How Well Do You Think Zerona Body Slimming Works?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I want to get your opinion. I want to get rid of some body fat. I am not obese but need some help getting rid of some fat areas. I really don’t want to get liposuction and am interested in trying the Zerona. What has been your experience with its use? Do you think it is worthwhile to do? Or should I just go ahead and get liposuction?

A:  As you have read about it and probably seen it in magazines or on TV, Zerona is a non-surgical device for circumferential fat reduction most commonly used for the waist, hips, and thighs. (although it can be used anywhere) It works by emitting a low-level laser energy that targets fat cells through a photochemical process. This causes the fat cells to temporarily open up and release fat which is then safely removed and broken down without side effects or downtime. 

Its manufacturer has done a considerable amount of marketing largely based on his clinical study that was used to get FDA approval. In this study, they showed an average inch loss reduction of 3.65 inches across patient’s waist, hips, and thighs in as little as two weeks.

While this sounds great, I decided in my Indianapolis plastic surgery practice to do my own study. We studied our first 10 patients who underwent a full series of Zerona body slimming treatments. Our results were an average circumferential measurement reduction of over 6 inches. On a patient satisfaction scale, seven (70%) were extremely satisfied and saw significant improvement, two (20%) were satisfied as they saw improvement but had hoped for more, and one (10%) saw little change or improvement and was not satisfied.

Our first Indianapolis results were better than expected. When it comes to the measurements, know how they are derived. When you have an average of 6 inches lost, this does not mean it comes from the waistline or from one single body area measurement. Rather it is the collective number of inches lost from a combined number of cirumcumferential measurements including the waist, hips and thighs.

Should you get Zerona treatments? It is reasonable to do of you understand that Zerona is not magic nor is it equivalent to liposuction surgery. And it may not work well for everyone. But most patients do end up see some visible body changes and were happy that they had the treatments. Because I want to have happy and satisfied patients, and do not want to see patients waste money if avoidable, we credit much of what patients pay for Zerona towards the cost of liposuction surgery should they decide to go that route after a Zerona treatment program.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana