(CBS) — If you've tried crunches and counting calories but still have trouble getting rid of belly flab, there may be another option. It is a non-surgical procedure that uses gas to get rid of fat.

Carla Hernandez is taking a shot to lose fat. After two kids she dropped most of the baby weight with diet and exercise, but there's still a little left.

"Certain areas around my midsection that don't seem to budge,” she said.

And while procedures like liposuction could help, “Intrusive surgery is scary to me,” she said.

So she's trying carboxitherapy. Used in Europe for years, the idea is similar to lipodissolve.

But where lipodissolve uses injections of drugs to melt fat, this new technique uses carbon dioxide gas.

The idea of having gas injected into the body may sound scary, but carbon dioxide is used on a regular basis in some surgeries and even colonoscopies.

Dr. Waldo Acebo injects tiny amounts just under the skin. He says the gas acts like a mild acid to help break down stubborn fat pockets.

"It works very, very well,” said Dr. Acebo, of the S.E.R. Institute.

There's little pain, and no downtime. However, like similar procedures, it's not FDA approved and not for everyone — only people who want to lose a little fat.

"We do not recommend this procedure for patients who are basically obese,” Dr. Acebo explained.

Typically, patients need 10 to 15 sessions over several weeks. This is Carla's third visit.

"I noticed the results pretty much from the first session,” she said.

While carboxitherapy costs less than liposuction it's not cheap. Most patients spend $1,000 - $1,500.