“As part of my specialisation in cellulite I have been studying the adipose tissue for more than 25 years now and I have seen the terms adipolysis and lipolysis being used interchangeably in marketing materials in the aesthetic industry. However, those two terms denote two different things, so I though I would set the record straight here. Read for more details.”
Adipolysis vs lipolysis - Or fat cell reduction vs fat molecule release
Adipolysis, lipolysis and cellulite/fat reduction treatments
What is lipolysis?
What is adipolysis?
Both adipolysis and lipolysis lead to fat loss / cellulite reduction
Adipogenesis, lipogenesis and cellulite / fat growth
LipoTherapeia® Plus: Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment with London’s cellulite experts
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Adipolysis, lipolysis and cellulite/fat reduction
You may have seen the terms adipolysis and lipolysis in marketing blurb of different fat/cellulite reduction treatments or even in scientific literature.
And you may have correctly got the general impression that they both mean fat loss. But if they both mean fat reduction, why the two different words?
The answer is because those two words mean actually two different things that both end up in fat reduction.
What is lipolysis?
Lipolysis refers to the breakdown of triglycerides in adipocytes (fat cells) into free fatty acids and their consequent release out of the fat cell.
Lipolysis is essential for fat reduction and it occurs:
Either when there is negative calorie balance in the body (due to us dieting or exercising)
Or when we receive a real cellulite / fat reduction treatment that stimulates lipolysis (rare but they exist)
Or when we apply a real cellulite cream (very rare to find a good one, sure, but they do exist)
What is adipolysis?
Adipolysis refers to fat cell death. This can be:
Either adipocyte apoptosis, i.e. early fat cell death
Or adipocyte necrosis, i.e. fat cell destruction
Adipocyte apoptosis occurs with treatments that stimulate fat cells to die, without damaging any other tissue (the smart/safe way). Examples of such treatments include deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation.
Adipocyte necrosis occurs with treatments that actually cause tissue damage. Together with fat cells they also kill all other cells and damage all other tissues in the vicinity (the stupid/unsafe way). Examples of such treatments include RF microneedling or extreme intensity HIFU (non-painful, non-extreme HIFU achieves nothing, so it’s pointless either way).
Both adipolysis and lipolysis lead to fat loss / cellulite reduction
So lipolysis means fat molecule release out of a fat cell that leads to the shrinking of the fat cell and consequent fat loss on that area.
Adipolysis means the death of the fat cell, either safe and gradual or abrupt and unsafe. This is also leads to fat loss on that area.
A good, safe treatment, responsibly applied, should stimulate both lipolysis and apoptotic adipolysis.
Of course, if someone reverts to positive calorie balance after cellulite/fat reduction:
Fat cells can absorb new fat from the bloodstream, leading to new cellulite/fat accumulation in that area (lipogenesis)
Plus, a positive calorie balance will also lead to new fat cells being born in the area, to accommodate the extra calories (adipogenesis)
Adipogenesis, lipogenesis cellulite and fat growth
Fat cells can fill up with new fat and new fat cells can be born in a tissue, so stay active and eat healthy after a fat/cellulite reduction treatment or liposuction surgery.
The accumulation of fat inside fat cells is called lipogenesis (the opposite of lipolysis)
The accumulation of new fats cells is called adipogenesis (the opposite of adipolysis)
If someone - anyone, even a plastic surgeon - tells you that fat cells can never regrow in an area after a miraculous treatment or liposuction surgery, even if you overeat, they simply lie to you, taking advantage of your ignorance of adipose tissue physiology.
Keep this in mind to protect yourself from BS in the future.
Your welcome :)
LipoTherapeia® Plus: Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment with London’s cellulite experts
At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than a quarter of a century and 24,000+ 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.
(Of course, we keep looking for new technologies every day and if/when a better technology materialises we will be the first to provide it. However, we will never follow the latest ineffective gimmick, just because it’s good marketing to offer the latest hyped up - yet ineffective and/or unsafe treatment.)
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.
And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.
Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.
(No unsafe and ineffective RF microneedling or HIFU and no safe but ineffective acoustic wave therapy, superficial RF (bipolar/tripolar/multipolar etc), low power RF/cavitation, electrical muscle stimulation, lymphatic massage, cupping, dry brushing and no ridiculous bum bum creams.)
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.
Check prices and book an expert cellulite / skin tightening treatment at our London clinic.
Look Inside Your Skin™ with a Cellulite Ultrasonography™ scan, exclusive to LipoTherapeia in London, and assess your cellulite, skin laxity, post-liposuction fibrosis and more
We are proud to be the first and only cellulite clinic in the world to offer Cellulite Ultrasonography™ to our clients, for accurate assessment, better treatment and enhanced results. Since 2022 we have assessed and provided valuable insights to hundreds of clients to better understand their specific case, see how their skin looks from inside and make informed decisions.
You can now book your Cellulite Ultrasonography™ session and assess your:
Cellulite
Skin laxity
Lipedema
Subcutaneous fat levels
You can also assess the presence and severity of fibrosis and adhesions after:
Liposuction in all its forms, including vaser, smart lipo, bodytite, abdominoplasty/tummy tuck, thigh lift, arm lift, lipedema surgery etc
Cellulite surgery, such as cellulaze, cellutite, cellfina, subcision etc
Face-lift surgery
Non-surgical procedures, such as RF microneedling, extreme intensity HIFU, extreme intensity RF, extreme intensity ultrasound etc
Everything will be shown and explained to you clearly and you can see and understand how the different structures inside your skin affect your appearance.
If there is scar tissue / fibrosis, those will be clearly seen and you can differentiate between fibrosis, water retention or unremoved fat after all types of cosmetic surgery or harsh non-surgical procedures such as RF microneedling, extreme intensity HIFU etc.
(DISCLAIMER: Please note that this service is for your informational purposes only and does not constitute medical diagnosis or advice.)
The 45’ appointment includes full assessment and consultation and optional treatment plan for cellulite reduction and/or skin tightening.
If you do wish to have treatment with us, the ultrasound scan, assessment and consultation will be used to optimise your course of treatments and maximise your results.
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Why train with The Cellulite School™?
We all know that training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening is as basic as it gets. It is typically a 4-6 hour training, involving only basic instruction from the manufacturer on how operators can use the machine; lots of myths, erroneous information and misconceptions; and some basic health and safety on how to use the machine.
There is no proper, real training in the science or cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency, ultrasound and all related technologies is non-existent - worldwide.
Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, LED phototherapy, cellulite and skin tightening?
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Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.
Learn more or check prices and book training at our London clinic or via Zoom.