Development of science has presented us with several options like liposuction, cryolipolysis, and more when considering removal of undesirable fat cells or improving skin conditions. But, with so many new choices lined up for those who want to kill some fat cells in their bodies there is a need to evaluate the safety as well as effects of these procedures, suggests a new study by a team at Northwestern University.
In the U.S. alone, the industry encompassing cosmetic dermatology procedures is worth $10 billion and more. In spite of this, users often seem to be unacquainted with all the information about a particular technique. For benefit of patients, they should also be aware about how two procedures can be compared, or what the significant differences between them are. This study considered several existing alternatives and analyzed their safety as well as effectiveness.
“Patients need to be smart consumers and ask their doctors better questions such as, ‘How does procedure A compare to procedure B? Is there research comparing treatments, such as a facelift versus non-invasive skin tightening? Is there evidence regarding the degree of improvement and how long the results will last? How long has a particular procedure or device been approved, and would the doctor be comfortable recommending it to a friend or family member?” commented Lead author Murad Alam, MD, chief of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Alam adds that these cosmetic procedures as well as devices should undergo large-scale trials, but numerous obstacles stop that from happening. In addition to this, the FDA approval mechanism for the devices in question is not as rigorous as it is for drugs. Due to this, companies test them on a sample size of as small as 50 to 100. Also, no comparison with other products is carried out.
This study has been published in the journal Dermatologic Clinics.