Review (with before and after pictures) of i-Lipo Laser Liposuction Treatment

Everyone knows that diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight. However, that isn’t always enough and we all know there is almost always room for improvement!

The idea of getting full blown liposuction is kinda scary, so you might be a little excited to hear about i-Lipo. It’s a non invasive type of liposuction, takes about 30 minutes per session, NO downtime and it actually works!

Jessica Alba reportedly had a few i-Lipo sessions to get ready for attending the Golden Globes awards shows. She looked absolutely amazing! (And hasn’t she had two kids?!) I also saw the treatment reviewed on “Ricki Lake Show” and noticed substantial results on the woman they performed the procedure on during the show.

Okay, so you’re probably wondering, what exactly is i-Lipo and how do I get it?! Well, first off, it’s the first FDA approved, low level and non-invasive treatment to get rid of cellulite, fat, and lessen the appearance of stretch marks. It was created and launched in the UK, won a slimming award in Paris and is now used all over the USA, Canada and Australia.

How does it work? Four small plastic paddles are placed on the treatment area and secured with velcro straps so they stay in place. The paddles emit low levels of laser energy, which essentially blasts the fat cells without harming your skin. It sends the signal to break down the stored triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol which then releases the fat to be eliminated from the body. This process of releasing the fatty acids is actually a natural response the body has when the body needs to used stored energy reserves. So the nice thing about the i-Lipo is that it’s not creating any unnatural reaction in the body nor does it damage or alter any surrounding structures such as skin, blood vessels and peripheral nerves.

The usual treatment areas are abdomen (mummy tummy!), thighs, love handles/muffin top and even upper arms. You can basically get i-Lipo any place that you want to slim down that the i-Lipo paddles can be placed on. I decided to get my abdomen / mid-section done (although I considered doing my thighs since no amount of exercise seems to make them any smaller!).

Here is a local ad for the i-Lipo Treatment…

I decided to be brave and make an appointment at Dr. Jafar Koupaie’s office (Boston Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery Center)in Brookline, MA to receive the i-Lipo treatment from nurse practitioner Stacey Luddy.

I talked with Stacey for about 10 minutes before receiving the treatment and she was such a sweetheart! I asked her a bunch of questions I thought you ladies would want to know the answers to, before considering a treatment like this. Here is the scoop…

Q&A

1. How much does 1 treatment cost? Treatments range from $350-$650 each (BDCSC charges $500 per treatment) but you can get discount packages if you agree to doing the recommended 8 treatments.
2. How many treatments do I need to get full results? The recommended course of treatment is 8 sessions.
3. How many treatments before I notice ANY results? Generally patients can see results after just one treatment. (I did!)
4. How long does it take to receive 1 treatment? Each treatment takes about 30 minutes.
5. How far apart should each treatment be? There should be at least 4-5 days between each treatment to give your body time to get rid of the fat. Once a week is recommended.
6. Does it hurt? The most you will feel is a warming sensation.
7. Where does the fat go? It’s absorbed into the lymph system and flushed out. (Hence the recommended increase in water consumption post-treatment!)
8. Will it harm my skin? Your skin gets slightly red and warm (This disappeared before I even left the office.)
9. Are there any known negative side effects? Apparently people with extremely sensitive skin might notice more redness and it may last a couple hours before subsiding, but this extremely rare.*
10. Can I wear my HotPants after receiving the treatment? They recommended that I not wear them immediately after the procedure just to make sure my skin was not going to have a negative reaction to the treatment. My skin had absolutely no reaction to the procedure at all, so I wore my hotpants the next day.

* Please consult www.ilipo.com for more information.

Immediately after the i-Lipo Treatment, you’re supposed to exercise vigorously to assist in eliminating those freed fatty acids from your body. They recommend that you take a brisk walk or do 20 minutes of cardio. (I think doing one of Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred 20 minute workouts would be ideal.) I couldn’t find my Jillian DVD so I did 30 minutes on my Stair Stepper when I got home, the same day that I received the treatment.

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MY EXPERIENCE WITH i-LIPO

I have to admit, my husband was little more freaked out about me getting the i-Lipo procedure than I was. He was concerned about adverse reactions and side affects, on top of which, he said I didn’t need liposuction anyway. Isn’t he a sweetheart? hehe

I came prepared with a phone so I could snap a few pics of the procedure being done to me, a book to read during the treatment, a bottle of water to drink after I had the treatment and a list of questions to ask the nurse practitioner (see above Q&A).

Stacey answered all my questions before the procedure, then took me to the treatment room to begin. I had heard you could change into a swimsuit for the treatment, but it really wasn’t necessary. I left my clothes on, I just pulled my shirt up and tucked it under my bra and pulled my jeans down to around mid/upper thighs. She gently marked my abdomen with a pen and measuring tape and then took my measurements and wrote them down on the official i-Lipo paperwork.

I then proceeded to lay down on the table and have all four small, white plastic paddles carefully placed on the “treatment area” which in my case, was my midsection and then secured with a long velcro strap. (Bye, bye mommy tummy!)

Each “treatment” during the procedure took about 10 minutes, during which time I was left alone in the room. I took the opportunity to read a book. After 10 minutes or so, the i-Lipo machine would make a beeping noise and then Stacey, the nurse, would come back in and move the four paddles. She did this a total of 4 times so that my entire midsection was treated, both front and back.

When she removed the paddles, my skin was slightly damp from having the plastic paddles up against my skin and only slightly red from being warm.

Afterwards, Stacey whipped out a the “Ultra” attachment that worked like mini Dustbuster on my tummy. She used the vacuum massage on my abdomen for about 2 minutes, but from what I’ve read elsewhere, this part of the procedure is normally done for around 10 minutes. Either way, it was a weird sensation but I could see that it would definitely help with increasing circulation and getting rid of the fat!

“i-Lipo Ultra™ adds vacuum massage and a second infra-red laser wavelength to i-Lipo’s extraordinary body shaping capabilities to deliver improved circumferential inch loss and cellulite reduction. The vacuum massage action of the Ultra enhances the removal of released fat cell contents and optimizes absorption of infra-red laser wavelengths in the dermis to promote collagen growth and reduce the appearance of cellulite. The result is slimmer, tighter, smoother looking skin. The new i-Lipo Ultra incorporates 36 laser diodes and a vacuum massage to enhance lymphatic drainage, improve blood circulation and promote skin renewal.” (Source – http://www.ilipo.com/us/i-lipo/i-lipo-ultra/)

I snapped a few pics of the i-Lipo Ultra™ with my camera phone…

After that, Stacey got out the measuring tape once more to see what the results were. Stacey had warned me that because I was already fairly in shape, that my results would be much less than someone who still had 20+ more pounds to lose. We were both quite surprised to find that I lost a combined total of 4^1/2 inches off my entire abdomen!

Here is a picture of the actual “client treatment record” that Stacey wrote my measurements on…

Now, I made sure that I measured my OWN stomach the morning before the procedure, along with taking some “before” pictures, so I would be able to double check these measurements and results myself. Ya know, just in case she was holding the measuring tape differently or pulling it a little tighter post-procedure to make my results look more amazing…

So when I got home, after I did my 30 minutes on the stair stepper, drank TONS of water and then I measured my own abdomen. It was exactly the same as it had been that morning. Hmmm… I got a little discouraged. Evenso, I had my husband take some “after” shots. The next morning, I did another 20 minutes on the stair stepper (this time with the HotPants on), just for good measure and to make sure I was doing all I could to enhance my results.

When my husband came home from work, I measured my abdomen again before taking some more “after” pictures and lo and behold, I had lost a little over an inch just around my waist! Hallelujah!!! It really did work!!

I received my treatment on 2/18 and I took my last “after” picture on 2/21. The picture on the left was taken hours before my treatment and the picture on the right was taken in the evening on 2/21 – 3 days post treatment.

I personally think my results are more noticeable in person, then in the pictures, but you can see the biggest difference in the before and after is definitely the little “mummy tummy” right under my belly button. It doesn’t bump out over the top of my jeans anymore!

What would have taken me probably another month or two of careful exercising and dieting, I achieved in less than 24 hours after receiving the i-Lipo treatment. I would definitely be willing to get additional treatments although I think next time I would get my thighs done!!!

Overall, I would recommend the procedure to anyone who is having trouble losing weight or who has trouble spots that diet and exercise haven’t touched. You can eat right, drink lots of water, and lift weights and exercise, but it might not be enough.

The i-Lipo system has many advantages over other similar systems and even over traditional liposuction.

Clinically proven:
Independent clinical studies have shown i-Lipo to be, in some cases, comparable to results achieved by liposuction. Ultrasound imagery shows up to 30% reduction in the fat layer depth after just one treatment. Additional treatments improve results further. Results can be seen immediately after each treatment as the fat cell contents are released. Light exercise post treatment can accelerate the removal of the released fat.

To find a doctor who uses i-Lipo, visit the i-Lipo site at www.ilipo.com.