Laser is new weapon in fight vs. fat

Battling fat is getting a little easier with the help of a new laser that has made its way to Noblesville. It's called a Zerona.

Dr. Randy Shoup is one of the first people to have a Zerona laser in Indiana.

To demonstrate how the laser works, he asked a member of his staff to be a guinea pig. He focused the laser heads on her abdomen, where she'd like to lose a few inches, and turned on the machine.

During the treatment, the staff member reported feeling nothing.

A wave of the hand under the laser produces no sensation, but that only takes a few seconds. A treatment goes for 20 minutes. The Zerona laser is then repositioned to another part of the body.

Dr. Shoup said there is no risk of burning the patient.

"No, there's no heat, there's no pain, there's no nothing, you can't feel anything," he said.

The Zerona emits cold laser energy. Dr. Shoup said the laser is like a drill that bypasses the skin and targets the fat layer.

"That absorption puts little holes in the fat cells," said Shoup. "And those holes then leak out the fat, which her lymphatic system metabolizes away."

The laser treatment is followed by a light massage that, Dr. Shoup said, helps drain away the fat.

There's one more thing to know about Dr. Shoup: he's not a physician or plastic surgeon. He's a dentist with dental exam rooms in one side of his building and the fat laser on the other.

"I'm trained on the laser," said Dr. Shoup. "I know how the lasers work and we are certified to use the laser. So, we're perfectly capable and it's a hopefully a great place for people to come."

A Zerona treatment entails six sessions. Dr. Shoup said he's seen patients lose anywhere from three to nine inches.

Patients take Niacin and drink a lot of water and some wear compression garments afterward.

The cost is anywhere from $2,500 to $3,000.

It has received FDA clearance.