We live in such a fast paced, youth obsessed world today, that it’s not surprising promises of quick fixes such as Lippodissolve hold wide appeal. Witness the recent uptake of cosmetic procedures including Botox, injectable fillers and liposuction. People are willing to pay handsomely for procedures that promise fast results in the neverending quest to look young and beautiful. Thankfully, we live in a world where regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada oversee the safety and efficacy of new medical advances that hold such allure.
Recently, the FDA started alerting consumers about one such new procedure – Lipodissolve – a series of drug injections that claims to permanently remove pockets of fat on your body for good. Also known as injection lipolysis, lipozap, lipotherapy, and mesotherapy, the FDA maintains that false and misleading claims are being made about products used in lipodissolve, and about other misbranding of these products.
The drugs most regularly used in the lipodissolve injection regimen are phosphatidylcholine (PC) and deoxycholate (DC). Other ingredients may also be used, including drugs or components of other products such as vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts. The FDA is alerting consumers that:
- It has not evaluated or approved products for use in Lipodissolve
- It is not aware of evidence supporting the effectiveness of the substances used in Lipodissolve for fat elimination
- The safety of these substances, when used alone or in combination, is unknown
- It is not aware of clinical studies to support medical uses of lipodissolve.
In addition, the FDA has reports of unexpected side effects in people who’ve undergone the Lipodissolve procedure including:
- Permanent scarring
- Skin deformation
- Deep, painful knots under the skin in areas where the Lipodissolve treatments were injected
Warning letters to six medical spas in the United States and a company in Brazil – for making false or misleading statements on their Web sites about drugs used in the procedure, or for otherwise misbranding Lipodissolve products have been sent by the FDA this week.
