New Injectable Cellulite Treatment: Qwo

A new treatment for cellulite is on its way.  Cellulite can affect anyone, whether one is slim or overweight.  It is not a problem of excess fat.  Rather it is the perfect storm of skin elasticity loss, tight fibrous septae and the fat being able to bulge through the less elastic skin.  We believe Qwo will be a great intervention for cellulite.  We feel it will work even better when combined with a skin tightening procedure such as Exilis Ultra, Thermage or Ultherapy.  

Qwo is an injectable treatment for cellulite using collagenase clostridium histolyticum.  It breaks down collagen types 1 and 3 which are found in the fibrous septae between pockets of fat cells.  These fibrous septae shorten with time, often in an irregular manner.  If the septae weaken, the fat can bulge through and create a cottage cheese type of appearance on the skin.  The skin itself also looses elasticity with time.  Collagen and elastin fibers deteriorate as we age (sadly, as we know).  This less elastic skin is more strongly affected and pulled at various strengths by the actions of the tight fibrous septae.  

Our current treatments for cellulite include Velashape, Exilis Ultra, Vasersmooth, Cellulaze, Z wave, and fillers such as Bellafill or Sculptra.  Velashape is a multi-modality platform which utilizes radiofrequency energy and infrared energy to heat and induce new collagen and elastin fiber production in the skin while also being able to reduce bulges of fat.  The concurrent mechanical suction and tissue manipulation allows the fibrous septae to be gently stretched and helps to improve vascularity and health to the tissues.  Exilis Ultra uses monopolar radiofrequency to improve skin elasticity and also to permanently reduce the number of fat cells in the fat globules.  Vasersmooth and Cellulaze are minimally invasive treatments using a small probe that travels under the skin to cut through the fibrous septae.  Vasersmooth additionally can tackle and disrupt the fat globules.  Z wave uses photoacoustic energy and is a great standalong procedure but even more effective when preceded by any of the prior procedures. The sound waves improve vascular health and help to further break down fat cells and tenderize the fibrous septae.

The injectables such as Bellafill or Sculptra are great for indentions in the skin.  These indentions can be filled out immediately and give a smooth appearance that is long lasting.  

We do have injectables that break down fat as well, specifically knows as Kybella, or Deoxycholic Acid.  Kybella works great on dissolving fat cell membranes but does not dissolve type 1 or 3 collagen.  

Qwo is the first injectable of its kind that essentially replaces Vasersmooth or Cellulaze in terms of being able to break the fibrous septae that pull the skin down.   Treatment will consist of 3 treatments spaced 3 weeks apart.  Post treatment side effects will include bruising, some discomfort, and some edema (swelling).  These symptoms should subside within hours to days.  

To learn more and to become a patient at our practice please contact us at:

The Dermatology, Laser & Vein Center

9505 Montgomery Road, Suite 201

Cincinnati, OH 45242

Phone: (513) 985-9885

cincinnatiskinandlaser.com

info@cincinnatiskinandlaser.com

Emsculpt Virtual Consultation with Dr. Shalini Gupta

Emsculpt Virtual Consultation with Dr. Shalini Gupta

Coolsculpting and Warmsculpting

www.cincinnatiskinandlaser.com

Most of you have heard of coolsculpting by now.  It has almost become a household name when one thinks of wanting to get rid of unwanted areas of fat without downtime.  Coolsculpting, as the name implies, works by lowering the temperature in your subcutaneous (under the skin) tissues where the fat exists to a temperature that is found to push fat cells into apoptosis (a process known as programmed cell death where the cell is pushed into the process of dying off naturally).  The fat that is slowly released from the dying fat cells is eliminated via your lymphatic system.  There is no danger to your health.  It does not cause clogging of your vessels or a spike in your blood serum levels of fat or cholesterol.  Think of it more a like a bad bruise which your body heals naturally.  Coolsculpting was developed from an observation that children who held cold lollipops in their cheeks for extended time periods developed dimples as a result of cheek fat loss.  Just about any body area can be treated with the various sized suction and nonsuction applicators available.  The most common areas treated are the stomach, love handles, arms, inner and outer thighs, and the chin.  Bra fat, knees, calves, banana rolls, male breasts (gynecomastia) can also be greatly improved with coolsculpting.  Generally, one can expect about 24-25% fat loss in a single treatment, with results seen within 6-12 weeks of treatment.  We recommend 2-3 treatments to the same area for best results.  Though not designed for skin tightening, if the skin has decent elasticity, one is generally not left with loose hanging skin.

So then what is warmsculpting?  Warmsculpting is becoming increasingly more popular.  It generally refers to a competing technology called Sculpsure, which uses at 1060 nm wavelength laser to target subcutaneous fat.  The laser causes damage to the fat cell wall.  It also gives some gentle heating to the elastic fibers and collagen fibers in the skin, inducing a bit of skin tightening, which is an advantage to coolsculpting.  This procedure is termed warmsculpting because one feels heat vs cold.  the procedure takes 25 minutes, vs the 35 min-1 hour 15 min cycles of coolsculpting.  Additionally, both love handles can usually be treated in one single 25 minute treatment compared to two cycles of coolsculpting requiring 1 hour and 10 mins of treatment time.

Because we have both technologies, we can help you chose which procedure would be best for your particular case.  We have other noninvasive tools also such as Vanquish ME (excellent for generally larger bellies and love handles, inner and outer thighs), and Emsculpt for fat loss and muscle gain as well as vaser liposuction for the quickest and best results.  Many times, we might recommend a combination of Coolsculpting and Warmsculpting in alternating treatments to achieve the best results.  Warmsculpting is a bit more versatile with where it can be placed and is especially useful in areas of less pinchable fat where the suction applicators of coolsculpting might fail.

We welcome you in for a consultation to see how to best achieve your ideal body contouring goals!  Give us a call at 513-985-9885!