The Latest on Cellulite: Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

No matter how advanced technology becomes with lasers, ultrasound, radio frequency or infrared heat techniques, a truly effective, long lasting treatment for cellulite remains elusive.  Why is cellulite such a difficult problem to treat?  Well, let’s start with exactly what that cottage cheese-like appearance is all about.

Cellulite is an architectural issue between connective tissue of the skin and fatty tissue.  The skin is connected to underlying muscle by fibrous connective cords.  Fat lies between these structures.  The fat pushes out against the skin, while the cords pull down, creating a dimpling effect on the surface.  The number, orientation and way these connective cords are organized in the tissue affects the amount and severity of cellulite a person may have.  Even though it is a common problem, It is a complex one, which is why there is no easy solution.

Cellulite is typically seen in the thighs, hips and buttocks of most women and may be genetically linked.  Excessive weight can make cellulite more noticeable, but it can be seen in lean body types as well.  It can also worsen with age as the skin loses elasticity.

You’ve probably seen countless ads with promises to eliminate cellulite.  The truth is that no single treatment is completely effective.  Topical creams, massage therapy and body wraps only provide a temporary effect on the appearance of cellulite at best, if they even do anything at all.  Of all the topical treatments, studies did show that topically applied retinol over a period of 6 months improved the appearance of cellulite because it helped stimulate collagen production and strength in the skin.  Mesotherapy, a technique that uses the injection of various substances into the fatty tissue to dissolve it, remains largely unstudied and can have unpredictable outcomes or only temporary improvement.  More invasive procedures, such as liposuction, can remove fat in the deeper layers, but its effect on superficial fat mostly seen in cellulite can be disappointing.  Laser assisted liposuction may be helpful for very small localized surface areas, but also requires more study.  Devices that combine radio frequency, infrared heat and suction with massage have gained popularity, but results on their effectiveness are often mixed and they typically require on-going treatments.

A new concept that may have future application for cellulite reduction is cryolysis.  There is evidence that fatty tissue is sensitive to cold temperature injury.  Currently, this concept is used in the Zeltiq procedure (cryolipolysis), which reduces small pockets of fat in the waist and love-handle areas of the body.  We have seen amazing results with the Zeltiq for this indication and I look forward to more research on cryolysis for the improvement of cellulite as well.  Trust me, as soon as there is a safe, non-invasive device that truly improves cellulite, we will offer it!!

Tags: bay area dermatologist, cellulite, cryolipolysis, fat, liposuction, mesotherapy, radio frequency wave, san francisco bay area dermatologist, zeltiq

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 at 12:53 am and is filed under Treatments, procedures. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.