• Though the FDA has not approved Lipodissolve, treatments do not violate any laws. Doctors routinely use medications, from aspirin to Botox, for "off-label" purposes. Off-label means the drug is being used for something other than it was initially intended.

• Lipodissolve is not for the morbidly obese (those 100 pounds or more overweight). The procedure is recommended for people who are moderately overweight (10-20 pounds). It's also for those with a body-mass index below 30. (Calculate BMI by multiplying your weight by 703, divide it by your height in inches, and divide by your height again. A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight, though the calculation is not always an accurate way to determine whether you need to lose weight.)

• There are side effects. They include swelling, mild pain and inflammation. Andrew Wolin, medical director at Fig in Scottsdale, Ariz., said those side effects are an indication the medication is working. Tylenol is often suggested for patients after the injections.

• Studies of the procedure are hard to find, but one conducted by an Austrian doctor showed "remarkable" reductions in fat deposits treated with the injections.

  Published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, the study looked at 441 people who experienced measured reductions in the upper belly, lower abdomen, hips, thighs, upper arms and face. The study concluded that Lipodissolve treatments were not a "replacement for a necessary change of lifestyle" or a "method of weight reduction or a treatment for obesity."

• Mesotherapy and Lipodissolve are not the same thing, although they often are paired together. Lipodissolve uses PCDC for targeted areas. Mesotheraphy is an overarching term for injections beneath the skin. Mesotherapy has been used for five decades to treat skin and vascular disorders, inflammatory conditions and circulatory problems.

  Sources: Drs. Alan Matarasso, Robert Pitera and Andrew Wolin

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