'd feel *much* better about me if could just lose these damn 1-2 inches! They make me so self-conscious!

I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has had LIPO-Light!

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (7 answers total)

The first thing to ask with something like that isn't "is there some plausible way this could work" or "is there some person who thinks they look better after having this done", it's "is there any scientific evidence put forward by the people offering this treatment that it actually does what it purports to do."

Even the manufacturer's *best* before and after pictures show almost no difference, and several of them show noticeably better posture, etc, in the "after". The "how it works" page is extremely vague and goes on to tell you that you have to exercise to make it work (riiiight), and the front page is full of promises to help practitioners market the device--if there was really a non-invasive way to accomplish this, why would it need that much marketing? Why would they need to sacrifice that kind of profit to do a Groupon? It would be the most popular thing since sliced bread.

You say "beautiful just the way you are" like there's some kind of flaw there. Women are meant to be convex in some places, including the hips and belly. A few extra inches there can make you markedly more attractive to men than the alternative. No reason not to do toning and so on in those places, but a little curve there isn't a bug, it's a feature.
posted by gracedissolved at 8:40 PM on October 14, 2012 [6 favorites]

Here is an answer and question board that addresses led light therapy. I have looked into this myself for fading spots on my skin from sun damage. Apparently they use the same red led light therapy.

I am getting a little skeptical that red led light therapy can : remove wrinkles by stimulating collagen, fade sun damage spots, melt fat in selected areas, firm skin just to list a few of the claims.

I'll be watching this thread closely
posted by JujuB at 8:50 PM on October 14, 2012

[Folks, the question is not "How do I deal with my boyfriend's reaction?" Please stick to details about the actual procedure. ]
posted by restless_nomad at 9:57 PM on October 14, 2012

I'm sorry but you can not lose weight by someone shining a light on you even if it is a low power laser (think laser pen). It's a scam
posted by Podkayne of Pasadena at 11:48 PM on October 14, 2012 [2 favorites]

Let me offer a non-biological argument about its effectiveness: if it did work, it would be the holy grail of weight loss- effortless, non-surgical spot reduction- and it would not languish in obscurity in a handful of spas, only discussed on sketchy web sites. You would see it discussed endlessly on every news program, every talk show, and during every commercial break in all forms of media. The fact that this isn't the case should be enough to tell you that it does not work.
posted by lefty lucky cat at 7:30 AM on October 15, 2012 [3 favorites]

Well, here's an academic study that was done examining the efficacy of low-level laser therapy on spot fat reduction (but not weight loss). They did not follow the subjects long term, however, and I do not know if the type of laser in the study is the same as the one you are considering. Also, the study was probably funded in part by the maker of the laser (as clinical trials often are), though the researchers seem to be from a public university.

I would talk to a real plastic surgeon or your general physician before doing anything -- reputable medical practitioners don't usually offer coupons.

[If anyone wants the pdf of the full article, MeMail me your email address.]
posted by bluefly at 10:31 AM on October 15, 2012

As far as I know the only laser that works for helping fat is the Cellulaze laser--though its long-term efficacy is untested. It also doesn't remove the fat, just smooths it out. Lipo-Laser is not that type of laser.
posted by schroedinger at 4:30 PM on October 15, 2012