"Even when I exercise, my double chin and love handles stay the same — will I lose them if I get fat dissolving?"
"Injection, radiofrequency, freezing… there are so many kinds. What's the difference?"
This is the first thing people looking into fat dissolving bring up.
Hello, I'm Director Kwon Si-jin at DA Clinic Myeongdong ^^
We're getting ready to open our doors in Myeongdong soon, and with the opening ahead of us, since so many people are curious about fat dissolving, I wanted to lay it out first as a matter of information.
Going in thinking of it as a 'weight-loss shot' really is knocking on the wrong door.Let me go through the reasons one by one.
Fat dissolving isn't a treatment that takes off overall body weight; it refines the 'line of a local area' that dieting doesn't budge.We'll also go over what to check during the consultation.
Dieting and Fat Dissolving Differ in 'What They Reduce'
Dieting is a method that reduces the "size" of fat cells.The cells stay, and only their volume shrinks.
First, let me set the big picture.
Fat dissolving, on the other hand, is closer to reducing the "number" of fat cells in that area itself.
Picture a deflated balloon versus a balloon that's been popped and removed. If dieting is letting the air out of the balloon, fat dissolving is like cutting down the number of balloons altogether ㅎㅎ
That's why it's used as an adjunct for areas that won't budge "just there," like a double chin or love handles. The starting point is that it's not a procedure that replaces whole-body weight loss.
First, 'Injection' Breaks Down the Fat Cell Membrane with a Drug
The fat-dissolving injection works by placing an ingredient like deoxycholic acid directly into the fat layer to break down the fat cell membrane and clear it out through the lymphatic system.
Let's start with the fat-dissolving injection that most people think of first.
The broken-down cells don't refill, but the remaining cells can grow larger, so dietary management has to go along with it for the effect to hold.
It tends to suit precise work on small areas like a double chin.That said, it isn't done in one go — it's usually reduced bit by bit over several sessions.
Second, 'Radiofrequency' Heats While Also Addressing Elasticity
Radiofrequency devices like InMode FX have a slightly different character.
They use RF (radiofrequency) energy to heat fat cells and reduce volume, while also stimulating collagen in the dermis to address skin elasticity at the same time.
So it suits areas where you're concerned about both sagging and fat, such as drooping cheek fat.
If you want to reduce fat narrowly, an injection; if you want to address sagging and fat together, radiofrequency — picturing it split this way will give you a clear picture.(how much you feel it differs from person to person)
Third, 'Freezing' Reduces Slowly with Low Temperature
Cryolipolysis uses cold, just as the name says.
It takes advantage of how fat cells are damaged at lower temperatures than ordinary tissue, applying low temperature to the area to selectively damage only the fat cells.
Because the damaged fat is cleared out slowly over 1–3 months, it's a procedure where you wait for gradual change rather than immediate change.
That said, if you have an underlying condition sensitive to cold stimulation, such as Raynaud's syndrome, the procedure may be restricted, so a prior assessment is essential.
Honestly, You Have to Know This
None of the three fat-dissolving methods finishes dramatically in one go.Injections and radiofrequency are usually received in several sessions, and freezing shows change over several months.
Let me go through the reasons one by one.
And bruising, swelling, and temporary pain or numbness can follow.These usually subside within 1–2 weeks, but the recovery process differs from person to person.
Also, extensive areas or whole-body obesity aren't the domain of non-surgical fat dissolving. In those cases, honestly, another direction may be a better fit, so I think it's right to discuss it together during an assessment.
This isn't me telling you to get it no matter what — knowing the method that suits your concern comes first.
Each method runs on its own timetable
There are several methods, but what actually divides them is when the result appears.
- Injectablesswelling comes first, and the change emerges as it settles. Usually divided across sessions
- Radiofrequencywarms while addressing firmness alongside, so the change accumulates gradually
- Cooling-baseddescribed as reducing slowly over time
They have one thing in common: none of them finishes in a few days. So it's better to count backwards from an important date when setting a start point.
And don't judge while there's swelling.It's most swollen right afterwards, and adding sessions on that impression makes it easy to overdo.
The device families used on the body
Which device is reached for changes with the area and the purpose.This isn't a treatment one machine solves.
- InModethe firmness mode and the fat-side mode are separate. Comes up for tidying contours area by area
- Ondadescribed as reaching the fat layer with microwave. Also discussed for cellulite
- XERFa radiofrequency device using two frequencies to reach deeper layers
- InBodya body composition analyser. Needed to separate a drop in volume from a drop in weight
That last one matters more than you'd expect. With the body, judging by eye alone is unsteady. Weight can stay the same while the contour tidies, and weight can fall while the area you cared about stays as it was.
Measuring under the same conditions before you start and partway through makes it far clearer whether to add sessions or change approach.
It isn't a substitute for dieting
This is the expectation that goes off most often with this family.
Area treatments address the outline of that area, and their purpose differs from reducing weight.So if life continues unchanged while you have the treatments, it's hard to see the change you were hoping for.
The reverse holds too.Even as weight falls, areas that stubbornly don't shift can remain, and area treatments get considered to address them. In that order, the two complement each other.
And if weight goes back up, remaining fat can enlarge.It's why this is described as needing lifestyle management alongside rather than holding on treatment alone.
How recovery runs
- Day 1 to 3the stretch where swelling is most pronounced. With injectables, bruising often comes alongside
- Around a weekswelling drops noticeably
- 2 to 4 weeksfrom around here it's close to the actual appearance
So there's no need to judge it in the mirror the next day. If anything it's most swollen right afterwards, so a conclusion drawn from that impression will be off.
During recovery, postpone anything that raises the body's heat for a few days, and drinking enough water helps. If you have an important date, leave room.
That said, if pain doesn't ease but worsens, if only one side swells with warmth, or if a firm lump persists, contact where you had the treatment.
- It is not a treatment for losing weight
- It is about refining a local contour
- Choosing the method that fits the concern comes first
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Will I lose weight if I get fat dissolving?
A. Fat dissolving isn't a procedure that reduces your overall body weight, but an adjunct procedure that reduces the volume of localized areas that won't come off with dieting.If dieting reduces the size of fat cells, fat dissolving is closer to reducing the number of fat cells in that area itself.That's why it's used to tidy up the lines of areas that won't budge "just there," like a double chin, love handles, or inner thighs. That said, it can't replace exercise and diet.Since the remaining cells can grow larger even after dissolving, lifestyle management has to go alongside it.How much you lose varies by individual depending on the area and body type.
Q. Among fat-dissolving injection, radiofrequency, and freezing, which is the best?
A. Rather than any one method being the right answer, fat dissolving is a procedure where the suitable method differs depending on your concern and the area.If you want to precisely reduce fat in a small area, an injection that breaks down the fat cell membrane with a drug suits you; if you want to address sagging and fat together, radiofrequency that also looks after elasticity is the better fit.If you're more comfortable with gradual change than immediate change, freezing that uses low temperature is sometimes considered. Since each area calls for different suitable thickness and skin-elasticity conditions and the effects differ, I think it's right to decide the method through an assessment.There are also cases where several methods are combined.
Q. About how many sessions do I need for fat dissolving?
A. Fat dissolving is usually a procedure where you build up the effect over several sessions rather than finishing in one.Injections and radiofrequency are typically done in several sessions at set intervals, and freezing shows change slowly over 1–3 months after the procedure, so additional sessions are sometimes added.Rather than expecting a big change in one go, it suits you better to think of it as reducing gradually over a process.The number of sessions and intervals needed vary depending on the area, body type, and skin condition, and on which method is used.Rather than stating a set number as if it were the right answer, it's best to set it together while looking at your condition.
Not weight, but line
Shrink today's talk to one sentence and it reads like this.
Fat dissolving isn't a procedure that reduces weight — it's a procedure that 'refines localized lines with the method that suits your concern.'
Going back to the question I opened with, the answer is here.
If you're torn over which to get among injection, radiofrequency, and freezing, rather than memorizing the method names, first sort out "whether my concern is fat in a small area or fat accompanied by sagging." Then the path becomes clear wherever you consult.
DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon.We'll share opening news and clinic information first on our blog and Instagram ^^
Thank you for reading to the end.This has been Director Kwon Si-jin at DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article intended to provide general medical information; the effects and side effects of any procedure may vary by individual. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon. (Medical Service Act Art. 56)