A Shot to Melt the Fat?
The treatment sounds great, but it's unproven
In most states, the fat-loss injections are considered a medical procedure that must be done under a licensed doctor's supervision. But that isn't always the case. An Ohio hair stylist, Richard Annabella, was arrested in April for practicing medicine without a license after he opened his own Liposolve spa and began treating patients. More than 60 customers, who suffered bleeding, infections, and ice burns from the numbing beforehand, have so far come forward to the police, according to Ray Arcuri, a lieutenant with the Westlake Police Department who is handling the case.
"I kept going thinking maybe it would work," says one former client, Cindy Strickland. "It was painful and left little cuts on my legs, but I wanted the end result." Annabella says that he administered phosphatidylcholine as a body wrap skin infusion, not as injections.
The bottom line, say plastic surgery experts, is that consumers should pass on the injections until they're proven safe and effective. "We really can't endorse the use of these injections at this time," says Guy. If liposuction seems too major and you can't make peace with the love handles, there's always the old standby: eating less and working out more.
advertisement
