low angle side profile of a woman measuring her waist with an inch tape in the mirror

Can there really be a treatment that removes fat without suction? Olivia Abbott heads to Chic Face & Body Clinic in Ely to try I-lipo

There comes a time in every woman’s life (trust me) when she realises that there’s a bit of fat somewhere on her body that isn’t going to budge. Even if she’s dead skinny, you can ask any woman and she will tell you that she has ‘pockets of fat’ somewhere. And no matter how hard she exercises or how well she eats, nothing shifts them.

I like to think of myself as quite fit, and indeed, Jade, the therapist I meet at Chic, comments on my good muscle tone, but I still have this little roll of fat that threatens muffin top whenever I get my jeans on. ‘Women often find they lose weight from areas they don’t want to, and it sticks where they want to get rid of it,’ says Jade. ‘I-lipo is good for this, as well as for people who have a lot of fat they’d like to burn off.’

Something new

I-lipo is not liposuction and it’s not toning pads. Rather, it works by firing a low-level laser at fat cells, which temporarily opens the pores in the cell wall, so the contents can escape. At the same time, it stimulates the lymphatic drainage system – the body’s natural waste disposal system – so that the fat is transported to areas of the body where it can be metabolised during exercise.

So, there’s the catch, all you couch potatoes hoping for a miracle treatment that involves no effort. I-lipo works – but you have to give it a hand. ‘Once the fat has moved into the lymphatic system, you then have to do 30 to 40 minutes of cardio exercise to burn it off,’ says Jade. And there’s no point fudging it - it has to be cardio. ‘You have to get your heart pumping,’ says Jade, ‘otherwise it’ll just reappear back on your tummy.’

Diet is important for I-lipo to work too. As I lie on the couch with four laser-firing pads giving a rather pleasant warming sensation round my belly, Jade gives me a thorough grilling about my eating habits and lays down the law on eating on the day of a treatment.

‘Keep your carbs to a minimum,’ she says sternly. ‘When you do your cardio, you want to be working off the fat now circulating in your system, not the carbohydrates you’ve just eaten. And no chocolate and no alcohol today either.’

You know it makes sense

Treatments are done in a course of eight, twice a week for four weeks, and the sensible exercise and healthy eating advice continues throughout. ‘If you eat healthily on the day of the treatment but badly on the days in between, you’re just going to put the fat back on aren’t you?’ says Jade.

When my session, which lasts about 20 minutes excluding the pre-treatment measuring and very thorough health and lifestyle questionnaire, is over, we measure my tummy for the second time, and the evidence is right there: half an inch smaller. Inspired, I go out for a run for 40 minutes, determined to give the treatment the best possible chance of working, even though I’m only having the one for journalistic purposes. Sadly, my husband comes home with chocolate. Oops, sorry Jade... But the next morning my tummy is still half an inch smaller; I got away with it...

The treatment

What? i-lipo

Who’s it for? Those with stubborn areas of fat that refuse to move.

How long? First treatment and consultation takes about an hour, thereafter each treatment takes about 30 minutes

How much? £920 for a full course (offers may be available)

The results? If you stick to a diet and exercise regime, visible inch-loss

Where? Chic Face & Body Clinic, 14 St Mary’s Street, Ely CB7 4ES, 01353 665540, chicfaceandbodyclinic.co.uk