GET TO THE BOTTOM ON CELLULITE

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF CELLULITE: 4 EFFECTIVE CELLULITE TREATMENTS THAT ACTUALLY WORK

Cellulite.

We all hate it.

We (almost) all have it.

It’s what can keeps us from that bikini, skirt, shirt, or pool. We feel like we are at fault for every lump and bump accumulating cruelly on our booties, boobies, and belly. The truth is actually much more complex. However, there is hope at the L.A.B.!

The Effects of Cellulite

Cellulite is an accumulation of fat and fibrous connective tissue that develops on the surface and just below the surface of the skin. It can appear anywhere on the body, but it’s most commonly found on thighs, hips, buttocks, and stomachs. And it usually affects women more than men. Many people believe cellulite is hereditary or related to age, but there are many ways to reduce its appearance.

Some common symptoms of cellulite include: dimpling or puckering of the skin; orange peel-like wrinkles; relative heaviness in some areas; and a surface that feels like a cobblestone street.

The first (and most effective) way to combat cellulite is by reducing its appearance and making it less noticeable with regular exercise. You can also lose weight if you have too much body fat around your problem areas to help flatten out those lumps and bumps. But for those who don’t want to wait for these natural remedies (or lack thereof), there are many other options as well.

Treatments That Work

What is QWO?

QWO is the first and only FDA approved injectable for the treatment of moderate to severe cellulite. QWO targets the fibrous connective cords that cause the dimpled appearance in your skin. When these cords are released, fat cells are redistributed and new collagen growth is stimulated.

Cellulite is a very common, harmless skin condition that causes lumpy, dimpled flesh on the thighs, hips, buttocks and abdomen. The condition is most prevalent in women. It involves fibrous connective cords that tether the skin to the underlying muscle, with the fat lying between. As fat cells accumulate, they push up against the skin, while the long, tough cords pull down. This creates an uneven surface or dimpling. Think of the buttons on your mattress. Hormonal factors play a large role in the development of cellulite, and genetics determine skin structure, skin texture and body type. Other factors, such as weight and muscle tone affect whether you have cellulite, though even very fit people can have it. QWO is now FDA approved to treat cellulite.

QWO only treats the dimples of cellulite. It does not treat skin laxity. If laxity is of biggest concern, it is recommended to tighten the treated area prior to receiving QWO. We recommend Hyperdylute Radiesse, Sculptra or radio frequency microneedling to address skin laxity. Each Qwo treatment visit may include up to two treatment areas. QWO injections will be given three weeks apart for a total of three treatment visits. Common sides affect to QWO injections include soreness in the treatment area. You may feel as if you just completed a strenuous leg/buttox workout. The most common occurance is post-injection bruising. Brusing should be expected and can last up to 14 days. It is most severe after the first treatment session, but will dissipate after treatments two and three.

What is “Hyperdilute” Radiesse?

While it sounds complicated, hyperdiluted Radiesse is simply Radiesse that has been thinned out with a mixture of saline solution and Lidocaine. This diluted mixture is injected into areas where the skin is showing sagging and looseness. The calcium hydroxyapatite molecules in Radiesse then stimulate the body to build new collagen. This naturally firms and improves the area, adding volume to the sagging area and improving the skin texture.

All areas can be done, but some new interesting areas to consider are the decolletage (chest wall), necklines for thinning skin around the neck, cellulitic dimples of the thighs and buttocks, giving minor volume to the buttock for better shape, knee lines from lax skin with aging, stretch marks, and laxity around the arms. One to three initial treatment sessions are needed to achieve the aesthetic effects desired. These are spaced one month apart. From there, it’s only maintenance, with one hyperdilute Radiesse treatment every 12-18 months.

With hyperdiluted Radiesse, your provider is able to gradually tighten and thicken targeted areas of skin, creating smoother, firmer, younger-looking skin on treatment areas across the face and body. It’s an exciting new treatment that can correct a wider range of aesthetic problems, including crepe-like skin, skin laxity, and even areas of cellulite. It does this naturally through the body’s own collagen production.

When Radiesse is diluted in this fashion and is then injected into areas of collagen (and subsequent volume) loss it triggers the body to produce new collagen. But the difference is the type of collagen produced. There are three forms of collagen, Type I, Type II, and Type III. The original collagen in our bodies that is produced to provide the structural latticework that supports our skin is Type I collagen. That’s where the problem with aging occurs, as the production of this original form of collagen drops by one additional percentage point every year after our 20th birthday. That means by the age of 45, our skin is supported by 25 percent less collagen; that’s why it’s about that time when wrinkles, lines, and areas of volume loss start to show up.

Sculptra Butt Lift

Traditionally, Sculptra has been used to restore lost facial volume, but recently it has also been used to add volume and definition to the buttocks region. The Sculptra butt lift allows you to add roundness or fullness to a butt that has a flat appearance. Since no fat transfer or implants are involved, your treatment doesn’t require surgery.

A Sculptra butt lift looks differently then other kinds of dermal fillers. Instead of adding volume outright the way that hyaluronic acid ingredients would, Sculptra injects something called poly-L-lactic acid into your dermal layers. This substance works to kick-start your body’s natural collagen production mechanism.

Since collagen is the protein that gives your skin its structure and shape, Sculptra injections fill out the area under your butt with a curved shape that looks natural and fits with your body type.

The building of collagen takes several weeks to months. This means you’ll likely need several injections to see improvement in volume and shape.

What is RF MicroNeedling?

Radiofrequency microneedling is a cosmetic procedure that uses tiny needles and radiofrequency waves to rejuvenate skin. The treatment is a form of controlled skin injury. The damage stimulates the growth of healthy new skin, which can benefit common skin issues such as laxity, scars, roughness and wrinkles.Our Morpheus8 technology delivers energy deep into your dermis, which is the deepest layer of your skin to tighten your skin and minimize imperfections. The RF energy will heat the underlying layers of your skin and stimulate collagen and elastin, two proteins that allow for a firm, tight look.

What Causes Cellulite?

Cellulite is a common skin issue that affects almost all people to some degree. Cellulites’ cause? The buildup of fat cells just below the surface of the skin, which creates a cottage cheese-like texture. This creates an uneven skin tone and dimples on the surface of your skin.

In most cases, cellulite can be attributed to poor diet and lack of physical activity, but anyone can develop cellulite from genetics or other factors. You don’t need to have a certain body type or weight to develop this condition. In fact, many women who are thin or overweight still have cellulite because it’s not related to weight gain or loss.

Cellulites’ causes lie within the circulatory system and connective tissue in your body. When circulation slows down, it causes blood vessels to reduce their elasticity and increase the risk for developing cellulite as well as varicose veins and spider veins. Poor circulation can also lead to impaired healing after surgery or injury. Chronic inflammation is another culprit behind cellulites development as it slows down circulation in the ill-affected area.

The slowing of circulation is due to our lifestyles nowadays; we’re seated too much at work, lying around on the couch at home, and sitting during leisure activities like watching TV or reading books (or blog posts). All these sedentary activities lead to slower blood flow which leads to the formation ill-effects like cellullitis!

Conclusion

So, what are the best treatments for cellulite?

The four procedures that we have at the L.A.B. are excellent options for treatment and reduction of cellulite and can be used in conjunction with change in diet and physical activity to address cellulite!

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