From liquid rhinoplasties to non-surgical facelifts, in 2022 there are a seemingly endless array of cosmetic and aesthetic treatments available and waiting to transform the way we look and feel for the better. In particular, there’s been a huge increase in the number of non-surgical procedures on offer, as well as in the number of people taking them up, and with the industry expected to exceed £3bn within the next five years, the growth is only set to continue.
But while these days, you can have ‘tweakments’ to fix anything from dark circles under your eyes to a bump in your nose fixed in as little as half an hour, some years ago, such procedures could only have been dreamt of – and one issue we’ve been seeking the solution for for decades now is stubborn areas of unwanted fat.
There are few things that can knock your confidence quite as quickly as bingo wings or back fat, but while the obvious solution is eating a balanced diet and working out regularly, it isn’t possible to spot reduce particular areas of concern, and many of us find that no matter how many tricep dips or squats we do, they just won’t disappear.
One of the most popular treatments over the years to address excess fat has been liposuction, which first made its way onto the aesthetics and cosmetic scene in 1982, when French surgeon Sr. Yves-Gerard Illouz used cannulas to inject fluid into tissue to break up fat deposits, which were then removed using a suction device.
Dubbed the ‘Illouz Method’ at the time, it’s a process that has come on in leaps and bounds since, but is generally recommended for those with larger amounts of body fat. For the average gym-going person with a healthy lifestyle, it simply isn’t an option – and until fairly recently, experts have struggled to come up with an alternative that can treat small areas without patients having to go under the knife.
Enter, fat dissolving injections – or more specifically, Aqualyx – a minimally invasive way to treat the likes of double chins and other small pockets of stubborn fat on areas like the thighs, chest and abdomen. Although not a recommended treatment for weight loss, it has been dubbed a great tool for those looking to rid themselves of those last, tiny, unsightly bulges, and is considered by professionals to be effective for both body contouring and skin tightening.
So, what exactly is it? Well, Aqualyx is a solution made from deoxycholic acid, which can emulsify fat – dissolving the membranes of fat cells in the treatment areas and getting to work just as soon as it’s injected. Like most fat-reducing treatments, it isn’t an immediate fix, so don’t expect to leave your chosen aesthetics clinic with an instantly smoother silhouette. It takes around a month for the treatment to break down the target areas of subcutaneous fat and for the body’s immune system to eliminate them, but at this point, experts say you should start to gradually see some results.
It all sounds great, but of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve been presented with the latest and greatest non-invasive fat-reducing treatment that claimed to be the answer to our prayers. What we all want to know is whether or not it actually works – and according to scientific research, things look promising. There is, however, a caveat – a course of eight treatments is recommended in order to rid yourself of those unwanted pockets of excess fat, which means the entire process could take as long as eight months.
The good news, though, is that the effects are thus far thought to be permanent – so if you can find it in you to have the patience to see it through, then it could be worth all that time and effort.
Developed by Professor Pasquale Motolese at the Italian Society of Aesthetic Surgery and Medicine, Aqualyx has been CE approved for use in the UK, as well as adhering to rigorous health and safety standards within the EU, and is becoming increasingly widely available in aesthetics clinics across the two. So if you’re ready to wave goodbye to those bingo wings or say farewell to that double chin, then it might just be worth a try.
