The Food and Drug Administration has approved two new methods to remove unwanted fat, Zeltiq and Zerona. The first method essentially freezes the fat off, while the other uses a low-level laser to zap the fat cells.
Zeltiq involves a gel patch that shapes itself to the body and then is connected to a machine that freezes the unwanted fat. The cells essentially self-destruct and are absorbed back into the body over a period of several months. The treatment was originally approved by the FDA to anesthetize the skin before dermatology operations. “At first it was a strange pulling feeling, a little painful,” said one patient. “And after about five or 10 minutes, you basically get numb.”