If you are struggling to get rid of stubborn areas of fat around the face and body that are difficult to reduce with diet or exercise alone, fat-dissolving injections may be the solution. Called injection lipolysis or lipotherapy, we use DESO Face & DESO Body lipolytic products at BU Aesthetics™ in West Kirby, Merseyside, to treat troublesome areas of fat on the abdomen, thighs, arms, hips, knees, back, and under the chin..
DESO Face & DESO Body contain deoxycholic acid and are injected into the pockets of fatty tissue to break down, emulsify, dissolve, and release the contents of the fat cells, allowing the body to naturally metabolise the expelled lipids through the lymphatic system over a few weeks.
Approximately 30 minutes, depending on the size of the area being treated. 2-4 treatment sessions are recommended at 6-week intervals.
Local anaesthesia is used to numb the area during treatment.
Pregnant or breastfeeding. Under 18 years old. Not suitable for patients with a high Body Mass Index, treatment is not a weight loss solution nor indicated for removing large quantities of fat.
Swelling and tenderness in the treated area, lasting 24-48 hours. Swelling may last 1-2 weeks, depending on the area treated, as the fat is broken down and metabolised.
Reducing small, localised areas of fat resistant to diet and exercise, including a double chin and fat accumulations around the abdomen, hips, thighs, back, knees, buttocks, or upper arms.
Starting from £200 for DESO Body and £250 for DESO Face. Pricing is calculated according to the number of 5cm x 5 cm areas to be treated for DESO Face and 10cm x 10cm areas for DESO Body.
Reduction in the size of small pockets of undesirable fat with incremental results over time. Results are permanent but dependent on future diet, exercise, and lifestyle.
If you’re unsure where to start, don’t worry — simply get in touch with BU Aesthetics™ or book a consultation with Caroline. She’ll assess your medical history, discuss your aesthetic goals, and develop a personalised treatment plan tailored to your needs.
DESO Face and DESO Body are used for a treatment called injection lipolysis or fat-dissolving injections.
The active ingredient in DESO Face and DESO Body is sodium deoxycholate (deoxycholic acid) which breaks down the membrane of the fat cells allowing the body to naturally metabolise the lipids to reduce fatty areas.
Fat cells stored by the body contain lipids or liquid fat. With lipolytic agents like DESO Face and DESO Body containing sodium deoxycholate, a natural enzyme used to emulsify fats, we can break down the fat cells, so they release their lipids. The body will then metabolise and expel the liquid fat as a natural healing response.
It can be very tricky to get rid of stubborn areas of fat, such as bra bulges, love handles, tummy bulges after pregnancy or caesarean section, and particularly double chins with diet and exercise alone. Most pockets of fat of this nature are a combination of excess fatty tissue and skin that has lost its elasticity, making them ideal candidates for treatment with injection lipolysis or fat-dissolving injections like DESO Face and DESO Body.
The active ingredient in DESO Face and DESO Body is sodium deoxycholate (deoxycholic acid), which breaks down the membrane of the fat cells, allowing them to release their contents as liquid fat (lipids). The body can then naturally metabolise the lipids, flushing them out using your lymphatic system and natural secretion. Over time and several treatment sessions, the area reduces, and the skin begins to firm and tighten with improved elasticity.
Fat cells are medically referred to as adipocytes and contain lipids or liquid fat. The body stores its fat reserves in adipocytes. We can use lipolytic agents like DESO Face and DESO Body containing sodium deoxycholate, a derivative of deoxycholic acid, to cause lipolysis, meaning destruction or breaking down of the lipid holders, the fat cells. Sodium deoxycholate is a natural enzyme used to emulsify fats which has been used in medical applications for many years. Deoxycholate is also found naturally in the human body as bile acid.
Injecting DESO Face and DESO Body into the fatty layer beneath the skin will break down the membranes on the outside of the fat cells, causing them to leak, dissolve and release the liquid fat from within. This commences a metabolic response in the body, and it begins a clean-up to eliminate the lipid waste through natural excretion. Because the fat is not removed or ‘sucked out’ from the body during treatment, as happens in a surgical liposuction procedure, treatment is only suitable for small accumulations of fat, like those that form grabbable bulges under clothing or under the chin allowing the lipids to be safely metabolised in this way.
DESO Face or DESO Body fat-dissolving injections are used to reduce small deposits of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise on the face and body, including:
It can also treat lipomas – non-cancerous lumps of overgrown fat cells that can collect and form under the skin.
It is important to understand that DESO Face and DESO Body are not weight loss solutions or a replacement for surgical liposuction for large quantity fat reduction. They are ideal for men and women of normal weight troubled by small areas of stubborn fat.
Both DESO Face and DESO Body contain sodium deoxycholate; however, as they cover different-sized areas of the face and body, the products appropriately come in different concentrations.
DESO Face is 0.5%, and DESO Body is 1.25% sodium deoxycholate. They also contain caffeine to promote lipid breakdown and equisetum, which helps to drain the fat cells more quickly.
A programme of fat-dissolving injections with DESO Face or DESO Body is required, comprising between 2 and 4 treatment sessions spaced 6 weeks apart, depending on the area being treated.
Before you can start treatment with DESO Face or DESO Body, you will need to book a thorough consultation with Independent Nurse Prescriber Caroline. She will take a full medical history to determine if you have any underlying medical conditions or known allergies or are taking any medication that could make you unsuitable or contraindicated for treatment. She will also take a history of your lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise regime. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) will be calculated based on your height, weight, age, ethnicity, and sex to ensure that you are suitable for treatment. The area you wish to treat will also be assessed by pinching and measuring the thickness of the fat to make sure it is suitable; this will also determine the quantity of DESO Face or DESO Body required and the number of treatment sessions.
If you are currently pregnant or breastfeeding or are under 18 years old, you cannot have treatment. Similarly, if you have damaged or broken skin in the area to be treated or an active bacterial, fungal, or viral infection, this must be resolved before treatment.
It is important that you discuss what you hope to achieve from fat-dissolving injections to the face or body so we can evaluate if it is the right treatment for your concerns. All aspects of treatment, including any risks, will be fully explained during your consultation, allowing you to book your treatment appointment or have some time to go away and think about it. Few treatments are performed on the same day as your consultation appointment.
You should expect some downtime following fat-dissolving injections with DESO Face or DESO Body. Although treatment is a minimally invasive fat reduction method, it will cause swelling and inflammation of the area after treatment, with mild discomfort and tenderness to the touch for 24-48 hours. Mild bruising is also common. Be aware that swelling can last up to 2 weeks, depending on the area treated. Cold compresses can help with any discomfort.
You can return to your normal activities as soon as you feel ready. If you are having treatment to the area under the chin, you may wish to take some days off work or have treatment ahead of a weekend to reduce the social impact of the associated swelling that is more difficult to hide compared to treatment of body areas.
You are advised to drink approximately 2 litres of water daily to maintain hydration and internal fluid levels, which will help your body flush the broken-down lipids out via your lymphatic system. Depending on the area treated, it may help to wear compression garments or body contouring underwear for up to 72 hours after treatment. Full aftercare advice will be provided.
The fat cells are destroyed and cannot fill up again, making the results permanent. However, without maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, new fat cells could form in the same locations in the future.
If you’re unsure where to start, don’t worry, simply get in touch with BU Aesthetics™ or book a consultation with Caroline. She’ll assess your medical history, discuss your aesthetic goals, and develop a personalised treatment plan tailored to your needs.
