Three women who had Vaser treatment under local anesthetic to have their muffin tops 'melted' give their verdicts

'My husband can't believe the difference':

It's the 'mummy tummy' - that stubborn roll of fat women loathe. A new treatment melts and removes fat while you are awake. Does it work? And what does it tell us about our image-obsessed society?

Mother-of-two, Louise Coulson describes the euphoric moment she slipped on her first pair of skinny jeans, aged 40, women the length and breadth of the country will no doubt be savouring the moment with her.
'I know it sounds silly, but I felt so emotional,' she admits. 'I just couldn't believe it. The rolls of fat I hated so much were gone. I had the hour glass curves I used to have before I had children.'
A month ago, the only tight-fitting garment in Louise's wardrobe was a pair of control pants.
But that was before she decided to join the growing band of women determined to be rid of the dreaded muffin top - the roll of flab prone to flopping over your waistband - whatever the cost.


Back on track: Following the Vaser lipo procedure, Elsa Visser, 35, lost five inches from her waist and no longer has to hide her figure under baggy clothes

Louise, has two children aged 16 and 11, is a walking advert for a new non-invasive treatment that uses ultrasound - with impressive results.
Not only has she dropped several dress sizes, her stomach is now flat, and she has none of those irksome love handles that made her so depressed.
'I hated the way the rolls of fat made me feel,' she says. 'No amount of exercise could shift it and, although my husband never complained, I couldn't help feeling self-conscious of my body in front of him, even after 19 years together.
'I wouldn't wear anything revealing and shopping trips were so depressing.'
Fast forward to treatment under local anaesthetic and a period of wearing a compression garment and Louise, is a different person.
'In the end, I decided that if there was something out there that could make me feel better, and look better with traditional liposuction then I would do it.' she says. 'What with looking after the children and running the business, there was no time to focus on me.
'I'm not like one of those celebrity mothers who can survive on a lettuce leaf and stop the flab creeping on. So what's wrong with going for the instant fix?'
As far as Louise is concerned, the virtues of a flat stomach go way beyond the obvious aesthetics. 'This hasn't just changed the way I look but the way I feel,' she says. 'It has given me confidence, and even a far higher sex drive.
'My husband can't believe the difference in me. He always said he loved the way I looked before, but he is the first to admit that I am a new woman now. The best compliment of all was when he told me I now have the figure I used to have when we met.'


Feeling fantastic: Mother-of-three Nikki Hunt, 38, says she now has the body of someone ten years younger
How is it done? During the procedure, the patient is injected with a solution made up of saline, adrenaline and anaesthetic.
Then a probe is inserted through a small incision, which emits high frequency ultrasound waves that break down fat deposits in the body. They are then extracted by a gentle suction process.
The effects are permanent, but a healthy lifestyle is recommended to prevent fatty deposits building up in the troublesome areas again.
There is still some bruising afterwards, but this is minimised, he says, by a stringent after-care programme. The procedure, which can take up to three hours depending on how many areas of the body are targeted, is routinely performed using only a local anaesthetic.
All patients to make sure they are suitable and they have to be prepared to wear the support garments devised here for some weeks afterwards to keep the skin flat and help prevent complications.'
At Skin Medical they are trained and experienced with Vaser and Smartlipo fat removal since 2007.