Laser zaps fat with light
Like many of us, Jennifer Lampron wanted to get rid of some bulges around her waist. She says her waist was like the top of a muffin over her jeans. The mother of two says no matter how much she exercised or watched what she ate, she couldn't get rid of the "muffin top."
Her father, OBGYN Kevin Wisler, M.D. of Elyria stopped delivering babies twelve years ago and delved into cosmetic procedures when some of his patients started asking about vaginal rejuvenation. Dr. Wisler needed to learn how to do liposuction to accomplish the procedure. That launched him into cosmetic procedures.
Dr. Wisler is also Jennifer's father and when he brought the new Zerona laser into his office she was anxious to test it out. "It's a cold laser. It doesn't hurt it actually stimulates the cells causes the cells to actually lose the fat and it actually leaks out into the interstitial space and is cleared by the lymphatic system."
The low level laser emulsifies the fat without damaging the tissue. Dr. Wisler says the laser's been used for for years to help make liposuction quicker and easier. But now, Erchonia Medical, the company that makes it, found that external exposure to the laser can have a similar effect without surgery. The company's research showed patients were losting an average of five to six inches with just six treatments.
Treatments typically last around 40 minutes. Twenty minutes for each side. But that depends on what part of the body is under the laser.
The laser, emits a red beam that moves in pattern over the exposed area. Jennifer didn't feel a thing. She repeated the session Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two weeks. She says she noticed a difference after the fourth treatment. "My clothes started fitting better."
After six treatments she says she lost three inches around her waist and 2 and a half on each thigh.
But there's a catch. Dr. Wisler says the laser doesn't work for everyone and depending on the area of the body you want lasered, it can cost between $2500 to $3500 for six sessions.
It's also not a permanent fix. If lifestyle changes like exercise and diet aren't followed the fat will most likely just come back. However, Dr. Wisler thinks it's a jumpstart for people who just have a few stubborn inches to lose.
He also discovered one other benefit to the laser. He wanted to know where all the fat was really going so he started doing fasting lipid profiles on his patients who used it. The before and after tests actually showed some improved their cholesterol levels. He's now planning on doing more research to see if this may be a long lasting effect of the laser.
To contact Dr. Wisler and learn more about the laser, call 440 452 8594 or click on the links.
© 2008 WKYC-TV