High-intensity focused ultrasound treated women’s back, bra fat

High-intensity focused ultrasound is being tested as a noninvasive technology to treat and safely eliminate excess back and bra fat in women.

“Our early results using [high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)] to treat back and bra fat have been positive and well received by our patients, especially since this noninvasive technique doesn’t pose the risks associated with surgery,” Cheryl Karcher, MD, FAAD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology, New York University Medical Center, said in an American Academy of Dermatology press release.

Cheryl Karcher

HIFU currently is FDA approved for treating abdominal fat. The high-intensity sound waves are delivered at precise depths within the fat to heat and destroy cells, which are then absorbed into the body and eliminated 8 to 12 weeks post-procedure, according to the release.

Karcher has treated more than 12 women with HIFU for this condition, noting that men typically do not have fat in that area. She has been studying a lower energy HIFU that takes approximately 1 hour and a higher energy HIFU treatment that takes 45 minutes.

Measurable results are achieved after one session, Karcher said, with best results seen 8 to 12 weeks later. The average circumference of fat loss was 1.08 inches, comparable to results when treating abdominal fat.

No significant safety concerns have been reported, with some patients experiencing mild bruises.

Ideal candidates for HIFU treatment of this body area should have 2.5 cm of fat to “pinch,” a BMI of less than 30 with isolated fat, good skin tightness and no large scars or wounds in the treatment area, and no redundant skin folds, Karcher reported.

“I think as we fine tune the technology, this off-label procedure can become widely used by dermatologists to combat this stubborn fat that affects countless women — many of whom may not even be overweight,” Karcher said.