Injection Lipolysis — Fat Dissolving Injections

Injection lipolysis at MarBelle Clinic uses a phosphatidylcholine or deoxycholic acid formulation — injected directly into localised fat deposits — to permanently dissolve a portion of fat cells in the treatment area. The active compound disrupts the fat cell membrane, causing the lipid content to be released and metabolised over the following eight weeks. The most common treatment areas are the submental region (double chin), jowl fat pads, and small body areas including the abdomen, inner arms, and thighs. Two to three sessions spaced eight weeks apart are typically needed.

Injection lipolysis occupies a useful niche in aesthetic medicine between non-invasive fat-reduction technologies and surgical liposuction. For small, well-defined areas of localised fat that do not respond to diet and exercise, targeted injection of lipolytic agents offers a permanent reduction in fat cell number without surgery, general anaesthesia, or significant downtime. The mechanism involves injection of a compound — at MarBelle, this is likely a phosphatidylcholine/deoxycholic acid (PC/DC) formulation or a deoxycholic acid (ATX-101 class) product — into the hypodermis (subcutaneous fat layer). Deoxycholic acid is a bile acid that occurs naturally in the body and functions as a detergent — it disrupts phospholipid bilayer membranes. When injected into adipose tissue, it selectively lyses the lipid-bilayer membrane of adipocytes (fat cells). The cell contents are released into the interstitial space, triggering an acute inflammatory response; over the following weeks, macrophages phagocytose the debris and the remnants are cleared via the lymphatic system and liver. The destroyed fat cells do not regenerate — the result is a permanent reduction in the number of adipocytes in the treated area, providing durable reduction of the treated fat deposit as long as the patient does not gain significant weight (which expands existing fat cells rather than creating new ones in the treated zone). At MarBelle, common treatment areas include the submental region (double chin fat, or 'submental fullness') — the most evidence-supported indication for this class of treatment; the buccal fat pads (the soft tissue pads responsible for 'jowl' or 'chipmunk' cheek appearance); and small body areas such as small abdominal fat pockets, inner arm fat, or medial thigh fat. The injection session involves topical numbing cream applied 30 minutes prior, followed by grid-pattern injections using fine needles across the target area. Immediately after treatment, the area swells — the inflammatory response is the mechanism of action. This swelling peaks at 24–48 hours and can be moderate in the submental area, looking similar to mild oedema. It then gradually resolves over one week. Tenderness is common for the same period. Two to three treatment sessions are typically needed, eight weeks apart, to achieve meaningful fat reduction.