Lipodissolve, sometimes know as medical lipolysism is a fat-busting injection that is described as a nonsurgical alternative to liposuction. Tiny shots are administered to problem areas and the fat deposits ‘melt away’. However, many doctors are alaramed that the practice has spread so far so quickly and have warned that some of the concoctions used are not approved by American’s Food and Drug Administration. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery warned last month that the lipodissolve shots were scientifically unproven.

The treatment was pioneered in Europe and recently has taken off in the USA thanks to several large ad campaigns. But as the popularity of the injections has grown, so have the complaints. In a 2006 survery of 17,376 patients across 17 countries, results showed that 12% of patients were disappointed with the results of the injections. Although the survey did note that overall, the treatment has a good safety record, side effects and complications include hyperpigmentation (normally temporary), intense pain, and allergic reactions.

Part of the concern over lipodissolve injections is the custom mixing that happens. Different practitioners use different recipes with ingredients that are approved for different uses. These mixes fall into a regulatory grey area and so are not illegal.

The FDA currently has not approved any ‘fat busting’ drugs. Lipodissolve treatments cost from $900 upwards – a lot of money for a drug which hasn’t been proven to work.