i-Lipo: What You Need to Know

Medically reviewed by Urmen Desai, MD, MPH, FACSBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon
Written byAndrea KarrUpdated on February 20, 2024
RealSelf ensures that an experienced doctor who is trained and certified to safely perform this procedure has reviewed this information for medical accuracy.You can trust RealSelf content to be unbiased and medically accurate. Learn more about our content standards.
Medically reviewed by Urmen Desai, MD, MPH, FACSBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon
Written byAndrea KarrUpdated on February 20, 2024
RealSelf ensures that an experienced doctor who is trained and certified to safely perform this procedure has reviewed this information for medical accuracy.You can trust RealSelf content to be unbiased and medically accurate. Learn more about our content standards.

Fast facts

73% Worth It rating based on 11 reviews

$1,450 average cost

Minimal downtime

No anesthesia

Suitable for all skin tones


i-lipo (Page Image)
i-lipo (Page Image)

i-Lipo is an FDA-cleared, nonsurgical fat-reduction procedure, also known as laser lipolysis. Unlike surgical liposuction, the low level laser energy of i-Lipo doesn’t remove fat cells, and it doesn’t destroy them, like many other nonsurgical body-contouring treatments. Instead, it shrinks body fat by breaking down fat cell contents called triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol. The fat cell contents are released, and your body naturally eliminates through the lymphatic system over the coming weeks and months.

This cold laser treatment is primarily intended to take inches off the waist, hips, and thighs as well as the neck, upper arms, and other body areas. (Like other fat reduction treatments, it's not a weight-loss solution.)

The newest version of the device, i-Lipo Ultra, combines low level laser technology with vacuum massage and infra-red energy, to promote new collagen growth while enhancing circulation and lymphatic drainage. Energist, its manufacturer, says that this combination leads to not just fat reduction, but also skin tightening and cellulite reduction. However, clinical studies are scarce. 

If you’re interested in the benefits of body contouring, find a provider with experience in a wide range of fat-reduction procedures. If the two of you decide that i-Lipo is your best option, they will likely recommend a series of eight treatments over one to two months.

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Pros

  • Laser lipolysis requires no incisions or anesthesia. 
  • The procedure itself is painless, with no reported side effects. 
  • It's suitable for all skin types and tones.  
  • Downtime is minimal to nonexistent, so you'll be able to resume normal activity right away. 
  • It’s more affordable than traditional liposuction. 
  • You may lose a few inches from your waist, hips, thighs, or other body areas.

Cons

  • You may need up to eight sessions to see results, which may not be fully apparent for two to six months. 
  • Laser lipolysis doesn't actually kill fat cells, it just releases their contents. Because of that, results aren't necessarily permanent: the treated fat cells could expand again if you gain weight.
  • While many clinics tout "dramatic body reshaping" after the initial treatment series, patient reviews tell a different story. Many RealSelf members say they saw no results at all, hence its low Worth It Rating.

  • Average Cost:
  • $1,450

Your price will depend on the experience level of your provider, their practice location, how many areas of the body you have treated, and how many treatment sessions you have. 

Providers often offer a discount if you buy a series of treatments up-front.

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An i-Lipo laser treatment takes about an hour. Because i-Lipo's low levels of laser energy are painless, you won't need any anesthesia. They also won't damage any of the surrounding structures in your tissue—only the fat cell membranes.

You'll lie down, and your provider will place four laser pads on the targeted areas. The energy emitted by the pads' 36 laser diodes triggers a chemical signal in the fat cells, causing them to break down stored triglycerides (your body's natural energy reserves) and release them through the cell membranes as free fatty acids and glycerol. 

If you're having an i-Lipo Ultra treatment, the lasers will be paired with infra-red energy, as well as a vacuum massage in the treatment area, to boost your metabolism and help your lymphatic system process the released fat cell contents.

Whichever type you have, you’ll need to follow it with 30 minutes of post-treatment exercise, to boost blood circulation and support your body's natural process of metabolizing the freed fatty acids and glycerol. Depending on your provider’s facilities, you may be able to do this at their office, or you might have to head to your gym within three hours of your treatment.

Related: How to Speed Up Your Lymphatic System Post-Body Contouring

i-Lipo's manufacturer says you may see immediate results, as the contents of the fat cells are released. They also claim that "ultrasound imagery shows up to 30% reduction in the fat layer depth after just one treatment."

However, it takes months for your body to fully metabolize the released fat cell contents, so your final results may not become apparent for two to six months. 

Many RealSelf members say they saw no i-Lipo results at all, even after a series of treatments and months of waiting—hence the unusually low Worth It Rating.  

You’ll also need to stick to a healthy diet and exercise regularly to maintain your results. Without a consistently healthy lifestyle, triglycerides will once again build up in your fat cells, reversing any benefits you saw.

Laser liposuction and i-Lipo laser lipolysis are both body sculpting procedures that target fat. While their names are similar, the treatments themselves are very different.

Laser lipo is a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Typically done under local anesthesia, it uses the heat from laser energy to liquefy fat cells, which are then suctioned out through a thin tube called a cannula.

Liquified fat is easier to remove, so this is a less aggressive procedure than traditional liposuction, with just three to five days of recovery time. The heat from the laser energy also boosts collagen production and gives you some mild skin tightening benefits. 

Compared to i-Lipo cold laser treatments, laser lipo typically costs much more: about $5,300, according to RealSelf members. It also comes with risks, including burns (though this should happen only rarely, in the hands of an inexperienced provider), as well as bruising, swelling, and several days of downtime. 

So why consider laser lipo? The procedure has a significantly higher Worth It Rating from RealSelf members because it consistently delivers fat reduction results. 

The fat that's removed is gone for good, so laser lipo results can be permanent, as long as you stick to a healthy diet and regular exercise. 

The bottom line: if you're willing to consider a minimally invasive surgery, you'll probably be happier with the results from a true laser liposuction procedure or another type of energy-assisted liposuction, like VASER lipo.

Updated February 20, 2024

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