A question that sounds like it should have an obvious answer, right?
However, there are many fat removal treatments, so there isn’t a standard answer to this query. The best way for me to tell you what fat removal is is to give you a brief overview of some of the different fat removal treatments available.
From fat removal with no surgery to medical weight loss, I’ve got it covered.
What Is In This Blog:
This body sculpting treatment uses HIFU technology; an acronym for High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, this technology has been used for decades by the medical community to ablate tumours within various areas of the body and has since been adapted for medical aesthetic treatments, allowing us to target subcutaneous fat cells and help get rid of stubborn pockets of fat.
Treatments such as Liposonix, use the HIFU technology to ablate the adipose tissue (fat cells) and cause molecular vibrations which cause an increase in heat to the targeted tissue, inducing the fat cells to die.
Following the Liposonix fat removal treatment, your body safely removes the fat cells in the same way it would a fatty meal. Most people can expect to see their fat reduction treatment results in four to twelve weeks after their treatment. As with all fat reduction treatments, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly, to ensure the best results are maintained in a healthy way.
This fat removal treatment is more frequently called ‘fat freezing’ and uses a non-surgical technique to freeze targeted fat cells in your desired area. Some treatments that use this technology are better known as Coolsculpt and Cristal.
During the Cristal treatment, two treatment heads can be placed on the area of concern, for example, if you want fat removal for the stomach, a treatment head can be placed above and below the belly button or either side of the belly button. The non-invasive fat removal is then gently vacuumed and cools the area down to such a degree that it causes the death of the fat, without damaging any surrounding tissue.
The technical term for the ‘fat freezing’ technology Cristal uses is ‘medical cryolipolysis’ and it causes the permanent removal of your unwanted fat allowing you to remove bulky pockets of fat and sculpt your figure.
Your body removes the treated body fat in the same way it would following fat removal with heat and the results usually follow between four and ten weeks after this hour-long treatment.
As you can see, fat removal with heat is like fat removal with cold in that both technologies bring about the death of your fat cells. However, at our invasive fat removal freezing Hertfordshire clinic, our preference is to treat smaller, stubborn pockets of fat with HIFU (heat) and larger, bulkier areas of fat with Medical Cryolipolysis (cold).
There are a few brands of fat removal injections that you may have heard of; Desoface, Desobody, Aqualyx, Belkyra, Celluform and Celluform + are some of the main, leading brands currently in the UK.
At our Hertfordshire clinic, we use Desoface and Desobody because it’s the next generation in fat-dissolving injections. This is a safe, FDA-approved treatment which allows you to target and sculpt fatty pockets and excess skin. The most popular area that our clients have treated is the double chin area.
Desoface and Desobody use a synthetic form of bile acid, Deoxycholate Acid (DA), which has been used across many medical specialisms for decades; the name of this synthetic ingredient is Sodium Deoxycholate (SD).
Within the body, DA emulsifies fat so that it is ready for the gut to absorb it. When applied to the subcutaneous fat during the Deso treatment, the synthetic SD dissolves the treated unwanted fat. Following the treatment, your body will naturally and safely metabolise the treated fat.
To put it simply, this is an overall weight loss treatment and not targeted fat loss or body sculpting like the other treatments I’ve mentioned. I’ve included it because, well, if you lose weight, you are reducing your fat stores; some of us may benefit from losing general weight before we go down the route of body sculpting and fat removal.
The National Weight Loss Programme is designed to treat those who have a BMI of 30 and above to lose weight; this is for both aesthetic purposes, like the fat removal treatments above, but also for the health benefits of being in a healthy weight range.
Alongside ongoing support and education from medical practitioners, FDA-approved, UK-licenced medications are used to assist with your medical weight loss. It is a once-weekly medication that helps to control your appetite and suppress food cravings which has been adapted to aid with weight loss rather than control Type 2 Diabetes, as was its original use.
At our established weight loss clinic, those undergoing the medical weight loss programme are monitored and supported by our medical team throughout their journey to reap the health benefits that come with a healthy BMI, including reducing the risk of 13 types of cancers and cardiovascular disease; improving mental well-being; reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes; and even reducing the risk of premature death.
Liposuction and, more recently Laser Liposuction are very popular surgical options to remove targeted pockets of fat. Both are effective methods of fat removal.
Traditional liposuction uses a cannula (a thin tube) which is attached to a vacuum and sucks the targeted fat out of your body. During the body contouring treatment the surgeon uses a solution in the area which makes it easier for them to suction the fat, helps to reduce blood loss and, importantly, helps to make the treated area less numb so you are comfortable during the procedure.
Laser Lipo, sometimes called SmartLipo, uses…yep you guessed it…a laser to help liquefy your fat in the chosen area. The excess fat is then sucked out in the same way as traditional liposuction.
The recovery from surgical fat removal is usually much longer and can be more difficult in comparison to non-surgical liposuction; a course of antibiotics is usually prescribed after the procedure and you may be required to wear a compression garment to control swelling in the area for a month or two afterwards. There are also risks from surgery that should be considered and should be discussed during a consultation at your chosen laser lipo clinic.
Should you like to know more about our non-invasive-surgical fat removal treatments, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team, we’d love to tell you more.
Surgical Liposuction and, more recently Laser Liposuction are very popular surgical options to remove targeted pockets of fat. Both are effective methods of fat removal.
Traditional surgical liposuction uses a cannula (a thin tube) which is attached to a vacuum and sucks the targeted fat out of your body. During the body sculpting treatment the surgeon uses a solution in the area which makes it easier for them to suction the fat, helps to reduce blood loss and, importantly, helps to make the area numb so you are comfortable during the procedure.
Laser Lipo, sometimes called SmartLipo, uses…yep you guessed it…a laser to help liquefy your fat in the chosen area. The fat is then sucked out in the same way as traditional liposuction.
The recovery from surgical fat removal is usually much longer and can be more difficult in comparison to non-surgical liposuction; a course of antibiotics is usually prescribed after the procedure and you may be required to wear a compression garment to control swelling in the area for a month or two afterwards. There are also risks from surgical liposuction that should be considered and should be discussed during a consultation at your chosen laser lipo clinic.
Non-surgical liposuction treatments, also called non-invasive fat removal treatments, like Liposonix, use high-intensity focused ultrasound technology to remove belly fat. The treatment, which takes upwards of 20 minutes depending on the size of the area being dealt with, can cause mild to moderate discomfort and it’s recommended that patients wear loose comfortable clothing after their session. Again, Liposonix is designed as a one-off experience, but further treatments can be undertaken to enhance the outcome and results can usually be seen between 4-12 weeks.
We know that maintaining a healthy regime of a balanced diet and regular exercise is super important in modern-day living. Sometimes though, no matter how much we try, there still remain those stubborn pockets of fat which just won’t go away despite the intense HIIT workouts and strength training sessions that we endure at the gym. And they’re always in places where we just don’t want them!
Body contouring is an advanced non-surgical fat reduction treatment for different areas of the body and is carried out by experienced practitioners in our clinic.
This is fat that sits under the skin rather than deep down around your organs. It’s found all over our bodies and we all have areas where we tend to ‘hold’ this type of fat more readily; thighs, bum, upper arms… for me, it’s my stomach and, as you’re reading this, I’m guessing that it’s probably the same for you.
Although visceral fat is deemed the ‘life-threatening fat’, excessive stubborn fat also has health implications; obesity, heart disease and diabetes are all risks.
Disclaimer: This blog is not to be used for diagnostic purposes. We are all unique which means that our results, recovery and suitability for any type of treatment will vary. Always seek the advice of a professional should you have any health or cosmetic concerns or to discuss treatments specifically for you.
Written by clinic co-founder Kerri Lewis | Medically reviewed by Nurse Jane Lewis, RN | The Skin to Love Clinic, St. Albans | CQC regulated | Save Face accredited | HydraFacial verified provider | Published September 2026. The difference between a facial and a HydraFacial isn’t just the products and ingredients used. It’s how they […]
18 Sep 2026
Written by Kerri Lewis, Co-founder | Medically reviewed by Nurse Jane Lewis RN, The Skin to Love Clinic, St. Albans | CQC regulated | Save Face accredited | Published September 2026. That mark on your chest. The small rough patch on the back of your hand. The little bump just below your hairline that looks […]
10 Sep 2026
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