Can a simple JAB really melt away fat?
It’s the latest way to get a trimmer tum – with astonishing results. But doctors are raising concerns. . .
This sounds l i ke a miracle answer to every woman’s prayers: a c heap, painless injection that melts away body fat in days. It’s certainly what managing director Belinda Puaar, 52, thought when she spotted an advert for new treatment Aqualyx at her local beauty clinic in North London.
‘I’ve always been a slim size eight, but after having my son ten years ago, I was left with a mum tum that no amount of exercise could shift,’ she says.
‘I tried everything, from aerobics classes to karate, but nothing helped.
‘My pot belly almost felt detached from the strong muscles I’d created underneath it. During an exercise class I could feel and see it wobbling. I hated it. My husband harbinder, who’s 42, never really noticed it, but my son Cameron did, poking and calling it: “Mummy’s jelly belly.” ’
It’s a problem that will have women of all ages groaning in recognition. From saddle bags to muffin tops, these stubborn pockets of fat — much more common on women than men — are almost impossible to target with exercise and seem to persist however much weight you shed.
And it’s these wobble zones that the controversial new fat removal injection Aqualyx is claimed to tackle.
The procedure, which has been described as ‘lunchtime liposuction’ and a ‘fat-melting wonder treatment’, involves injecting a fat-digesting enzyme — a naturally occurring chemical called deoxycholate — into pockets of fat.
This locks on to fat cell walls, breaking them down to release the fatty acids inside, which are eliminated from the body in your urine. Results may be seen in one treatment, it’s claimed.
The injection targets small pockets of fat and can’t be used over large areas. But i t’s considered suitable f or removing fat from thighs, jowls, stomach, hips, back and knees.
Because the fat cells are destroyed, the effects are permanent, but patients are advised to stick to a healthy diet and exercise, as they can still gain fat in untreated areas.
After being launched in Italy in 2009, the treatment has been used in more than 49 countries and more than
two million vials have been sold, yet it’s only just become popular here.
It has particular appeal for older women, as it seems risk-free compared with surgery.
‘The advantage over more invasive fatremoval methods such as liposuction — where fat is surgically removed via tubes inserted under the skin — is that there’s no hospital stay, no down time, no bandages, no time off work,’ says harley Street cosmetic doctor dr vincent Wong, a leading Aqualyx practitioner and trainer.
‘There’s little or no pain and no scarring. All practitioners need a medical qualification, too, unlike for fillers.’
The cost varies according to how much you have, but at between £350 and £1,000 for a course, it’s much cheaper than liposuction, which can be up to £5,000.
The ease and cost were what interested Belinda about the ‘too good to be true’ treatment. ‘I’d never thought about liposuction,’ she says. ‘I don’t think I’d have chosen such a drastic route.
‘After reading about the treatment, I booked in for a consultation with Trudy Freidman, a cosmetic nurse and director of the Aesthetic Skin centre. She thought my tummy would respond really well. For £450 it seemed reasonable, so I booked in for a week or so later.
‘I wasn’t nervous — as someone who’s donated blood regularly, I’m fine with needles. I had a series of six injections, three into each side of the fat area. The needles went quite deep into the fat and it was uncomfortable, but bearable. I was in and out of the room in under an hour.
‘All I was advised to do was wear looser clothing for a few days and to take paracetamol if I needed it.’
Belinda had been warned her stomach would swell. This is an inflammatory response and means the treatment’s working, says dr Wong. ‘When the fat cell walls start to be broken down, your body sends for white blood cells to start to clear the cell debris,’ he says.
But Belinda was still shocked at how swollen her stomach looked. ‘ From side on, I thought: “oh my God, what’s happened!” My husband was concerned. It was almost as if I was a few months pregnant.
‘As the swelling subsided, my tummy felt solid, then the hardness gradually broke down as if the fat bits were melting away — it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. eight weeks later, I could see my tummy was much flatter and smoother and I’d shed inches.’
Belinda was satisfied with the results after just one session. ‘I don’t think I need another round and the clinic agrees. I have one small lump, which the nurse thinks is persistent fat cells, so I may have a tiny follow-up injection. ‘I don’t fancy going through the whole process again, but I’d recommend Aqualyx to others.
‘The stomach muscles I’ve worked so hard to define are visible now. I’m really pleased with how I look for my age.’
But some doctors have expressed concern about how Aqualyx works, suggesting that sending fatty acids into the bloodstream is potentially disastrous for health.
dr Arun Ghosh, a private GP from Spire hospital liverpool, has previously said: ‘ I’ve seen a lot of treatments that claim to reduce fat by breaking it down into an acid so the body reabsorbs it and then passes it out. But it just doesn’t happen.
‘It’s dangerous to reabsorb fatty acids into your bloodstream. If it’s dissolved down into salt, it would send your cholesterol levels sky high. If it’s broken down into sugars, then you are sending your glucose levels soaring and that can lead to diabetes.’
Spokesman for Aqualyx John curran disagrees: ‘We know from studies there is no significant rise in cholesterol and in particular no impact on health. Similarly, it is incorrect to say there is a rise in sugar levels. categorically, Aqualyx is not at all related to the diabetes disease process.’
But naveen cavale, consultant plastic surgeon at King’s college hospital and spokesperson for the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), stresses that it’s ‘the big unknown’.
‘If fat cells are broken down to leave the body via urine, as is claimed, they would have to go via the bloodstream and kidneys. And if they’re broken down into sugars or salts, this could potentially disrupt normal levels,’ he says.
‘If there were large-scale, long-term scientific trials that measured patients’ blood levels before, during and after treatment we’d be better informed. Until there are, we just can’t say.’
Warnings such as these could not deter rosie hardwick, 35, a receptionist from Aberdeen.
‘I had my appendix removed when I was eight and the way the scar healed left an unsightly bulge of fat sitting above it,’ she says.
‘even when I was a gymnast for 15 years and at my fittest, it was still there. Surgery crossed my mind, but it was a friend who alerted me to Aqualyx. It sounded as if it had been designed for me.
‘My doctor suggested two treatments at £800, which is nowhere near as much as surgery costs.’ rosie had her first treatment in January. ‘Just as promised, the fat diminished gradually. There was never any discomfort. By eight weeks af te r t he treatment, I’d say it was half the size.
‘I f eel confident that my next treatment, due soon, will get rid of it all.’ Fatty areas on the face, such as a double chin, jowls or flabby neck, can be targeted, which may be appealing as exercise has no effect on these areas. Margaret Sammon, 71, a retired university lecturer from leigh-on-Sea, essex, had become increasingly conscious of her wobbly neck.
‘I’d even been growing my hair long to help hide it,’ she says.
‘I’ve always looked after my skin and don’t mind spending a bit of money on beauty products. But I felt my loose neck and disappearing jawline let the rest of me down.’
In January 2014, she went to beauty clinic vie Aesthetics, above Toni & Guy in Southend.
‘The consultant, dr Ioannis Liakas, told me about the new injection that could shrink my neck. It wasn’t a hard sell, I felt he really listened to my concerns,’ she says.
‘It sounded so promising. I’ve never wanted to look much younger than my years, but Aqualyx felt like something it was ok to spend my money on. After all, you spend a decent amount on skincare products over the years and the effects of this are for life.
‘ I had three sessions between January and April 2014 and got a special deal so I paid less than £200 per session. My neck did swell up like a bullfrog for a few days, but it was easy to hide with a scarf.
‘By the last treatment, I could see an enormous difference. Afterwards, I had a few small lumps of fat remaining, and dr liakas recommended ultrasound treatments to smooth these out — it’s often offered as a complement to Aqualyx, I’m told.
‘People now tend to think I’m in my 50s rather than my 70s.’
clearly Aqualyx has a growing fan base, but concerns remain about its long-term effectiveness.
‘The clinical evidence presented on the Aqualyx website is what we class as “l evel 5,” ’ says harley Street aesthetic surgeon dr dennis Wolf.
‘This means it’s just based on case studies and anecdotes, which don’t stand up in the scientific world.’
He Believes Aqualyx — along with any other external fat-reducing t r eatment, such as those that use lasers or freezing — is also limited by its unpredictability: ‘ once it’s injected, you have no control over what it does. If you use too much or don’t like what’s happening, you can’t extract it.
‘You could also end up with dips if too many fat cells are lost. So a good doctor’s approach would be to use it in small doses, then add more if needed. But that would take a long time and patients want to see a bigger change more quickly.
‘There are so many variables that could affect how someone responds, including age, lifestyle, metabolism, how much fat they have and where it is and how much Aqualyx is used. It’s possible you won’t see a difference.
‘Your time, money and effort would be better spent on a serious overhaul of your lifestyle. or you could have liposuction, the outcome of which can be predicted.’