Instead, the impact of cellulite is primarily aesthetic. However, if you’re conscious of the way you look and how others see you, cellulite can be a source of embarrassment and even shame when visible.
While it may not be medically necessary to treat cellulite, there’s no need to live with this condition if it affects your emotional health. When delivered by experienced medical professionals, advanced treatments can improve your skin and make a dramatic difference in your confidence and self-image.
You can restore a smooth, youthful surface to cellulite-affected skin with treatments delivered by cellulite specialist Winnie King, MD, in her private aesthetics and wellness practice in Houston, Texas. Dr. King and her staff have the expertise necessary to help you safely achieve optimal results from proven cellulite treatments.
Understanding cellulite
Cellulite affects women of all body types, fitness levels, and ages. While it most commonly begins to appear between the ages of 25 and 35, it can also start while you’re in your teens.
Cellulite develops as a layer of fat that collects in pockets just under the surface of your skin. This fat is held in place by a web of connective collagen fibers.
As collagen production decreases with age, these connective fibers can stretch and weaken, allowing the fat to bulge through the net and push up against your skin. Cellulite is most common on the hips, thighs, buttocks, and abdomen, areas where women are most likely to store fat.
One of the reasons that men are less likely to experience cellulite is because their fibrous tissue is stronger and less inclined to allow fat to push toward the surface. The condition affects less than 10% of men.
Causes of cellulite
It’s not exactly clear why cellulite occurs, though it’s evident that the condition isn’t tied to fitness or weight. Whether you develop cellulite depends on a variety of factors.
Unmodifiable factors such as family history, advanced age, and hormones can make you more likely to develop cellulite at any fitness level.
However, you can help improve the appearance of cellulite by maintaining a healthy diet and body weight, drinking enough water to stay hydrated, and exercising regularly. Together, these lifestyle practices can help replace fat with muscle and improve the unsightly appearance of cellulite.
Treating cellulite
If you want to make a more dramatic difference in the way your cellulite looks and makes you feel, you’ll achieve the best results from cellulite treatments that use advanced technology.
Smartlipo®
Smartlipo® by CynoSure® is a minimally invasive in-office treatment that uses laser-assisted liposuction to permanently remove fat. Smartlipo is performed with a local anesthetic to numb the treatment area, though you may experience a pulling sensation or pressure during the procedure.
To administer Smartlipo, Dr. King makes an incision in the targeted area of fat. She inserts a cannula, or small tube, containing the Smartlipo laser fiber into the incision. The tube delivers the laser energy directly to the fat cells, melting them so they can be easily suctioned out.
The heat from the laser also stimulates the production of new collagen, which helps improve skin elasticity. As new collagen develops over time, it produces a smoother, tighter surface on the treated area.
A treatment session with Smartlipo takes about two hours. While most patients experience minimal downtime, it’s common to feel achy after your treatment. It may be necessary to wear a compression garment on the treated area to promote healing.
You can usually achieve noticeable results with one Smartlipo session. Most patients see the results of their Smartlipo session within about a week after treatment, with additional improvement for up to six months.
Mesotherapy
Mesotherapy uses an injection of phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholic acid (PC/DC) directly into areas of fat. This non-surgical cellulite treatment originated in France.
PC/DC promotes lipolysis or the destruction of fat cells. To achieve an observable reduction in the appearance of cellulite areas, Dr. King administers multiple mesotherapy treatments in sessions scheduled three to four weeks apart.
In the U.S., Kybella® is the only FDA-approved form of mesotherapy. Kybella, which uses deoxycholic acid alone, is used to treat the fat pocket under your chin, called submental fat.
Both Kybella and PC/DC injections for the arms, flanks, thighs, and abdomen are available at Dr. King’s practice.
Find out more about treatments that can reduce cellulite and heighten your self-confidence. Call our Houston office today to schedule a consultation.