DEXA BODY COMPOSITION SCAN
Medical-grade fat, lean muscle & visceral fat analysis — results in minutes. Located between Guildford and Farnham.
What is a Dexa Scan?
- DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scanning is the gold standard in body composition & visceral fat.
- Uses low-dose X-rays to provide a detailed location & amount of fat mass, lean muscle mass, visceral fat and bone density.
- Offers insights into associated health risks, such as osteoporosis, hormonal issues, and visceral fat levels.
Why Choose a Dexa Body Composition Scan?
- Unparalleled regional analysis, showing precise fat, lean mass, and bone distribution across specific body areas (e.g., arms, legs, trunk).
- Separately quantifies fat, lean muscle, visceral fat and bone mass to offer a comprehensive view of body composition.
- Used to guide interventions for obesity, sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), and metabolic health improvement.
- Most accurate method to track progress in reducing fat or gaining muscle.
Who Benefits from a Dexa Body Composition Scan
- Ideal for individuals managing obesity, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome by measuring visceral fat and overall body composition.
- GLP-1 / medicated weight loss clients who need to protect lean muscle, and track progress.
- Adults 40+ who want to maintain muscle and bone, protect metabolic health, and track changes as the body naturally loses muscle mass and bone density.
- Peri/Post Menopausal women who want to proect bone health and prevent visceral fat gain.
- Athletes who need to track lean mass and bone health for injury reovery, prevention, and performance.
- Busy professionals seeking sharper cognition, stress resilience, and sustained energy for performance in the workplace
Our Scan Protocol
- As a CQC-regulated clinic, we conduct a clinical eligibility check before confirming your booking to ensure the scan is justified and aligned with accepted indications.
- We confirm there are no contraindications, such as pregnancy or recent imaging with contrast materials, to ensure the scan is both safe and effective.
- Wear fitted athletic clothing or snug underwear. Avoid overly loose or overly tight garments that could distort the scan. A gown can be provided if needed.
- Remove all metal (jewellery, watches, belts, zips/underwire)—it can register as bone and skew results.
- Lie on your back for ~4 minutes while the scanner arm passes to capture images.
Personalise Results & Insights
- As part of your appointment, we will walk you through your results, providing personalised actionable steps to help you achieve meaningful improvements.
- Body Fat, Lean Mass, and Bone Mass: Total body fat percentage, lean muscle mass, and bone mass measured precisely.
- Adipose Tissue: Differentiates between subcutaneous fat and visceral adipose tissue (VAT), offering critical insights into health risks related to fat distribution.
- Regional Analysis: Detailed breakdown of fat and lean tissue in arms, legs, trunk, and visceral fat (VAT), highlighting metabolic and cardiovascular health risks.
- Results will show you against medical cut-offs as well as comparisons to age matched and young 25 Year old averages
START WITH YOUR BASELINE ASSESSMENT
Advanced Body Composition Assessment
Combining the gold standard results of a Dexa Body Composition Scan with the precision 3D measurements of our 3d Infrared Scan. Providing the perfect balance of insight for progress tracking. Tests included:
DEXA Body Composition – 3D Infrared Body Scan
Save £29 compared to booking tests individually.
Dexa Body Composition Scan
The DEXA body composition scan is the gold standard for accurately measuring the amount and location of visceral fat, body fat, lean muscle mass, and whole body bone mineral content.
.
DEXA Bone Density – Osteoporosis Scan
The DEXA bone density scan is the gold standard for measuring bone mineral density (BMD) and assessing bone health. It provides a precise evaluation of bone strength and helps identify risks for conditions like osteopenia and osteoporosis before fractures occur.
.
DEXA Body & Bone Density Package
Combining DEXA Body Composition with Hip & Spine Bone Density scans for a comprehensive picture of your metabolic and bone health — ideal for longevity-focused clients and women approaching menopause. Tests Included:
DEXA Hip Bone Density
DEXA Spine Bone Density
DEXA Body Composition
Save £119 compared to booking tests individually.
FAQ
How long does a Dexa Scan take?
- The total appointment will be about 40 minutes long including check-in, the scan, analysis & report preparation, your consultation.
- The actual scan takes approximately 4–6 minutes
How should I prepare for the test?
- Wear comfortable, tight-fitting clothing without metal (e.g., no zippers or underwire bras).
- Avoid calcium supplements for 24 hours before the scan.
- Remove all jewellery, belts, and metal objects.
In the Is the scan safe?
- Yes, DEXA scans are extremely safe and use very low levels of radiation. The amount of radiation exposure from a body composition scan is about the same as what you would receive on a 1–2 hour flight or from a single day of natural background radiation on Earth. A typical dental x-ray exposes you to about 5-10 times more radiation than a DXA scan.
How often should I get scanned?
- It is recommended to schedule DEXA scans no more frequently than every 6 months to effectively track significant changes and trends in body fat, lean mass, and visceral fat.
- If under a medically supervised treatment plan it is possible to scan more frequently if justified.
- For more frequent monitoring between scans, we routinely use our 3D Infrared Body Scan imaging to track progress.
Can I have a DEXA scan if I’m pregnant?
- No, these scans are not recommended for pregnant individuals due to the exposure to X-rays, even at low levels.
Can I have a DEXA scan if I have a pacemaker?
- Yes, DXA scanners do not use magnetic fields so they do not interfere with pacemakers. However, it is best to inform us if you have one in advance of the scan.
Can I have a DEXA scan if I have metal implants?
- Yes. The implants (like a hip/knee replacement, etc.) will show up as dense bone on your scan but they will not affect the fat and lean muscle mass data.
Is there a weight limit for the scan?
- Yes, the weight limit for our model of scanner is 400 lbs (180 kg).
How accurate is a DEXA Body Composition Scan?
- A DEXA Body Composition Scan is accurate with +/-1-2%. It is the gold standard for fat mass, lean mass and visceral fat measurement.
- Most consumer devices have an error rate between 5-10% which is much lower than the medical grade DEXA Scan
How quickly do I get my Scan Results?
- Unlike many other medical scans & tests, I-thrive provides your results in the same appointment including an in-depth report of findings to help you interpret them and establish your roadmap.
What makes a DEXA Body Composition Scan so accurate compared to other methods?
- DEXA is considered the gold standard because it scans the body in segmented “slices,” measuring bone, lean tissue, and fat with high resolution across each region (arms, legs, trunk, and visceral area). This segmented, tubular precision shows exactly where fat and muscle are distributed. By comparison, bioelectrical impedance (BIA) and scales estimate body composition based on water content and electrical flow, which can be affected by hydration, food intake, or skin temperature. DEXA provides a direct measurement with greater reproducibility and accuracy than BIA, skinfold calipers, or BMI.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
We are committed to transparency and evidence-based practice. Here are some resourced you may find useful.