Laser Lipo

Laser lipo targets fat cells while sparing other tissues in the body. Every laser lipo machine (brand names include Zerona and i-Lipo) is armed with lasers specifically designed to puncture holes in your fat cells. The lasers slowly perforate the cells so that they deflate. Your body keeps all the fat cells—a good thing since removing fat cells can have unintended consequences such as the fat reappearing in other places, as seen in studies on liposuction—but they shrink. The fat is then released into your interstitial fluid and flushed out by your lymphatic system.

Depending on where you're aiming to reduce the fat cells, you may need to strip down to your underwear before beginning. You'll then lie on a table, as a technician positions the lasers, aiming at the specific spots you're trying to shrink. You stay there while the lasers work their magic, with most sessions lasting between 20 and 40 minutes. Because low-level lasers are "cold" lasers, patients don't feel a thing, according to Lisa Bloch, director of the LifeTime Fitness Medi-spa. There is no pain, swelling, tenderness, or redness, so there is also no downtime. Unlike more invasive fat-removal treatments, you can immediately go back to work, exercising, or whatever else your day holds.

Afterward, however, you may feel something. Because the laser is causing your fat cells to release their contents into your bloodstream, you may feel a little tired, woozy, or sick afterward, particularly if you're not drinking enough water. "The water is key to flushing the fat and toxins out of your system," says Bloch.

A small clinical trial of the Zerona laser, sponsored by the manufacturer, found that patients lost an average of an inch off their waist and hips and an additional two centimeters from each leg. However, most of the patients regained at least some of the inches just two weeks after stopping the treatment. The FDA had enough faith in the treatment to approve it for general use in the U.S.

"This is definitely not a miracle cure," says Bloch. "This is complementary medicine, not a cure-all. It's designed to make your healthy eating and exercise more effective, especially if you're at a point where you've plateaued. You still have to do the work; it just enhances your results." She recommends that her laser fat-removal clients eat a very clean diet, work out moderately, wear compression undergarments, and drink water as if peeing were an Olympic sport. (Related: The Ultimate Plan to Lose Belly Fat)