What is I-Lipo? How many will treatments will be needed and at what intervals?

i-Lipo is a device produced by a UK company called Chromogenex. It is a low-level laser device that is said to cause fat cell breakdown without surgery, anesthesia, needles, pain, or downtime. Multiple treatments are "needed" for maximum benefit, and oh, by the way, "A period of exercise post treatment will ensure the complete metabolism and thus elimination from the body of the freed fatty acids." (copied from company website)

Actually, here is more direct copy from the website describing how this device reportedly works:

"The i-Lipo emits low levels of laser energy, which creates a chemical signal in the fat cells, breaking down the stored triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol and releasing them though channels in the cell membranes.  The fatty acids and glycerol are then transported around the body to the tissues that will use them during metabolism to create energy.  This process of fatty acid release is a natural response of the body when the body needs to used stored energy reserves, thus i-Lipo is not creating any unnatural reaction in the body nor does it affect or damage any surrounding structures such as skin, blood vessels and peripheral nerves.  A period of exercise post treatment will ensure the complete metabolism and thus elimination from the body of the freed fatty acids."

Chromogenex recommends 2 treatments per week for 4 weeks, and claims a 2-4cm loss (1%) in abdominal circumference per each treatment session. Each session lasts 20 minutes (10 minutes per side of the abdomen), followed by a recommended 30-minute exercise session to "metabolise the fatty acids freed from the adipose cells during treatment."

These 650nm laser array treatments are not yet available in the US (that I am aware of) and have not been reported in the peer-reviewed scientific or medical literature. While I am skeptical of this device in particular, and this company in general (they produced the N-lite pulsed dye laser for wrinkle treatment years ago--this seemed scientifically reasonable, yet proved to be of minimal clinically-visible benefit in real patients in my hands), the potential effectiveness of this device remains to be proven in actual patients.

If you were to be offered "free" or very-low-cost treatments as part of a study protocol or surgeon's evaluation for consideration of purchase or lease, I see no potential side effects from low-level non-ionizing 650nm red laser light. But my advice at this point is to pay little or nothing, expect little to no response, and be prepared to waste your time (except for the exercise part). Best wishes.

This is a newly touted device that is "supposed" to dissolve fat by external treatments with low intensity laser light. Here is a saying to remember. "if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is". There is not  much peer reviewed research to determine how efective this treatment is. For now, the most reliable way to get rid of unwanted fat is through conventional liposuction (this can mean laser assisted, ultrasound assisted or regular liposuction). The common denominator for all of them is that a cannula needs to be inserted under the skin and the fat aspirated out via suction.I hope this helps.

Regards,

Daniel Medalie, MD

Thanks for your question.  I-Lipo uses low level red light to release the fat calories from the cells.  This allows you to decide where the calories you want to lose come from.  For instance, those stubborn areas that never seem to change no matter what you do.  The calories are then picked up by the lymph system and deposited into the bloodstream.  It is the same process that our bodies use to keep our blood sugar stable throughout eating and non-eating periods of a day.  The laser boxes are placed on the skin over the area where you want to lose the fat from.  2 additional probes are placed over the nearby lymph glands to aid in the pick up of the calories to transport them to the blood stream.  
A session is composed of marking & measuring the area where you want to lose fat.  Placing the  laser boxes where you want to lose fat from for a 20 minute session.  The boxes get warm, but not hot.  Immediately after a session we remeasure the same previously marked area while the client is standing in the same position.  Most people lose more than an inch in the after measurement.  However there are about 2500 calories in an inch so burning off that many calories in 2.5 hours is impossible.  The more calories you burn the more you lose.  The calories that are not burned off are redeposited in the fat cells, maybe where they came from or maybe elsewhere.  The average loss in my experience is about 1/4 inch, some who burn a lot of calories can get to about 0.5 inch loss.  That is why the company says you can lose up to an inch per session. 
You need to do a minimum of 40 minutes of aerobic exercise within 3 hours of the start of the procedure to get any benefit at all.  The whole benefit is based on calories burned so loss is totally dependent on the clients Basal Metabolic Rate,  exercise type and length.
Some clients use I-Lipo as suggested, twice a week with sessions spaced by 24 , preferably 48 hours apart.  Others use it to get losing again when they find themselves stuck at a point in their weight loss journey. Others use it to keep themselves motivated.  
I hope this answers your question.
Pat Donahue, MS, FNP