Carolina Body Shapes

Zerona®

Unlike invasive weight loss surgery, ZERONA® is applied externally. This revolutionary method provides results without the dangers associated with surgery, while at the same time allowing patients to remain active during treatment. The ZERONA® protocol utilizes Erchonia®'s patented and clinically proven low-level laser technology.

Zerona is the first non-invasive body contouring procedure to effectively remove excess fat without the negative side effects associated with surgical methods. Zerona utilizes the same cold laser technology developed by Erchonia, which has been shown to emulsify fat and allow it to move to interstitial space. Although this technology was originally utilized to help assist tumescent liposuction procedures, it was found that the cold laser treatment alone helped patients to reduce inches from their waist, hip and thighs.

The cold laser technology behind the Zerona procedure was shown to exclusively release the cellular contents of fat cells while leaving the capillaries and other cells within the interstitial space intact. The release of the fat cell contents is the result of the disruption of the cell’s membrane. This membrane disruption, called a transitory pore, is the result of low-level laser stimulation.

Prior to laser exposure, fat cells have a regular, cluster shape, as seen in Figure 4. Within minutes of low level laser exposure, fat cells begin to develop transitory pores as indicated by arrows in Figures 6-9. This pore allows the evacuation of the cell’s contents into extracellular space (see Figure 7). Once the contents of the fat cell have been emptied (Fig. 10), they are released into interstitial space where it can be passed through the body during its normal course of detoxification.

Through a double blind, randomized, multi-site and placebo-controlled study, the Zerona procedure is proven to be an effective non-invasive cold laser weight loss and body contouring procedure. On average, patients lost on average 3.64 inches from the circumference of their waist, hip and thighs, whereas the placebo group only lost an average of a half of an inch.

The Zerona cold lasers provide patients with a safer alternative to surgical procedures, which can result in bruising, swelling, and damage to other tissues. There is no need to wear compression garments or bandages with Zerona and since there is no pain, there is no need for anesthesia. Unlike other non-invasive approaches, Zerona low-level lasers do not rely on heating tissue, which can cause discomfort. There is no downtime, so patients can resume their normal activities immediately.

Cold Laser treatments

Treatment with the Zerona laser is easy, painless, and carefree. Each session takes less than an hour; the low-level laser is used for a total of 40 minutes. The laser is applied to the targeted area, which is generally a combination of the waist, hips, and thighs, for 20 minutes. The patient then turns over and the very same treatment is applied to the opposite side. The minimum suggested treatment period is two weeks, with three full sessions each week. You should consult your physician about the maximum results for your body type, weight, and target loss.

Many patients have described the session as relaxing, and even Zen. Some even try to catch up on phone calls with friends and loved ones as they lay down. You simply lay in a comfortable, stationary position for twenty minutes at a time, in a relaxed environment, while the cold laser does all of the work. Since the Zerona uses cold laser technology, you feel nothing during the procedure. You may feel a bit different and lighter as you exit the treatment center due to the bio-stimulation that begins in your body.

While all doctors’ recommendations are different, many will suggest that you increase your fiber and water intake leading up to the procedure to increase the speed of results. Others may encourage a detoxifying footbath or massage immediately following treatment. Each of these procedures is voluntary, and varies from office to office. What remains the same are the results.

You are always welcome to listen to music, or just close your eyes and rest during the procedure. Listening to white noise such as running water or ocean waves is always a relaxing way to spend the forty-minute sessions. Ultimately, the treatment with a Zerona laser is a stark contrast to traditional methods of fat reduction procedures such as liposuction and gastric-bypass surgery. With Zerona, you can simply lie down, relax, and let the laser do all the work.