A fat-dissolving injection named Lemon Bottle has gone viral on social media platform TikTok, but concerns have been raised about the trend’s potential safety risks.
The product is manufactured by Sid Medicos, a company based in Seoul, South Korea, with the company claiming that it is made with ‘all-natural ingredients.’ It also states the injection delivers ‘instant results’ after being injected into fat, with ‘no side effects.’
However, aesthetic practitioner Dr Sophie Shotter has highlighted an apparent lack of substance behind these claims, saying, “It really does worry me. This is a product that is claiming to be the ‘fastest and strongest’ fat dissolver in the industry, but it doesn’t appear to have clinical evidence.”
#Lemonbottle content has been viewed 81.5 million times on TikTok alone, and since September 2023, searches for the jab have surpassed those for ‘liposuction’ on Google. The treatment has been advertised for as little as £50 across Instagram, Facebook Marketplace and other social media providers.
Despite the product’s consumer popularity, various figures within the aesthetics sector have raised concerns about its safety and efficacy. Save Face recorded 90 complaints surrounding the product in 2023, compared to just one in 2022, echoing its rapidly growing popularity. Director Ashton Collins commented, “People are seeing it as a magic wand treatment, and they do not appreciate the risks involved.”
Aesthetic nurse prescriber Rebecca Hopkinson is also sceptical of the product, saying, “After conducting my own research, I have found no clinical papers to support the product’s use as a fat-dissolver. It does not have FDA approval or a CE mark to indicate minimum safety standards. Due to this, it will not be introduced into my clinic for the foreseeable future. Just because something is available doesn’t mean it should be.”
However, plastic surgeon Dr Vahe Karimyan has used the product in his clinic for 200 patients and says that it is effective for “double chins, the abdominal area, love handles, inner thigh and underarms.” He says, “My patients are more than happy after the procedure. It is very well tolerated in contrast to other products.”
Dr Toni Phillips, group clinical director at Lemon Bottle, has said, “It is fair to say that injectable lipolysis systems are safe, as long as they are administered by a fully qualified, trained and certified medical injector.”
