Zerona, a laser technology created by Santa Barbara Medical Innovations, has turned the world of liposuction upside down.

With the Zerona lasers, no incision is needed for the liposuction. The doctor points the laser at the skin on both sides of the body. The Zerona laser than creates a tiny poor in the fat cell’s membrane. This pore allows the contents of the fat cells to seep out of the cell and into the the space between the cells.

The body later gets rid of the fat cells along with the body’s other waste products.

A session with a Zerona laser generally takes 40 minutes (20 minutes for the front of the body and 20 for the back). Santa Barabra Medical Innovations recommends at least six treatments spread in a two week period. Zerona does not cause any pain or side effects, and patients can go back to their normal lives after each session. The Zerona laser can be directed at the belly, hips, thighs, back, chin, neck and arms.

Dr. Gregory Nikolaidis, a dermatologist in Texas, said patients on average lose three to five pounds after the six sessions Key to the weight loss, Dr. Nikolaidis adds, is that the patient must maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet. Zerona can help melt away fat, but it’s up to the patient to keep it off.

Last year, doctors performed more than 341,000 liposuction operations in the U.S. With the Zerona laser proving to be effective and far less painful than traditional methods, liposuction will never be the same.