I tried Dr David Jack's fat tightening injections and they are not for the squeamish

24 fine needles deliver an electric current into your skin!

Dr David Jack is an aesthetic doctor on Harley Street in London. He also has a skincare range that's sold at Space NK. He recently launched a new RadioFrequency microneedling treatment; 'Morpheus 8', which we sent our health editor to try...

Although we’re all well aware of the ‘move more, eat right’ approach to weight and fat loss, there’s a whole host of ‘quick fixes,’ which claim to make this loss happen a little quicker, and without the need for extreme willpower. Dr David Jack is now offering one of these quick fixes.

I’ll be honest, I don’t hold much fat, but when I do gain weight, it’s straight to my lower tummy; a fat hot-spot for many women.

So naturally I was excited to try the new Morpheus 8 treatment, the latest in non surgical aesthetics, so I’m told. It’s not cheap mind; three treatments of the Morpheus 8 Body Treatment for abdomen by Dr David Jack will set you back £3500.

How do Morpheus 8 fat tightening injections work?

In a nutshell, the Morpheus 8 tightens, contours and lifts, and can even be used on the face to smooth out deep lines and wrinkles. I’m informed that it uses ‘next level microneedling RF technology’, essentially the next generation of microneedling.

Baffled? I was too. Regular microneedling uses tiny needles to deeply penetrate the skin – up to 4mm to reach the fatty tissue -creating very small channels of which the body heals by laying down new collagen. Microneedling with RF technology adds radiofrequency-generated heat to the skin, which allows the treatment to tighten the skin and contour undesired fat.

OK, so two things here. Needles on my tummy? Ouch. Needles going 4mm into my skin? Ouch again.

What do Dr David Jack's Morpheus 8 RadioFrequncy microneedling fat tightening injections involve?

I head to Dr David Jack’s clinic down London’s infamous Harley Street on a Tuesday evening. I’m greeted by Dr David Jack himself who explains the treatment and puts my mind at ease RE the needles.

‘We’ll be putting the area to be treated under local anaesthetic’, he explains.

‘In fact, the anaesthetic might hurt a little, but without it, the treatment would be unbearable’.

I lie back on the white reclining seat and lift up my t shirt to reveal my lower abdominal area.

Dr David inserts the first needle of anaesthetic and I wince. It hurts, and he seems to be wiggling it around under my skin.

Ouch, ouch, ouch. It stings.

‘Give it a few minutes and it will start to go numb’, says Dr David, as he injects again at a different point.

After four separate injections, my tummy starts to feel cold. I can’t feel it.

I couldn’t help but ask the question: ‘will this mean I have no control over my gut? Will I let some wind out?’

‘No, this isn’t affecting your muscle, just the fat above it’, says Dr David. He checks my lower tummy is numb by pricking it with a needle.

I don’t feel a thing.

So Dr David sets about with the Morpheus 8, a whirring machine with a long flexible arm and a flashing head, containing the needles.

During the treatment, 24 fine needles deliver an electric current which in turn causes molecules in the deep skin layers to rotate, and the rotation of those molecules in the skin, creates heat in the tissue, which is what hyper activates the collagen production. In turn, skin is lifted and tightened.

What results can you expect from Morpheus 8 fat tightening injections?

It’s over in minutes, and I barely noticed.

I look down, I’m greeted by a large purple and pink mark.

After Dr David Jack's fat removal injection treatment

Dr David Jack explains that results can take up to six months to show. He usually recommends another treatment or two.

I get up, tummy still numb, adjust my top and get ready to leave, just like that. The whole thing took less than 40 minutes from start to finish, including the greeting and paperwork.

‘You can exercise and go about your daily life in the morning. It might sting a little when you shower though’, warns Dr David Jack, who waves me goodbye.

I can’t be sure whether the treatments works – I’ll have to keep an eye on the area over the coming months. But, if it does work, then compared to every workout, and every time I turn down sugary, delicious treats, it was a total doddle. Though admittedly Mars Bars and gym membership are cheaper.

Lucy Gornall is the former Health & Fitness editor at Future and a personal trainer specializing in pre and post-natal exercise.