Ultrasound cavitation and belly / stomach / visceral fat

• Can I remove deep stomach fat (visceral adipose tissue) with cavitation?

• How deep does ultrasound cavitation penetrate? Does it reach deep belly / visceral fat?

• Can ultrasonic cavitation damage organs?

• How about high frequency ultrasound used for physiotherapy?

• Book a cellulite treatment in London with the cellulite experts

Can I remove deep stomach fat (visceral adipose tissue) with cavitation?

Visceral fat is the fat tissue responsible for the so-called “beer belly” look. It is also the most unhealthy fat you can have in your body, as it increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

So it is no wonder people ask whether they can reduce visceral fat - with any method.

However, as we can see below, healthy eating, weight loss and exercise (and lately anti-diabetic injections) are the only ways to reduce visceral fat.

How deep does ultrasound cavitation penetrate? Does it reach deep belly / visceral fat?

High-power ultrasound cavitation is one of the two most effective SAFE methods to reduce hypodermal fat (cellulite fat) on the stomach or anywhere else on the body (deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency is the second one).

The human body has the following tissue layers:

• Hypodermal fat is the most superficial fat layer and it is actually an integral part of the skin. This is responsible for the cellulite appearance.

• However, cavitation does not penetrate much deeper, and already it does not significantly affect the subcutaneous fat (the second deepest fat layer). In fact, ultrasound penetration and potency rapidly decreases with depth, especially at the low frequencies or very high frequencies used for fat reduction for aesthetic reasons (30-90 kHz and >3MHz, respectively).

• Below the subcutaneous adipose tissue lays some fascia and then the muscles. In the stomach there are four layers of abdominal muscles.

• Below that we have more fascia and deeper still we have the internal organs. The fat that is found above and inbetween the organs is called visceral adipose tissue (visceral fat).

As you understand, aesthetic ultrasound cavitation treatments have ZERO CHANCE of affecting or reducing visceral fat. No matter what any beauty therapist / doctor / other practitioner / equipment manufacturer misleadingly says, such thing ain’t happening.

Most of low frequency ultrasound energy is absorbed by skin and its fat tissue (hypodermal adipose tissue). A little bit is absorbed by the subcutaneous adipose tissue and a tiny bit more by the deep fascia and the muscles. By the time low frequency ultrasound reaches the viscera, it has already lost most of its potency.

At the clinic we have provided thousands of ultrasound treatments over the last 12 years and it has always clearly affected skin (including the hypodermal adipose tissue, for cellulite reduction), subcutaneous adipose tissue (a little, for some deep fat reduction), very, very rarely the superficial muscles (a tiny bit) and never deeper.

Can ultrasonic cavitation damage organs?

And that is actually good news, because if ultrasonic cavitation did penetrate deeper it would be unsafe to use, as it would also affect the internal organs themselves, not just the fat around them (not a good idea).

Of course, aesthetic ultrasound cavitation (below 90kHz or above 3MHz) does not damage any organs (cavitation machines have US (FDA) and CE (EU) regulatory approval and have been used for decades without any problems. As we said above, most ultrasound energy is attenuated and absorbed in the first millimetres of tissue, mainly dermis, hypodermis and subcutaneous fat.

How about high frequency ultrasound used for physiotherapy?

Ultrasound used for physiotherapy (1MHz) can indeed penetrate several centimetres, as it has a half value of 4cm.

However, physiotherapy ultrasound intensity is quite low (usually up to 12.5 Watts), as it is used to gently trigger healing changes in the tissues, not to disrupt fat cell membranes as cavitation does at high intensities (anything up to 75 Watts).

Trying to apply physiotherapy ultrasound at full intensity (most machines are even capped at 10W) in a small area so that it gets more concentrated is absolutely prohibited (DON’T EVEN THINK OF DOING IT AT HOME), as it can potentially cause tissue damage to your organs.

So not a good idea either.

As mentioned above, if one wishes to lose stomach fat, they should do it the old-fashioned way (i.e. exercise, nutrition and, if necessary, medication), instead of trying to destroy the belly fat with ultrasound, just so that they can keep eating unhealthily and avoiding physical activity.

Book skin cellulite treatment in London with the cellulite experts

At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.

This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.

As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.

Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.

Our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.

And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.

We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)