May 28
Lipodissolve was first presented at the 54th Brazilian Dermatology Congress in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in September 1999 as a “Correction of Lower Lid Bulging by Using Phosphatidylcholine.” This technique was created when several patients asked for ways to improve their “tired-looking eyes” without undergoing a blepharoplasty.
How’d it work? Dr. Patricia Rittes reported injecting phosphatidylcholine underneath the eyes with “a marked reduction of the lower eyelid fat pads was noted over the 2-year follow-up period. There were no recurrences.”
Still it wasn’t until 2015 that a similar drug was approved for use in the United States when the FDA approved the use of Kybella for fat-dissolving injection in the chin area. Kybella is a synthetic form of deoxycholic acid, a chemical the FDA said is naturally produced by the body and helps it absorb fats.
ATX-101 (deoxycholic acid injection) is, to date, the only injectable drug approved in the United States for the reduction of fat and is currently undergoing trials for efficacy in body contouring and lipomas. A study published in 2023 using 370 participants who underwent an average of 1.8 sessions using just ATX showed noticeable results within 3 months.
Such as in the image above of a 47-year-old female patient who received 1 treatment with 36 mL of ATX-101 in the lower abdomen. On the left we see the abdomen prior to injections and on the right we see the abdomen 3 months after injections.
Today Medical Professionals such as Family Nurse Practitioner Singleton may use a combination of phosphatidylcholine (PC) with deoxycholate (DC). While this method isn’t currently FDA approved it is well documented. A report of 1,616 patients who received 15,122 treatments of lipodissolve during the last 6 to 7 years by two Minnesota physicians showed significant results.
- Under chin treatments, before and after (4 treatments)
- Abdominal treatments, before and after (4 treatments)
- Flank treatments, before and after (4 treatments)
- Bra/back fat treatments, before and after (4 treatments)
The authors ultimately concluded, “Lipodissolve is a highly effective procedure in reducing unwanted deposits of localized fat and that it can tighten the skin to some extent, providing smooth cosmetic results.”
Lipodissolve works best for areas of soft fat that are fluffy and relatively easy to pinch. Fibrous fat may not respond as well.