Update on Smart Lipo, 10 weeks on

Thanks to all the readers who left comments with their experiences. The message seems to be that you need to be very patient if you've had Smart Lipo: the results can take three to four months to take effect.

Well it's now 10 weeks since I had the treatment, in two areas on my stomach (above and below the navel). I wanted to lose my belly bump in time for my holiday. I'd arranged to have Soft Lipo two months before my holiday, and asked if it would show an improvement in that time. I was assured it would. Well, to be perfectly honest, my stomach probably did look worse, two months on. I still have a ridge of fat that sticks out above the navel. You can see it from the side, even if I suck my stomach in, and if I wear something tight. So I wasn't as carefree on holiday as I hoped. I did wear bikinis.

I haven't had the recommended endermologie treatments. Unfortunately the salon ranfg up and cancelled my first session, at fairly short notice; and as this meant I could only squeeze in one session before my holiday, I didn't bother.

My advice to anyone considering Soft Lipo would be:
1) Be realistic about what it can achieve. I think I was expecting too much. Soft or Smart Lipo only removes a tiny amount of fat. If you want to see a big improvement, you should consider conventional liposuction.
2) It's best confined to small areas where diet and exercising has failed to make a difference.
3) Anticipate at least three to four months to see a final result. So if you're having it done for a holiday, wedding, etc, make sure you leave enough time.
4) Contrary to the advice I was given, the coagulated fat DOES seem to disperse faster if you exercise more vigorously. But wait at least a fortnight before you start exercising again.
5) You may have unsightly pouches or pockets of fat for several weeks after the procedure. This is the coagulated fat, waiting to be metabolised (it has to go somewhere!). This can often look worse than the site did originally.

Please keep adding comments if you've had the treatment or are considering having it.

In all honesty, with hindsight I would not have had it. That £3k would have been better spent, for me, on Lasik eye surgery. I have now embarked on a proper fitness regime and I expect that in six weeks or so I will have achieved better results than the SmartLipo.