With Spring and Summer approaching, that means warmer
weather and it means more of your skin will be visible as it escapes the
confines of winter clothing. For many women, cellulite, veins, hairs and
brown spots are common concerns.
Fortunately, there are some simple ways to help you enjoy the warmer
weather with confidence. Veins can be
treated with sclerotherapy or laser, hairs can be zapped away with lasers too,
and brown spots do great with, you guessed it, lasers, too.
But cellulite-- how do we deal with the lumpy areas and
indentions under our skin? Not even
liposuction is overly successful at removing cellulite. Cellulite is a combination of 1) Thinning of
the skin-- with age collagen is not as tightly wound up; 2) Overgrowth of fat
lobules which poke through the thinned skin—they cause constriction to the
vessels traveling through the fibrous septae; and 3) Constriction of the fibrous
septae due the overgrown fat lobules near the skin surface. To address cellulite successfully, all three
aspects need to be addressed.
We have two methods of treatment. The first are the noninvasive treatments. These include Velashape, Thermage and Exilis
Elite. Velashape uses a combination of
suction, infrared head and radiofrequency energy to heat and knead the
skin. The idea is to achieve localized
fat apoptosis, to lengthen the fibrous septae and to stimulate collagen in the
skin. When performed diligently by an
experienced and dedicated clinician, the results are actually very good. Periodic maintenance after a series of
treatments is a good idea to keep the areas smooth. Thermage and Exilis Elite
both use monopolar radiofrequency to deeply heat the tissue to induce apoptosis
of the fat cells and stimulate collagen in the skin, essentially achieving very
similar results. Thermage is an
excellent treatment and can be accomplished in a single visit (though a repeat
treatment after 3-6 months would yield heightened results), but it is painful. Exilis Elite is performed in a series of 4
weekly treatments. Hydration is very
important with all these procedures as well hydrated skin allows for delivery
of higher temperatures through the skin for greater efficacy.
The second method are the minimally invasive technologies
which include Cellulaze, VaserSmooth, and the latest ThermiTight. With all three procedures, the skin is first
numbed using a local anesthetic solution.
All of these procedures require wearing a compression garment immediately
following treatment for 1-2 weeks and all three follow a single treatment
protocol. With Cellulaze, a spagethetti
thin canula is threated back and forth through the cellulitic areas to 1) melt
and destroy fat cells, 2) pop and break through the fibrous septae and 3)
stimulate collagen via heat delievered directly under the skin. VaserSmooth works in an identical fashion,
but instead of laser energy, uses the gentler power of ultrasound to accomplish
the same three goals. The advantage of
VaserSmooth is less disruption to the vessels and nerves, where the laser
cauterizes through these structures. Therefore
the recovery time is a bit faster with less bruising and less swelling. The third method called Thermitight again
accomplishes all three end goals, but utilizes Radiopfrequency instead. The greatest advantage with Thermitight is
the strict temperature control of the device both internally and on the
skin. An infrared camera is constantly
watching the skin temperature to keep it in a safe therapeutic zone and the
tiny probe under the skin also allows delivery of exact therapeutic
temperatures to effectively destroy fat cells, break through the fibrous septae
and tighten the skin. Of all three
technologies, Thermitight yields the best skin tightening effects and
effectively treats the fat and septae as well.
These minimally invasive treatments are perhaps more permanent than the
noninvasive options. Recovery time is
typically one to two days with return to exercise after 2-3 weeks.
Which method to choose can become a challenge, especially
when there are so many great options.
The first consideration would be whether a minimally invasive option is
acceptable for the patient. If so,
VaserSmooth or ThermiTight would both be great permanent treatments. If minimally invasive doesn’t sound appealing
and there is no time for wearing a garment or recovery, the noninvasive options
are all great choices. The newest of the noninvasive procedures is
Exilis Elite. Even though it is a series
of treatments, patients prefer the price point and the comfort during treatment
(compared to Thermage which can be painful while being administered).
We highly recommend doing some research and then coming in
for a consultation for further discussion.
ThermiTight
Results from ThermiTight
VaserSmooth Results
Exilis Elite Results
Thermage Results
