That lumpy, bumpy fat on your buttocks and thighs that looks like orange peel is more than just fat. Cellulite is a condition where the fibrous bands that connect your muscle layer to your skin stiffen and pull downward, causing your fat cells to bulge upward. Cellulite may become more noticeable as you age and your skin becomes thinner.
While cellulite affects many more women than men, the cause of the embarrassing, yet benign, condition is largely unknown. Risk factors appear to be:
- Genetics
- Estrogen dropping during menopause
- Prolonged sitting or inactivity
- Being pregnant
- Aging
While you may not like the way your cellulite looks, it’s a perfectly normal skin variant that’s found worldwide and poses no health risks at all. However, that doesn’t mean you have to live with or hide your wavy thighs and buttocks. At Winnie King, MD Aesthetics and Wellness in Houston and Shenandoah, your aesthetic professional improves your cellulite by choosing from one of three effective, state-of-the-art methods:
Cellulaze™ by Cynosure®
Cellulaze is a minimally invasive laser treatment that addresses the root factors involved in cellulite. The doctor begins your treatment by inserting a tiny laser fiber underneath your skin in the affected area. The heat from the laser:
- Disrupts and melts the bulging fat cells
- Cuts through the fibrous bands so skin lies flat
- Stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin in your skin
Cellulaze’s healing laser energy produces so much new collagen in your skin that it grows in thickness by up to 25%. The increase in collagen and elastin produces more skin depth, strength, and elasticity to create a smoother, more uniform surface. The cottage-cheese ripples are gone.
You receive local anesthesia before your Cellulaze treatment, so you won’t feel much more than pressure during the procedure, which lasts 1-2 hours. You may be bruised and swollen after Cellulaze, so Dr. King recommends wearing a compression garment for a few days to increase your comfort.
The improvement in the thickness, tone, and smoothness of your skin continues to improve over the next 3-12 months. You should be able to return to most normal activities within a few days. Your cellulite-free appearance after Cellulaze can last for a year or more.
Smartlipo by Cynosure®
Smartlipo is a minimally invasive way to smooth out cellulite while simultaneously contouring your body by removing excess fat. Smartlipo is a type of liposuction that uses laser energy to melt the fat so that it’s easier to remove.
Smartlipo was the first laser lipolysis procedure to be cleared by the FDA. As with Cellulaze, the laser energy from Smartlipo stimulates your skin to produce more collagen and elastin, so that it becomes thicker, smoother, and more pliable.
Smartlipo improves cellulite by:
- Disrupting fat cells and liquifying fat
- Gently suctioning out the liquified fat
- Coagulating your blood vessels to initiate healing
- Stimulating new collagen to improve skin elasticity
You only need local anesthesia for Smartlipo. After your treatment area has been numbed, the doctor inserts the Smartlipo laser fiber into your skin. You’ll feel some tugging or pulling during your 1-2-hour procedure, but you should remain pain free.
Afterward, Dr. King recommends wearing a compression garment to control swelling and discomfort. You may see results within a week or two, but your shape and cellulite continue to improve over the next 3-6 months.
Z-Wave Pro
The Z-wave Pro by Zimmer Aesthetics is a noninvasive treatment for cellulite that sends powerful, high-energy radial shockwaves throughout your skin tissue on your thighs, upper arms, abdomen, and buttocks to improve skin firmness, elasticity, and collagen production.
Z-Wave Pro treatment:
- Increases blood flow in your skin
- Rejuvenates skin cells
- Strengthens connective tissue
Because it’s noninvasive, Z-Wave is pain free. In fact, many women and men say that the treatment feels like a relaxing massage You have no downtime, won’t need to use a compression garment, and can return to daily activities immediately after your treatment.
After just 2-3 Z-wave sessions, you’ll notice that your skin is smoother and firmer. You may need up to 10 treatments for optimal results.
Your Winnie King, MD Aesthetics and Wellness professional helps you decide which cellulite treatment is best for you. Get started today by calling us for a cellulite evaluation or use the online appointment form.