Is Cold Laser Therapy Right for Me?

What is this magic that people call cold laser weight loss? While its benefits may sound magical, the process is scientific.

What Is Cold Laser Treatment?

Sounds exciting, but what is cold laser therapy and how does it work on fat? Cold laser treatment encourages cells to function at their best. When a cell’s mitochondria soaks up the laser light, that light turns into extra energy and causes the cell to work more efficiently.

Also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), it’s most commonly used in physical therapy to aid muscle relaxation and recovery, increase blood circulation, and even reverse acne damage. Studies show LLLT noticeably improves the lives of patients with various needs, from acne to strained muscles to hair loss. Its relationship to fat removal is just as exciting.

So how does this fat loss magic work? Read on to learn about whether cold laser weight loss is right for you.

How Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) Works

It Shrinks Fat Cells

Low-level lasers cause a specific, fascinating reaction in fat cells: they encourage fat cells to develop tiny openings. Fatty liquids, or lipids, escape through these holes into the lymphatic system and then leave the body; fat cells stay in the body to help with vital bodily functions.

At this point you probably want to ask, don’t you want lasers to kill off fat cells? That is exactly what cold laser treatment wants to avoid! To keep functioning normally, “cold” is better.

It Maintains Cell Integrity

The word cold can throw people off — this treatment style uses laser levels that are “cold,” meaning their specific wavelength doesn’t generate heat and cause damage. Low-level or cold lasers aren’t actually cold to the touch, neither do they make the recipient uncomfortable; they are simply of a lower intensity than other lasers or lights.

The common thinking is that decreasing the number of fat cells is the best way to reduce body fat. But this compromises your health: our bodies require fat cells for a variety of functions.

In 1994, Jeffrey M. Friendman of Rockefeller University conducted a study on ravenous, obese mice. They realized that these mice couldn’t stop eating because they were missing leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells. Without a crucial hormone that regulates appetite, the mice couldn’t maintain a normal weight: they had a metabolic disorder.

The study was the first of many on fat cells. Beyond leptin, scientists got to know all sorts of previously undiscovered hormones produced by fat cells to help our bodies stay healthy. Not even 30 years ago, scientists didn’t understand that we needed fat cells. So it’s no wonder that the general public considers fat cells the enemy!

It may seem counterintuitive, but fat cells actually keep your metabolism healthy. Instead of destroying or removing fat cells, cold laser therapy for weight loss simply makes them lean and more efficient.

What Areas Can Be Treated with Cold Laser?

Erchonia lasers are the only fat loss treatment cleared for the whole body. You’ll benefit from the Emerald Laser regardless of your shape or where you hold your weight.

Maybe you need help on your back, around your face, or even in your ankles — cold laser therapy for weight loss is customizable to target your problem areas.

What Can I Expect During a Procedure?

You can expect a quick, relaxing session. One session is about 30 minutes, all of which you will spend lying down. There will likely be 10 lasers, and your provider will set them up for your specific problem areas.

You will treat all of your targeted areas at once, sculpting the whole body — you don’t have to come back over and over again to address additional spots.

What Does Cold Laser Therapy Treat?

Cold laser lipolysis or cold laser therapy is used to reduce fat in targeted areas. When an individual consumes more calories than they burn, most of the excess calories are stored as fat (lipids) in existing fat cells (lipocytes). Conversely, when you burn more calories than you consume, the body draws from these stored deposits of fat and converts them to energy. However, depending on age, genetics, gender, and a few other factors, some stubborn fat deposits can be difficult to lose. This is where cold laser therapy comes in.

Emerald Laser targets fat cells beneath the skin with ten 532-nanometer “cool lasers.” The reason they’re considered “cold” or “cool” is because they impart significant energy without superheating the skin. As was previously described, the lasers bore tiny holes in the walls of the lipocytes while simultaneously emulsifying the lipids inside. Now, in a liquid state, these fats can drain through the pores in the cell wall. As the fats drain out, they are safely disposed of by the body’s lymphatic system.

Emerald cold laser therapy is safe, effective, and painless.

Can Cold Laser Therapy Be Performed at Home?

While laser fat removal is non-invasive and among the safest fat reduction techniques on the market, it is still a medical procedure. Consequently, patients should never perform laser lipolysis on their own, and they should view any offers to perform laser lipolysis in the home with great skepticism.
Emerald Laser by Erchonia is sold to licensed professionals who are certified to use this product. While safe and painless, all sessions are conducted in a clinical environment under the oversight of a medical doctor. Should a patient unexpectedly develop a condition — either due to the treatment or for some other reason — there is a medical staff on hand.

Another advantage of going to an Emerald Laser-certified provider is that they are trained to develop tailored treatment plans for patients.

Is Cold Laser Therapy Safe?

Emerald Laser is an extremely safe fat reduction method. Because it’s non-invasive, patients avoid risks associated with anesthesia and infection. Erchonia was the first company to receive FDA market approval for laser lipolysis, and Emerald Laser is the only fat-reduction laser approved for individuals with BMIs over 30. Additionally, there are no known side effects, and most patients report that they feel no pain during their sessions.

How Long is Recovery after a Cold Laser Fat Loss Treatment?

Another reason laser fat removal sessions are easygoing is because there is nothing to prepare for. There will be no incision, no heat, and no pain. And that means — you guessed it — no recovery time.

Because cold laser therapy for fat loss is non-invasive, there are no side effects to bounce back from. By avoiding surgeries that come with invasive alternatives like traditional liposuction, you’ve avoided the time it takes for swelling to subside and tissue to heal. You’ve also avoided potential infection and the groggy effects of pain medication.

With cold laser treatment, the body isn’t physically manipulated at all, so there’s no bruising, pinching, or pulling. The process consists of lying down for 30 minutes, getting up, and going on with the rest of your day. The only thing some people report is deep relaxation.

How Many Treatments Do I Need to See Results?

Treatment speed depends on the person. Typically, results are noticeable before all treatments are through. Unlike other methods, you won’t have to spend months processing dead fat cells or recovering from surgery.

Because cold laser therapy for fat loss gets rid of the fatty acid inside cells rather than fat cells themselves, the purging process is quicker, so results become apparent more quickly too. Contrast this with cryolipolysis, for example. This process freezes cells to death. Lots of water and exercise are needed to help flush out these cells over a period of two to four months.

Unlike some other fat loss treatments that give you one treatment and ask you to come back if you require further results, an Emerald Laser provider will offer a full package of around six treatments.

What Results Should I Expect?

Inches lost will, of course, depend on your targeted areas. But clinical trials on larger areas can give you an idea:

Harvard studied 67 people. The study was randomized and placebo-controlled. Of those who actually received low-level laser treatment (not the placebo), the average loss was 3.51 inches in waist, hips, and thighs over two weeks. Emerald Laser conducted a clinical trial with comparable results: 5.9 inches in four weeks.

Am I a Good Candidate for Cold Laser Treatment?

Erchonia’s green lasers are the only fat reduction tool cleared by the FDA to treat fat loss in people with a BMI over 30. All other methods are recommended only for people that are close to their goal weight.

So cold laser therapy is accessible to a wide range of people, while other methods are for folks who are already fit and just need help with stubborn areas of fat that diet and exercise haven’t been able to snuff out.

The upper limit for Erchonia lasers is a BMI of 40. If you think that rules you out, take a look at these numbers for some perspective: Someone with a BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight. Just a five-point difference covers a wide range of people.

Someone with a BMI over 30 is considered obese. The ten-point jump to BMI 40 spans an extraordinarily wide range of needs and lifestyles.

Not only are Erchonia lasers the only fat loss treatment available to those in that ten-point range from BMI 30 to 40, but they also work for people who are lean and looking to attack stubborn areas of fat.

A Harvard study found that cold laser therapy delivers results without a change in diet or exercise. That’s why almost everyone is an ideal candidate for cold laser weight loss. While other treatments require you to have achieved significant progress already, cold laser therapy meets you on your way to lasting weight loss.

How to Make Fat Loss Last Long-term

Laser fat removal doesn’t work retroactively, so if you gain weight, only further treatments or a lifestyle adjustment will get you back to where you were. Maintaining fat loss is simple: keep a calorie neutral diet, and the treatment itself will likely help you with this.

Since cold laser therapy for weight loss is available to a wide range of BMIs and lifestyles, it often meets people early in their journey to a healthy lifestyle. That means it can give you a leg up — even slight weight loss can help you feel significantly lighter, making exercise and good eating habits much easier to manage.

Let laser fat removal give you a confidence boost to eat and exercise in a sustainable way! Beyond maintaining your results, you might even improve on them.

Find an Emerald Laser Treatment Provider Near You

Cold laser therapy for fat loss stands apart from other fat removal techniques for so many reasons. It’s non-invasive and intentionally preserves cells, so it doesn’t put stress on your body, nor does it require recovery time.

Since it’s for a wide range of body types and can access all parts of the body, it’s highly customizable. The fact that it doesn’t require you to already be fit or have a perfect diet makes it even more inclusive.

Cold laser weight loss gives you more than fat removal results: it also can be a huge confidence boost, to buoy you along your weight loss or body contouring journey. It removes much of the pain, hassle, and barriers between you and a happier, leaner life that you can sustain. Get in touch with an Emerald Laser provider near you to try it out.