Negative reviews of 1st Generation Zerona

There have been many discussions with regard to the success or failure of the first generation of Erchonia's cold laser: Zerona.

Erchonia became the leader in cold laser technology a few years ago by introducing cold laser for non-invasive treatment of body contouring. After extensive research and literature, Erchnoia received FDA clearance for the procedure and the door opened to the miracle world of weight loss...... Right? Well not exactly, but not entirely untrue.

While Zerona is proven to reduce an average of 3.64" off of 4 measured areas after completion of the prescribed 4 week program (The 4 areas of measurements are the waist, hips, and the two thighs. This means you lose about 0.75" of uniform size across the entire treated area.), Zerona is not, and never was intended to be, the sole solution to all weight loss problems.

The new Verjú uses green laser to yield an average of 4" off of the 4 measured areas described above with much supported data.

As with any new technology, Zerona was not immune to growing pains. For example, while the technology did deliver what it promised, it did not meet the inflated expectations of some misinformed patients. Some patients based their expectations on inaccurate and faulty information. The lack of strict guidance and instructions to providers, combined with patient's exuberance, resulted in unrealistic expectations in some cases.

Many physicians were over promising and over charging patients for the treatment. This quickly resulted in many mixed online reviews. The foregoing is clearly reflected in the reviews detailed on Realself.com, a website for end-users to rate products, showed a satisfaction rating of about 50%.

The Science and research strongly supports that this technology does work. It does what it promises. However, it is important that miracles are not being sold. This only served to hurt the credibility of this device in its first generation form and only in certain geographical areas. Erchonia has done an amazing job developing this technology, they have conducted detailed research, and they should be commended for it. However, there were mistakes made along the way in the presentation of the service by some physicians who perhaps didn't present realistic goals for their patients.

One thing is certain- The treatment does indeed work and does what it promises. There is no need for any physician to exaggerate. This resulted in unsatisfied patients. Additionally patients often believed the price that they were charged was not proportionate to the yielded results that were expected from that price point. Often times patients were charged up to $4000 for about 1 inch size reduction. In comparison liposuction often times removes 50 pounds of fat for that kind of price.

The new generation of Zerona and Verjú are writing a new chapter. Erchonia now provides direct training to all  physicians to ensure that patients and physicians are provided full and detailed information to eliminate unrealistic expectations and mis-pricing of the procedure. Physicians are now also required to prescribe the 4 week Zerona program in conjunction with the laser therapy as a critical part of the process.

Since Erchonia brought this technology to the market, there have been many others that have entered the market offering cold laser for body contouring. However, none of them has been able to duplicate the unique design of Zerona with the octopus look, beaming indirect laser into the body. About 20 companies are now manufacturing devices with diode panels that sit directly on the body. While these panel devices yield good results, they often cause non-uniform results and unsightly pocket formations.
A common problem with diode panel design is that some patients find the direct contact unsanitary. Panels do collect dust over time and need to be replaced periodically. Zerona and Verjú have absolutely no maintenance and are manufactured in Texas of high quality material. Another thing that Erchonia has achieved is amazing branding of their devices. Their unique design and effectiveness of their treatment has attracted wide media coverage from television shows such as "The Doctors", "Dr. Oz", and "Rachel Ray", as well as articles in magazines and newspapers.

One other advantage of Zerona & Verjú devices is that it they are only available through licensed physicians which allows for better control of the treatment. In comparison, diode panel devices are sold to anyone including spas and operated by unlicensed or poorly trained individuals.

The Diode Panel technology also claims that they achieve deeper penetration. However, Zerona and Verjú get about 6 cm of penetration into the body, which is the ideal depth because that's the area the fat sits (avoiding the internal organs). The research has proven this and the claims of laser pointer comparisons are false. Lasers of different wave lengths can be used to do amazing things such as cutting diamonds. At the correct wave length Erchonia has developed lasers that go through the skin and treat only the fat cells.

Erchonia is at it again, the new and improved Zerona and Verjú is making a second round of media coverage that will let the jury out on it's success. For the first generation, 50% satisfaction was the internet's verdict. What will the new chapter hold? One thing is for sure, the popularity of this treatment will quickly generate some feedback from the public.

So how does it work?
This is not a weight loss solution. It is not the end of all your problems. It removes about 1 inch of fat across your mid section, which is pretty good.
The laser opens up the pores of fat cells without effecting the rest of the tissues. This is a very difficult and important task (losing fat not muscles). The interior fat content seeps out into the intra-cellular space. This fat can be re-absorbed, as such, it is important to follow a few simple steps to make sure the body flushes out most of the work that the laser has done.
In the 4 week Zerona/Verju program, patients are asked to walk 30 minutes a day to get the circulatory system going. Do 5 minutes of light massaging in the area to get the lymphatic system going as well. Drink 8 glasses of water a day and avoid alcohol and caffeine to help discard the fat. The Curva pill is also taken once a day. Curva is a natural supplement that help the body flush out that fat.

In summary: First generation Zerona had its ups and downs. I have talked to many physicians that are absolutely in love with it and have very satisfied patients with high referral rates. I have also talked to physicians that have been very frustrated with the experience. Generally those that set realistic goals, prescribed the 4 week program, and charged reasonable prices were successful; those that didn't, weren't.

For more information on the research you can visit Erchonia's website at www.erchonia.com or www.myzerona.com.

If you are a physician and would like to become a provider you can visit Spinel USA at www.spinelzerona.com.

Please feel free to share your experience or if you have any suggestions.