There are many lasers on the market to date that tout some pretty amazing statistics, obviously the weight loss arena is incredibly competitive because let’s face it, everyone wants to lose weight, and the faster and more convenient the better!
According to the Journal for Laser surgery, cold laser therapies have been around in experimental formats since the late 1960’s, initially people had fears that exposure to lasers would have severe carcinogenic and even cancerous based side effects. This limited most testing to laboratories and animal trials. Fast forward 50 years after various clinical trials and double blind studies, the effects of lasers proved beneficial for a number of things, chief among them their uncanny ability to target and radiate adipose tissue or fat cells.
Near Laser Assisted Lypolosis – NLAL System
There are many laser based weight loss systems available on the market but it is not surprising that many of them carry no double blind clinical trials to substantiate their claims and many of them are actually classified as a class 1 medical device by the FDA. Class 1 medical devices do not require and clinical testing nor proof of results. Class 2 and 3 require much more rigorous testing to verify their approval process with the FDA, this is always something to be mindful of when selecting the correct device for your practice. One system that separated itself from the pack that we reviewed was the NLAL system, this portable Class 2 medical device uses a belt system paddle that has up to 12 connective leads and Velcro attachments that patients can easily secure around the waist line, each paddle contains a multi diode device containing 30 cold red lasers at 635nm spectrum, and each system can handle up to two patients at a time per 30 min treatment.
The NLAL had several clinical studies to substantiate its claims, and those claims by the way were a doozey. They claimed in addition to emulsifying the fat the treatments in fact helped tighten the skin and had the ability over a few treatments per week to shrink the waist by 3 inches or more!! Ok, you should immediately stop reading, pause, and really contemplate what 3 inches looks like, and think about how much that would be if it was removed from your own waist line! That really puts things in perspective. We had to see if that could possibly be true, so how exactly did they substantiate such an extraordinary claim?
Can it really take off 3 inches off the waist line?
The short answer is, not for everyone! But for most people, YES! According to a double blind clinical study done by Epidirma Inc. with a randomized sample population of 54 people in which 27 were randomized to the active treatment and 27 were randomized to the placebo group. The active treatment administered was a replicable testing protocol of 20 minutes with the NLAL device on in combination with a simultaneous 20 min cardiovascular routine on a treadmill followed immediately by a simple 10 minute cardiovascular workout, the study examines 4 total NLAL procedures over a 2 week interval, so 2 treatments per week for 2 weeks and saw how these patients reacted to the NLAL system by the end of the study. You can find the full double blind study NLAL Clinical study, but let’s be honest, we all want to know, what were the results?
After 2 weeks and 4 treatments, the study found in 2 separate sites using 2 separate NLAL systems that 27 people in the active treatment group lost an average of -2.98 inches off the waist line, while the placebo group lost -0.48 inches. The actual test site 1 active treatment group lost -3.01 inches and the 2nd test site lose -2.81 inches confirmed in 27 individual participants by the end of the study! That’s 27 people losing 3 inches off their waist line in 2 weeks. Try to aim for that with your morning jog and protein shake!
So what does all of this data actually mean for the practitioner who wants to incorporate a weight loss program in his/her practice?
Well first of all, let’s be very clear, not all lasers are made equal, there are systems similar to the NLAL that are frankly more expensive, without clinical trials to substantiate their claims that frankly could damage a doctors reputation as much as their wallet. Most weight loss programs are cash oriented, so a system that provides reliable, consistent and outstanding results coupled with a strong patient financing platform, and digital marketing services to expand and increase awareness to the surrounding populous would be key to the success of any such program being implemented in a physician’s office. The NLAL system has proven cutting edge laser LED technology with reproducible and tangible results as seen in the study.
A system that is low cost, portable and has the ability to be taken home by the patient on a trial take home program provides maximum flexibility with a WOW factor that is impressive to say the least. Whether novice or expert in the weight loss arena, the NLAL will continue to turn heads, and more importantly melt away inches off your patients. It is an excellent and simple to install addition to any cash practice focusing on aesthetics and rejuvenation.
For specifications and information on laser weight loss equipment for your medical office including a full financial analysis speak to a equipment specialist at 954-774-5991
