What is Phosphatidylcholine?
Phosphatidylcholine is a known and studied phospholipid for a very long time, as it is abundantly represented in nature and introduced daily through various foods (soy lecithin, liver and egg yolk are particularly rich in it).
Phosphatidylcholine is made up of a phosphate group, 2 fatty acids and choline, precursor of acetylcholine. Having a hydrophilic head and two lipophilic tails, it has amphipathic properties.
The nutritional role of phosphatidylcholine is very important, so much so that it is abundantly used in the food industry (as an emulsifying agent) and dietary (as a useful supplement for lowering cholesterol and promoting the efficiency of the liver and brain).
In the human organism, phosphatidylcholine represents one of the main components of the plasma membrane, regulating its fluidity, integrity and permeability.
The extraordinary virtues of phosphatidylcholine - exploited in the medical field in the treatment of hyperlipidemias and liver diseases - derive from its amphiphilic nature, which allows it to keep fats in solution in the blood and in other organic fluids (which in themselves are aqueous solutions, therefore immiscible with lipids just like water and oil).
Beyond these traditional uses, phosphatidylcholine injections are becoming one of the most popular techniques for getting rid of localized fat, thus earning a place in the world of aesthetic medicine.
Phosphatidylcholine and Lipodissolve
The use of phosphatidylcholine in the treatment of localized adiposity is quite recent, but it is not without efficacy.
The first to propose it, in the mid-90s, was a Brazilian doctor after a brilliant intuition: if it is true that phosphatidylcholine is able to dissolve the fat with which it comes into contact, why not use it to eliminate small adipose deposits and treat edematous-fibrosclerotic panniculopathy * using mesotherapy techniques ** ?.
[(*) medical term synonymous with cellulite; (**) technique that allows to inject drugs into the dermis]
In fact, if injected directly into the adipose tissue through very thin needles, phosphatidylcholine is able to solubilize fats, reducing the volume of the cells that contain them (adipocytes). The technique, carried out on an outpatient basis and scarcely invasive, is called Lipodissolve, in honor of the well-documented action of phosphthidylcholine. This effect is particularly useful in the treatment of adipose accumulations which, either due to endocrine and metabolic factors, or to a sedentary lifestyle, are particularly resistant to traditional dietary and behavioral interventions. Lipodisolve therefore represents a new and effective weapon in the fight against localized adiposity and cellulite, even when these imperfections are localized in critical points, such as the abdomen, the inner thigh, the coulotte de cheval and the hips; good results can also be obtained in the treatment of fatty deposits in the lower eyelid, double chin and cheeks.
Benefits
What are the advantages of the Phosphatidylcholine based Lipodissolve technique?
Given the premises, the advent of phosphatidylcholine in the aesthetic sector has been welcomed as a real revolution, capable of sending the traditional liposculpture (surgical technique based on the aspiration of excess fat by means of cannulas connected to a suction pump) into early retirement. Unlike this last operation, which represents a real surgical operation to be performed with the utmost care to avoid complications, the Lipodissolve technique has proved to be devoid of significant side effects.
Furthermore, being a non-invasive technique, the injection of phosphatidylcholine to eliminate cellulite and localized fat
The result obtained can be improved with the association of carnitine (an amino acid necessary to carry fatty acids inside the mitochondria), deoxycholic acid (a bile salt) and other substances capable of improving the health of the microcirculation and limiting adverse reactions (anti-inflammatory and pain relievers).
Furthermore, the simultaneous injection of several active ingredients opens the way to further and interesting developments; one of these has already become a reality with the name "Lipodissolve Evolution". In fact, this technique involves the injection of multiple substances (such as vitamins, mineral salts, amino acids, theophylline, etc.) in correspondence with the areas characterized by the accumulation of fat or skin laxity. These substances would then be able to cause a reduction in the volume of adipocytes, with consequent reduction of localized fat associated with an improvement in the microcirculation, elasticity and skin tone.
Disadvantages
What are the disadvantages of Phosphatidylcholine injection?
The efficacy of phosphatidylcholine is limited to the treatment of superficial and not excessive adipose volumes, for which the surgical technique of liposuction remains the most effective solution. Furthermore, injection is not free from drawbacks; after the session, the treated areas could be slightly inflamed, painful or punctuated by swelling. In rare cases, small nodules and hematomas appear, which in any case tend to regress within a few weeks.
In any case, the treatment of localized adiposity and cellulite cannot be standardized and the choice of the most suitable technique is made on the basis of individual characteristics (sensitivity or allergy to certain substances or treatments, stage and characteristics of the problem, etc.).
Furthermore, cellulite and small rolls often represent multifactorial imperfections which - as such - require the combination of targeted interventions. An example is given by the use of graduated compression elastic stockings which, combined with the oral or topical intake of draining and lipolytic active ingredients, is synergistic with the action of phosphatidylcholine and helps to speed up the results.
All this to remember that, when it comes to phosphatidylcholine, we must be cautious and avoid giving in to easy enthusiasm or excessive expectations.
The fight against extra pounds is fought first of all, and without any contraindications, with a healthy and regular physical activity, "adequate nutrition and" optimal management of stress and more or less pleasant situations that daily reality offers us. .
Contraindications
Although the injection of phosphatidylcholine to combat cellulite and localized fat is a highly appreciated aesthetic medicine technique, it still has a series of contraindications.
In fact, phosphatidylcholine injection is contraindicated:
- In underage patients;
- In pregnant or breastfeeding women;
- In complicated diabetics;
- In infectious patients;
- In immunosuppressed patients;
- In individuals allergic to the same phosphatidylcholine or to soy;
- In patients suffering from hepatic insufficiency and / or renal insufficiency;
- In patients suffering from obesity;
- In patients with bleeding disorders and / or menstrual changes.
Future innovations
Given the great success of the Lipodissolve and Lipodissolve Evolution techniques, research in the fight against cellulite and localized adiposity is continuing to move, always proposing new solutions, in order to make the treatment with phosphatidylcholine even less invasive and annoying for the patient.
In this regard, further innovations could lead to the definitive replacement of needles with equipment capable of inducing the penetration of substances through the electrochemical opening of specific intracellular channels.
To overcome the various problems of the injection route, special cosmetics have also been proposed such as disposable gels and patches based on phosphatidylcholine and other draining, lipolytic and vasoprotective active ingredients. These include caffeine, centella, horsetail, escin, antioxidant, moisturizing, emollient agents and some marine algae.
