The senior authors, Dr. Emil Bisaccia and Dr. Dwight A. Scarborough, are authors of the textbook The Columbia Manual of Dermatologic Cosmetic Surgery. Body contouring includes various treatment techniques to reshape the body. Most options, such as body implants, body sculpting, laser lipolysis, and even mesotherapy, are invasive to some extent. New to the market is a non-invasive, low-level laser device shown to emulsify and remove excess fat.
THE ZERONA LASER
Zerona (Erchonia Medical, McKinney, TX) is a cold laser that uses a low-level laser technology, which was initially developed and approved for use as an adjunct to laser-assisted tumescent liposuction. It was subsequently found to be effective when used off-label as a stand-alone treatment modality for body contouring, as described here. Effectiveness In company-sponsored, double-blinded, randomized trials, Zerona-treated patients lost an average combined total of 3.64 inches from the circumference of their waists, hips and thighs. Our own results, using the method described below, have been promising; treated patients have shown reduction of circumference in treated areas (See Figures 2A and 2B) and have overall been very satisfied with the results. Although we have not seen a dramatic reduction in fat with the Zerona laser, it is a good option for those patients looking for a completely non-invasive modality to reduce inches in treated areas. How it Works This low-level laser has been shown to emulsify fat and results in removal of excess adipose tissue and circumferential reduction of treated areas. Exposure of adipocytes to the low-level laser results in a transitory pore through which the contents of the adipocyte are evacuated into the interstitial space, where they undergo normal detoxification via the lymphatics.
PATIENT SELECTION
Contraindications to treatment with Zerona include pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, kidney disease, disease of the lymphatic system, active cancer or within 1 year of remission. Patients should be evaluated for metabolic disorders, and female patients should wait at least 1 week after menstruation to begin Zerona treatment. In addition, patients who have previously undergone liposuction may have varied results, since adipocytes have been removed.
OUR TREATMENT METHOD
Our protocol for body contouring treatment with Zerona involves six 40-minute treatment sessions spaced 48 to 72 hours apart. Treatments are painless and there is no downtime. Prior to Treatment To achieve optimal results, patients are encouraged to take nutritional supplements provided by Erchonia Medical, drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water per day, take moderate exercise of at least 30 minutes of walking per day, eliminate alcohol and caffeine, and maintain a healthy low-fat diet starting 1 week prior to initiation of treatment and ending 1 week after treatment sessions. Our Method • During each session, the four adjustable diodes of the laser are placed over the waist, hips and thighs for 20 minutes while the patient is supine. • The patient then turns over into a prone position for another 20 minutes. • Laser beams are emitted from each diode, and the diode must be adjusted so that adjacent laser beams overlap each other. • The laser head should also be parallel to the plane of the skin.
NON-INVASIVE BODY CONTOURING METHODS
Non-invasive body contouring is at the cutting-edge of laser technology as more and more patients seek a less invasive modality to improve body shape and appearance. Other non-invasive treatment options for body contouring include devices that employ radiofrequency or ultrasound wavelengths to tighten the skin, reduce the appearance of cellulite, or reduce pockets of fat (See Table 1). On the horizon is a device that uses controlled cooling to induce lipolysis (Zeltiq). Dr. Bisaccia is a practicing dermatologist and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Columbia University of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. Dr. Lu is a Fellow in an ACGME-approved Procedural Dermatology Fellowship at Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons in Morristown, NJ. Dr. Rogachefsky is a practicing dermatologist and is the Program Director of the ACGME-approved Procedural Dermatology Fellowship at Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologist Surgeons in Morristown, NJ. Dr. Scarborough is a practicing dermatologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, at the Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus, OH. Disclosures: Drs. Bisaccia, Lu, Rogachefsky and Scarborough disclose that they have no real or apparent conflicts of interest or financial interests or arrangements with any companies or products mentioned in this article.
The senior authors, Dr. Emil Bisaccia and Dr. Dwight A. Scarborough, are authors of the textbook The Columbia Manual of Dermatologic Cosmetic Surgery. Body contouring includes various treatment techniques to reshape the body. Most options, such as body implants, body sculpting, laser lipolysis, and even mesotherapy, are invasive to some extent. New to the market is a non-invasive, low-level laser device shown to emulsify and remove excess fat.
THE ZERONA LASER
Zerona (Erchonia Medical, McKinney, TX) is a cold laser that uses a low-level laser technology, which was initially developed and approved for use as an adjunct to laser-assisted tumescent liposuction. It was subsequently found to be effective when used off-label as a stand-alone treatment modality for body contouring, as described here. Effectiveness In company-sponsored, double-blinded, randomized trials, Zerona-treated patients lost an average combined total of 3.64 inches from the circumference of their waists, hips and thighs. Our own results, using the method described below, have been promising; treated patients have shown reduction of circumference in treated areas (See Figures 2A and 2B) and have overall been very satisfied with the results. Although we have not seen a dramatic reduction in fat with the Zerona laser, it is a good option for those patients looking for a completely non-invasive modality to reduce inches in treated areas. How it Works This low-level laser has been shown to emulsify fat and results in removal of excess adipose tissue and circumferential reduction of treated areas. Exposure of adipocytes to the low-level laser results in a transitory pore through which the contents of the adipocyte are evacuated into the interstitial space, where they undergo normal detoxification via the lymphatics.
PATIENT SELECTION
Contraindications to treatment with Zerona include pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, kidney disease, disease of the lymphatic system, active cancer or within 1 year of remission. Patients should be evaluated for metabolic disorders, and female patients should wait at least 1 week after menstruation to begin Zerona treatment. In addition, patients who have previously undergone liposuction may have varied results, since adipocytes have been removed.
OUR TREATMENT METHOD
Our protocol for body contouring treatment with Zerona involves six 40-minute treatment sessions spaced 48 to 72 hours apart. Treatments are painless and there is no downtime. Prior to Treatment To achieve optimal results, patients are encouraged to take nutritional supplements provided by Erchonia Medical, drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water per day, take moderate exercise of at least 30 minutes of walking per day, eliminate alcohol and caffeine, and maintain a healthy low-fat diet starting 1 week prior to initiation of treatment and ending 1 week after treatment sessions. Our Method • During each session, the four adjustable diodes of the laser are placed over the waist, hips and thighs for 20 minutes while the patient is supine. • The patient then turns over into a prone position for another 20 minutes. • Laser beams are emitted from each diode, and the diode must be adjusted so that adjacent laser beams overlap each other. • The laser head should also be parallel to the plane of the skin.
NON-INVASIVE BODY CONTOURING METHODS
Non-invasive body contouring is at the cutting-edge of laser technology as more and more patients seek a less invasive modality to improve body shape and appearance. Other non-invasive treatment options for body contouring include devices that employ radiofrequency or ultrasound wavelengths to tighten the skin, reduce the appearance of cellulite, or reduce pockets of fat (See Table 1). On the horizon is a device that uses controlled cooling to induce lipolysis (Zeltiq). Dr. Bisaccia is a practicing dermatologist and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Columbia University of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. Dr. Lu is a Fellow in an ACGME-approved Procedural Dermatology Fellowship at Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons in Morristown, NJ. Dr. Rogachefsky is a practicing dermatologist and is the Program Director of the ACGME-approved Procedural Dermatology Fellowship at Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologist Surgeons in Morristown, NJ. Dr. Scarborough is a practicing dermatologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, at the Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus, OH. Disclosures: Drs. Bisaccia, Lu, Rogachefsky and Scarborough disclose that they have no real or apparent conflicts of interest or financial interests or arrangements with any companies or products mentioned in this article.
The senior authors, Dr. Emil Bisaccia and Dr. Dwight A. Scarborough, are authors of the textbook The Columbia Manual of Dermatologic Cosmetic Surgery. Body contouring includes various treatment techniques to reshape the body. Most options, such as body implants, body sculpting, laser lipolysis, and even mesotherapy, are invasive to some extent. New to the market is a non-invasive, low-level laser device shown to emulsify and remove excess fat.
THE ZERONA LASER
Zerona (Erchonia Medical, McKinney, TX) is a cold laser that uses a low-level laser technology, which was initially developed and approved for use as an adjunct to laser-assisted tumescent liposuction. It was subsequently found to be effective when used off-label as a stand-alone treatment modality for body contouring, as described here. Effectiveness In company-sponsored, double-blinded, randomized trials, Zerona-treated patients lost an average combined total of 3.64 inches from the circumference of their waists, hips and thighs. Our own results, using the method described below, have been promising; treated patients have shown reduction of circumference in treated areas (See Figures 2A and 2B) and have overall been very satisfied with the results. Although we have not seen a dramatic reduction in fat with the Zerona laser, it is a good option for those patients looking for a completely non-invasive modality to reduce inches in treated areas. How it Works This low-level laser has been shown to emulsify fat and results in removal of excess adipose tissue and circumferential reduction of treated areas. Exposure of adipocytes to the low-level laser results in a transitory pore through which the contents of the adipocyte are evacuated into the interstitial space, where they undergo normal detoxification via the lymphatics.
PATIENT SELECTION
Contraindications to treatment with Zerona include pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, kidney disease, disease of the lymphatic system, active cancer or within 1 year of remission. Patients should be evaluated for metabolic disorders, and female patients should wait at least 1 week after menstruation to begin Zerona treatment. In addition, patients who have previously undergone liposuction may have varied results, since adipocytes have been removed.
OUR TREATMENT METHOD
Our protocol for body contouring treatment with Zerona involves six 40-minute treatment sessions spaced 48 to 72 hours apart. Treatments are painless and there is no downtime. Prior to Treatment To achieve optimal results, patients are encouraged to take nutritional supplements provided by Erchonia Medical, drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water per day, take moderate exercise of at least 30 minutes of walking per day, eliminate alcohol and caffeine, and maintain a healthy low-fat diet starting 1 week prior to initiation of treatment and ending 1 week after treatment sessions. Our Method • During each session, the four adjustable diodes of the laser are placed over the waist, hips and thighs for 20 minutes while the patient is supine. • The patient then turns over into a prone position for another 20 minutes. • Laser beams are emitted from each diode, and the diode must be adjusted so that adjacent laser beams overlap each other. • The laser head should also be parallel to the plane of the skin.
NON-INVASIVE BODY CONTOURING METHODS
Non-invasive body contouring is at the cutting-edge of laser technology as more and more patients seek a less invasive modality to improve body shape and appearance. Other non-invasive treatment options for body contouring include devices that employ radiofrequency or ultrasound wavelengths to tighten the skin, reduce the appearance of cellulite, or reduce pockets of fat (See Table 1). On the horizon is a device that uses controlled cooling to induce lipolysis (Zeltiq). Dr. Bisaccia is a practicing dermatologist and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Columbia University of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. Dr. Lu is a Fellow in an ACGME-approved Procedural Dermatology Fellowship at Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologic Surgeons in Morristown, NJ. Dr. Rogachefsky is a practicing dermatologist and is the Program Director of the ACGME-approved Procedural Dermatology Fellowship at Affiliated Dermatologists & Dermatologist Surgeons in Morristown, NJ. Dr. Scarborough is a practicing dermatologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, at the Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus, OH. Disclosures: Drs. Bisaccia, Lu, Rogachefsky and Scarborough disclose that they have no real or apparent conflicts of interest or financial interests or arrangements with any companies or products mentioned in this article.
