You Can Now Treat Cellulite Courtesy Of the VASERsmooth Technology

Marguerite Bernett, M.D.
Estrella Aesthetics & Surgical Arts
Corona, California

Comprehensive Minimally Invasive Technique to Reduce or Eliminate Unwanted Cellulite at the by Estrella Aesthetics & Surgical Arts in Corona CA

Dimpling of the skin especially along the fatty areas such as buttocks and thighs, also known as Cellulite, is a common problem among most post-pubescent women. Since the late 20th century, different institutions and scientists have dedicated their time and resources in researching about the condition and its treatment. Several treatment methods have since been suggested, and they were constantly adopted in cellulite treatment over the years. Nevertheless, the all-new and minimally invasive modality referred to as VASERsmooth promises to be the most effective treatment method.

What causes cellulite?

Close to 85% of all women past puberty age suffer from one stage of cellulite or another. Even though the condition isn’t an illness and is mainly painless, it is hard to cover up thus, lowering most of the affected person’s confidence and esteem. Primarily, the individual is said to be suffering from cellulite if she has dimple-like marks on either their buttocks and either part of the thigh.

But what really causes cellulite? Though research on this topic is still ongoing and thus inconclusive, scientists have reasons to believe that it has everything to do with the estrogen hormone. This is secreted by females past their puberty, and thus the reason the condition is confined to just women and girls in the childbearing age and beyond. Preliminary research indicates that these dimples are caused by the interaction of estrogen on the skin and the underlying soft tissues. Nevertheless with the research ongoing, a clearer and understandable link between these two will soon be discovered.

How can one tell if they are suffering from cellulite?

Cellulite is more of a skin condition as it primarily affects the skin and the soft tissues underlying the skin. Most of the parts affected by this condition include the skin’s fibrous septae attachments that run through the underlying fat thus connecting it to the underlying muscles. The thickened fat layers, as well as the fat lobules just beneath the skin, are also affected.

Since this is a slow process, its effects also show up gradually with time. In almost all cases, it results in dimples coupled by an uneven skin tone on the affected areas. These dimples have a cobblestone or an orange peel appearance. However, in severe cases, the interference with the skin-fat results in reduced blood circulation in the skin.

Just like it is prudent to prevent and monitor other body complications, scientists’ advice that women to constantly keep check of cellulite in order to identify its extent among the affected. The constant monitoring informs them when to seek treatment. But is there a conventional measure by which the affected can use to gauge when they are doing just fine and to seek professional help? Yes, the Nurnberger-Muller grading scale.

The Nurnberger-muller grading, is a cellulite grading system developed in 1972 to check the extent of cellulite in the body. Since then, it has been universally adopted as the standard measure of cellulite worldwide for uniformity. According to the system, there are only four levels of cellulite that range from 0-3. The system adopts the pinch test to assess the extent of the condition among women. In this case, an individual gently and painlessly pinches the buttock or thigh with small skin folds and inspects any noticeable differences.

Grade 0: Also referred to as No Cellulite. This is not only the most desired cellulite condition but is also rare. At this grade, women show visible signs of cellulite whether standing or lying. Even the pinch shows no signs of cellulite.

Grade 1: Also referred to as the Tight Cellulite. At this stage, the pinch test on the thigh or buttocks reveals what appears like a mattress appearance or orange peel on the skin. Additionally, this cellulite grade is also evident upon contraction of the thigh or buttock muscles. However, it is clearly visible when standing or lying.

Grade 2: Also referred to as Loose Cellulite. This is an advancement of the two and is quite visible even when the individual is standing and totally relaxed. The orange peel appearance is also visible with the contraction of the buttock and thigh muscles as well, through the pinch test. However, the cellulite is not visible when the individual is lying down.

Grade 3: commonly referred to as the painful cellulite. At this stage, the cellulite is clearly visible whether the affected person is standing or in a supine position. It doesn’t even need the confirmation of the buttock contraction or the pinch test. It is commonly referred to as the painful cellulite as the skin of the affected persons is relatively tender meaning that even the slightest provocation causes them pain.

How does the VASERsmooth treatment work?

Women and girls are advised not to let their current condition worsen or reach grade 3 before consulting a physician for treatment. The VASER technology treatment uses high-frequency ultrasound with 2cm cutting edge or a ‘V’ shaped blunt tip specifically designed to cut through the fibrous bands of cellulite.

Primarily VASERsmooth starts by exercising and straightening the vertically oriented fibrous brands. The ultrasound probe then generates ultrasound energy that mobilizes the uneven fat and smoothens it over the adjacent regions. Ideally, this technology seeks to fill up the dimpled areas with the individual’s own fat drawn from the adjacent regions with bulging fat. In case the fat isn’t enough to evenly align the skin, the technology uses the stem cells, and platelet rich plasma to fill it up and even out the skin tone.

What makes VASERsmooth better than other methods of cellulite treatment?

In the development of VASERsmooth, VASER technologies applied a high-frequency ultrasound thus deviating from the age-old laser technology. Unlike its laser counterpart, the ultrasound technology is more efficient in several ways that also form the advantages that the cellulite victims using it for treatment get to enjoy. These includes:

• It is fast and more efficient. This method drastically reduces the treatment time given that the process of cutting fibers that usually takes close to an hour with laser technology can be equally done in 5 minutes through the ultrasound technology.
• It is less risky. For the laser treatment method to achieve optimal effect, it has to heat up to 42°C, and this increases the risk of burns given the fact the body burns at 47°C. On the other hand, the ultrasound technology requires way lower amounts of heat to cut the fibers thus posing no threat to tissue safety.
• The most viable advantage of the ultrasound treatment method over laser is that the fat cells moved to even out of the indented areas are 85% alive, while stem cells are 87% alive increasing their chances of regeneration. On the other hand, mainly because of the high temperatures required for the treatment, most of the fat cells obtained from laser treatment are nonviable and cannot be re-deposited into the indented areas for regrowth.

How long does it take to fully recover from this treatment?

In most cases, the entire treatment process, right from preparation to completion will last no longer than one hour. Whether it is a thigh or buttock treatment, the procedure isn’t immobilizing and patients can walk immediately after treatment. Nevertheless, patients are advised to continue with their medication up to three days after the procedure with swelling expected to peak after the second day. While the surgical process is light, individuals on recovery are advised to only resume irregular non-strenuous exercises after one week, and to put on a compression garment for not less than three weeks after the treatment procedure.

Bottom line

It is evident that the high-frequency treatment method adopted in the development of VASERsmooth treatment technique holds the future of cellulite treatment. It not only presents the affected with a pool of benefits that are not readily availed by other treatment methods. With research still ongoing, most women can now afford a peace of mind on the thought that their worries are taken into consideration. Additionally, it is expected that with further research will come further information and innovations to the current treatment procedure in making it even more effective and affordable.

Please call Estrella Aesthetics & Surgical Arts in Corona CA at (951) 272-4455 for a consultation.