Pimple zapper
The laser that zaps fat
David RichardsonA FAT-BUSTING laser could make cellulite, acne and even heart disease dissapear, scientists say.
The device - developed in the US - is able to heat-up fat in the body without harming the skin above it.
The heated fat is then broken down and excreted by the body.
Advertisement your story continues belowProf Rox Anderson at Massachusetts General Hospital, led experiments using pig fat and skin samples.
He said results showed that the process could have many medical applications in the future, including treating acne. He added: “The root cause of acne is the sebaceous gland, which sits a few millimetres below the surface of the skin.
“We want to be able to selectively target the gland and this research shows that, if we can build lasers at this region of the spectrum, we may be able to do that.”
Cellulite
Cellulite and other body fat could also be targeted, as well as the fatty plaques that form in arteries, leading to heart attacks, he said.
The professor added: “We can envision a fat-seeking laser and we’re heading down that path now.”
The results of the research were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.
Judy O’Sullivan, a cardiac nurse from the British Heart Foundation, said the research sounded exciting but added that there was a “long way” to go before it could be seen as an effective treatment for heart disease. [source]