I just complete six sessions with the Zerona laser and the only inches I lost were from my wallet. This $3,000 scam needs to be exposed and the public warned. Whether the treatment doesn’t work for 5% of the people or 45% of the people who undergo this rip-off scam of a procedure has yet to be determined.
Like a lot of other people I saw an advertisement in my local paper then searched the web to learn more about this weight loss, body contouring laser treatment. I now realize shows like The Doctors, Rachael Ray and even local news programs are not so much information programs as much as an entertainment venue and that they were just acting like giddy school girls and company shrews for the Zerona laser without ever looking into whether this works for everyone like they promoted for fat loss and weight loss.
After my first three sessions I was getting depressed and disappointed because I didn’t see any results and my clothes were all fitting just the same. I told this to the person who was performing the treatments and she blamed me and asked what I was doing wrong. It seems to me the only thing she really knew about the laser treatments was what the Zerona salesperson told her.
I felt like there was something wrong with me as it seems like everyone else was getting remarkable results. I went to the My Zerona web site and filled out their contact us form and asked whether they knew of any cases where their laser treatment didn’t work. Guess what. I never heard from them.
People in this body contouring field can get a Zerona laser at no cost. I’m not privy to the contract deals, but it seems to me that if they are going to give away a machine that costs several hundred thousand dollars they are probably getting a good percentage of the fee that’s being charged.
A major red flag is that there isn’t any test you can undergo before hand to determine whether the Zerona laser will work or not on you other than if your credit card goes through. And if the Zerona laser doesn’t work, you also won’t get a dime back.
I’ve lost sleep because I feel I was taken by this Zerona laser rip-off scam and a fool for the wishful thinking that there was finally a non invasive procedure for fat loss and weight loss.
Did the Zerona laser not work for you? Leave your comment below. I feel that for every person that got nothing for their money I hope this post should put a dint in the Zerona bottom line by stopping a thousand others from being taken by this Zerona laser scam.
I’m off to scarf down a large pizza and a six pack.
What you you think about Zerona? Leave your comment below.
Update: April 18, 2011
To date over 2100 people have read this article. If 2000 people were spared being scammed out of their $3,000 then this post has taken a $6 million bite of this Zerona scam. If you passed on what you read, then the amount is even greater.
This is a scam!!! DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING SUCKED IN TO THIS!! I paid $2,400 for 12 session’s. I wanted to try the 6 sessions for 1800.00 at first but was told becuase of my age (45) that I maybe in peri menopause and wouldnt se any results in 6 sessions… mind you no MD ever exams you.. shame on me but I really wanted to believe it and I wanted it to work. During the treatments I followed the protocol very carefully and wasnt loosing 1 single pound. I was told it’s the inches that count..didnt loose any of those either!! only after the 12 sessions do they measure you and I lost 1 .4 total inches.. thats NOTHING!! During the sessions maybe 8 or 9 I started complaining and that is when they began pushing the HCG drops for another $600.00..I didnt want to do that because I wanted to see for sure if this scam works or not! It did’nt!! I will tell you that I did try the HCG injections and this works..I’m still out $2,400.00. I hope someone starts a class action law suit I do want my money back and they should shut every single center down ASAP!! please do not fall for this
BTW I didnt get the HCG from the criminals over at Forever Trim in Plantation FL.. who buy the way have another scam on their radio ads they have one girl say they guarantee it and another girl say call them today..I read the paper work they do not guarantee any results..legally they have covered all their bases.. Not nice! they actually pass this off as a non surgical alternative..PLEASSSSSSSSSE Give me a break no comparrison at all.. there is a special place in hell for the people who run these centers.. they HAVE to know what they are doing to people..Taking their hard earned money and the fact of this matter is that its not true and it doesnt work. AS FAR AS THE HCG goes it does works..You can purchase it on line and its not any where near as expensive as the Zerona rip off scam!! Good luck
There are many alternatives cheaper than Zerona – and they work!
This “treatment” is run by spas, chiropractors and even dentists. No real doctors are involved – they can’t afford to lose their license whereas the others can close up and reopen under a different name. I have only heard of 1 person getting part of their money back. Since the Zerona machine probably tracks the number of sessions, the people running this scam have to pay the Zerona company their cut as part of their lease agreement for this worthless junk. Thanks for your experience.
I don’t know what you did wrong but I have lost 15 1/2 inches and 7 lbs of pure fat. I drink a lot of water; I do not eat fried or fatty foods, cut out the carbs, no caffeine or alcohol and walk as much as possible. I am a 43 yr old menopausal fm, I am disabled and cannot work out like most people my age. Each person is different but to call this a scam is just an out rages
I never claimed it doesn’t work – just that for many people it does not work and you don’t get any of your money back.
I an reading a few complaints of the laser NOT working, I have to wonder though are they following the diet? No mention of this because in order for anything to work properly there are restrictions and rules, NO machine in the world will work without diet and consumpution intake?
If the thing worked as well as they claim, you shouldn’t have to do anything else. It’s like the diet pills Sprallmart sells – if taken with calorie reduced diet and exercise you lose weight. They why bother taking the pills? If you change several factors which one is responsible for the results? The only weight many people seems to lose with Zerona is weight from their bank account.
That’s like saying “If I take Lipitor, I should be able to drink Crisco and eat buffalo wings for every meal.” Even with lapband surgery, people are required to change their diet. Get lapband and suck down Ho-Ho’s…you’re not going to lose/keep off weight like someone who eats healthy and is active as they tell you to do.
I have no problem with that.
What type of diet or program do you follow? This is the first I have heard about it?
Thanks
I just drink a glass of water 20 minutes before meals and more during the afternoon so as to to be dehydrated in the evening and then have a tendacy to evereat. Just reducing my milk consumption (110 calories per glass) has helped a lot. I’ve aready lost 10 pounds.
The point is….they sell it like it will work without doing anything else. And I’ve been to one of the places, and that is exactly what they told my husband and I when we went, was that it worked without changing anything else at all.
Interestingly enough, the woman behind the desk was at least 100 pounds overweight, and the woman we talked to was at least 50 pounds overweight. This alone told us that it probably didn’t work, or these women would have been fit and trim!
Great observation.
I had 6 treatments, I wasted my money, no change at all.. I did everything they told me to do, no more than 1 cup of coffee a day, no alcohol, took the supplement they gave me, walked or exercised everyday, drank 8 8oz glass of water. I don’t know what % it doesn’t work on but it didn’t work on me Period!!
Just like a lot of other people. Glad you didn’t fall for them pushing more treatments, potions and lotions.
I had three treatments done. There was no result whatsoever. I quickly saw that the Zerona laser did not work at all for me. I drank, was dieting, and exercising. After the third treatment my waist measurement was one half inch greater. The clinician just scratched her head. I think all the extra water was making me bloated. Anyway, save your money and do the diet and exercise.
Glad you bailed before they got you for 10-12 treatments.
Doctors should be telling people that the procedure is not for anyone who is fat. Don’t mean to be harsh, but it seems like the people who find no results have dense fat to lose. The ones who do see results, like me, have looser, softer fatty tissue…and not a lot of it. I was only 175 lbs at 6’2″, but had a little “layer.” I did the procedure because, after a year of p90x and weight training and swimming, I couldn’t break that weight plateau. I was down 15 lbs from 190, but nothing I could do would move that little fat layer. I should note that I also took CLA, sesamin, fish oil, multi vitamins, and milk thistle and ate an incredibly healthy diet (no sugar, caffeine, little alcohol, salads, etc). I didn’t change my routine at all. I did 6 sessions of Zerona, added curva to my diet, wore a compression garment, and drank the required amount of water. After it was all said and done, I lost 9 1/2 inches total, I’m down to 153, I went from a L to M shirt, and 34″ pants to 30″. I’m headed back for extra sessions, 3×40 min, on my back flanks where the fat is a little more dense. I’m hoping the longer sessions will break up that more dense, stubborn fat. All said, Zerona worked for me. I actually see abs for the first time in my life and I weigh as much as I did my freshman year of high school. You’re right, it’s not for everyone. I wish doctors could pinpoint who is a good candidate. After my own experience and reading others blogs and seeing pics, I think I hold true to my theory. If you squeeze your fat and it’s hard and dense, or you have a LOT of fat, I don’t think Zerona is for you. Little layer of baby fat keeping you from looking your best? Give it a shot. It could change your life forever! I hope this info helps someone and provides a counterpoint to the “scam” claims. The scam is in the doctor and their acceptance of any and all patients…not in the procedure itself. Thanks, and best of luck to all!
That’s great that it worked for you. You also are lucky that you saw a doctor as many Zerona lasers are in spas and their primary goal is revenue, hence they take everyone who’s credit card goes through. If there was just a test that could be perfomed beforehand or some guidelines to accept just suitable candidates then Zerona could be a useful procedure as you have found.
It really should be taken out of the hands of spas. My doctor is a plastic surgeon and, while I’m sure he wants money like the rest of us, I was pleasantly surprised when he saw me and said “you’re already relatively skinny and there are no guarantees” then offered to refund everything I had already paid (through Groupon) if I wanted to back out. Hopefully, in the future, there are more standards and tests. I think my “soft fat/hard fat” test is about as accurate as its going to get for the near future, though.
Thanks for the info.
Sadly, the Zerona where I live is also a complete hoax. I have a different story though.
I haven’t tried it but my cousin in law (who has no medical background what so ever) was hired to work at the Zerona clinic and is the only employee there. The owners work in a city 20 miles away.
My cousin was hired because of her looks. Knowing her personally, she doesn’t eat very healthy but is a size 2 and has had some plastic surgery and a boob job. I often suspected she was hired so the owners could portray she had Zerona and look what it did for her, even though she has never had it. The other day she confirmed that part of their gimmick is just that. She lies to others about having the procedure. Sorry but Zerona is just another scam.
The diet and exercise are what cause the weight loss. Zapping with a laser do not!
Thanks for sharing your experience with Zerona.
I just completed 10 treatments of zerona and there was no change at all. I had it done at a chiropractic office and her response to everything was, ” you must be pretty disappointed huh”? She didn’t offer any type of compensation whatsoever. She said I must be resistant to it because she hasn’t had that happen before. She then offered me to do a body cleanse diet that she would provide shakes for. Well obviously I would lose inches if I was on a strict diet. I am only about 15 pounds overweight and was so excited about losing those extra inches. So for those of you who haven’t done it yet, don’t bother wasting your money. Put it aside for a tummy tuck and get the results you really want.
Sorry to hear about your un-loss.
People should just put their money in your suggestions, or a gym membership or start a walking program – anything other than Zerona.
I am an Exercise Physiologist and have read the research and the claims that Zerona makes. First of all the science behind it is solid, all Zerona does is allows the free fatty acids (FFAs) to exit our fat cells and the body will burn the FFAs through through era oxidation which is simply the body fat for fuel. I have to agree with some of other comments that you need to accompany this with a healthy diet that includes whole foods and an exercise program that includes low to moderate aerobic (burning fat) exercise. Other issues like adrenal fatigue, where you have cortisol levels which are out of normal healthy range, can also have an affect on your outcome. Sounds like the problem is where you had this done. The science behind Zerona is solid and happens in your body 24/7, Zerona just allows us to burn fat calories much easier because your fat cells have been opened up. There is no one thing that will make you lose weight and keep it off. It always has been and always will be an overall healthy diet accompanied with a smart exercise program. Like I said earlier Zerona can help jump start your bodies fat burning abilities.
Thanks for your input. I appreciate your comments. But I have to disagree with you. Zerona makes big claims and when their machine doesn’t deliver, it’s too bad for the person who paid for the treatments. If it really worked as they claimed then they would stand behind it and refund any money if it didn’t. But they do not.
I have emailed Zerona about my concerns and guess what – I never heard back from them.
And there are too many other people like Jennifer who went through 10 sessions and saw “no change at all”. Some people do see results and that’s great, but Zerona should back up their claims with cash.
The place I went to never even told me about being on a strict diet while doing xerona. Infact, I asked her if I should be on one and she said no that it wasn’t necessary. Some Drs may be more honest with their clients but mine just wanted to sell it to me and told me how wonderful it was. She also showed me before and after pics of her clients and come to find out that other dr offices have the same pictures in their office. Your better off trying to diet and exercise on your own and save money. I just wanted these last 15 pounds off and ended up with a 2,000 dollar bill and lots of disappointment
Too many people have experienced the same thing.
I just saw a tv ad for it and was going to look into it to find out the cost. Glad I didn’t bother. My philosophy is if it sounds TOO good 2b true, it probably IS.
You got that right!
My friend and I purchased the zerona package for $1,500 each and paid it in full, after the 3rd treatment, I haven’t seen any results but I remained optimistic about it, after 15 sessions, I still have not list an inch, neither has my friend, this place is a scam, and you will not get your money back either! I got into a verbal argument with the owner, and I immediately reported him to the BBB.
Anyone even considering Zerona should start by checking out the place they are considering with the BBB. If they have unresolved complaints or a poor score SAVE YOUR MONEY.
Start a walking program and look at what your are eatting and drinking and see if you can cut out 500 calories a day. During the beginning of a walking program you may acually gain weight. This is because the largest muscle in your body, your thigh, is getting stronger and larger and muscle weights more than fat. But keep with it as you will hit a tipping point where the muscle will start to even burn calories while at rest and you will begin to see results. Give it a good month and you’ll see.
I used to drink 6-8 glasses of milk a day and even 1% milk is 110 calories, so just by cutting back on the milk and having a desert only once a week, I easily cut out 500 calories. Since a pound of fat represents about 3500 calories, you can lose a pound a week.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Don’t use a spa. Find a plastic surgeon or, at least, a doctor.
Just want to share my final results after 8 treatments…down 9 1/2 inches. That’s JUST my upper and lower abdomen. My DOCTOR…a real doctor…didn’t measure the untreated areas.
My experience was fantastic. Do your research…and take into consideration what I posted earlier about being a good candidate for Zerona. I’m not a doctor…but having gone through it and seeing various peoples results, I think I might be o. To something.
Best of luck to all!
Indeed. You qualify at a spa if your credit card is good, and that is ALL. Do doctors have a BMI maximum for Zerona?
Thanks for your comments, Jay.
I’m not sure if there is a max or not…but if there is, I’d rather have it measured by a doc than a random spa employee! Weight loss and body fat are serious HEALTH issues. EVERY diet plan, drug, etc says “consult your physician beforehand.” And there’s a reason! If it was legal, I’m sure spas would jam a shop vac into your stomach and “suck out the fat.” After all, that’s what a doctor does with lipo, right?!
. Don’t sell yourself short when it comes to your health.
Thanks for the great advice Jay.
Bob,
Thanks for sharing all of this information. After seeing the results of everyone here, it seems that the amount of times it does work, may be about 5-10% of the time. Those aren’t good enough odds for me to put out money for. I don’t care if it is 5 bucks or 1000. It just isn’t worth it.
I think Jonel said it best….”if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”.
We’ll save our money and join the gym, or start using our workout dvds.
Thanks again!
I don’t know what the percentage is, but it sure seems to be very low as there are so many people who have seen no results using Zerona.
…oh and btw, go to this website: (http://blog.plasticsurgeryinflorida.com/2009/06/lipo-laser-does-it-work.html), and you will see that even a well respected board certified plastic surgeon as well as many other board certified plastic surgeons, are telling the world that this DOES NOT WORK! It is PROVEN medically to not work. And if you believe that it does, you are better off going out and purchasing a $2 laser pointer, because the amount of laser power this machine (Lipo Laser/Zerona) have is equal to such!
It is also four THOUSAND times less powerful than the laser used for skin resurfacing.
Please people, don’t fall for this scam. It is obviously working for a few people because they have changed their diet or because of the “placebo effect”. Yes, you can lose weight by tricking your mind into “thinking thin”. Do a search on the internet and you will see that this is true.
Good luck in all of your health endeavors!
Thanks for the link. I’m glad people in the medical profession are speaking out against Zeron’s so called treatment.
After reading the comments over the past month, it’s obvious to me that it is not the Zerona method that is the problem, it’s where you are having your treatments done. The zerona method DOES NOT kill the fat cells, it gently opens them up so the triglycerides that are in the cells can leak outside of the fat cell and then through proper hydration (most people are dehydrated already from too much alcohol, caffeine and diet pop) and diet and exercise can be transported to the blood so the muscles can burn the free fatty acids. Now regarding the plastic surgeon comment, of course they don’t want this treatment to work because they will lose money. Why would they endorse something that will take money from them. Liposuction and other invasive procedures kill the fat cells or completely removes them. Fat cells are part of the endocrine system which helps regulate insulin levels, leptin (the hunger hormone) and other important hormones. Removing or killing these cells IS NEVER a good idea. Drinking plenty of water is crucial to getting those fat droplets that are sitting outside of the fat cell after a zerona treatment into the blood stream. You also have to limit your sugar and alcohal intake. If you do not, your body will prefer to burn the sugar and the alcohol and not the free fatty acids that are floating around in your blood. Zerona is not the end all treatment to help the obesity epidemic in this country, but combined with proper hydration, improved diet and exercise it can have a huge impact.
Thanks for your comments. If you think Zerona is an effect treatment then please have it done and let us know how it went.
This Zerona is a scam. The only thing I lost was $3000 and although they told me that I lost inches, my clothes never fit any different and I followed the diet. No wonder they want your money in advance and no guarantees, because it doesn’t work.
You can lose inches from any diet, but this is terrible to take people’s money for nothing. Shame on me for falling for it.
Sorry to hear it Barb. Hopefully other people will learn from your experience and not fall for Zerona.
I had 9 sessions. I had great results. I did not use vibration sessions I walked 30 min post treatments! I lost over 9 inches and still ate. I think you have to go into it knowing that it will come back if you eat a pizza and drink a 6 pack of beer. I’m sorry but it’s true! This was amazing and I want to do more. My only complaint is that the tech was chatty. I really wanted to lay there in the dark and listen to my iPod and she hung out to bond. Ugh! Next time I am gonna express the desire to relax! I think if you are ready for life style changes and want a jump start to skinny… Go for it!! Good luck!!
The pizza and beer comment was my attempt at some humor (very little). Anyways, glad it worked for you, but the problem is is does not work for many people and you don’t get your money back when it doesn’t.
Save your money because, like in Vegas, the house odds are against you.
Hello.. This is what I think and it may be a good start for those who Zerona didn’t work for. This machine all it does is to speed up the process of fat absorption. It opens up the cells and then your system wipes it off as normal… most complications are due to diminished function of the liver or lymphatic system. SO if it Didn’t work.. your system must me polluted with toxins~. Get a nice lymphatic system drainage massage and do a nice long detox diet, to get your system to work properly. This way you can eliminate the fat cells. If you don’t do this then your wasting your money with ANY procedure.
Interesting theory, but sorry I don’t buy it. If someone is in good health then there is nothing wrong with their lymphatic system. Zerona is just junk and should be avoided.
this is crazy. You simply HAVE to change your lifestyle for any weight loss to occur. Very simple. Less food in =more weight lost. Simple. But hard to do.