Cellulite Causes and Treatment Options

What is Cellulite?

Cellulite may sound like a medical condition, but it is just regular fat that collects in pockets underneath the skin. It is easy to recognize cellulite: dimpled skin, commonly described as a “cottage cheese look” that appears on your thighs and other parts of your body. Although many know that cellulite is fat, what most women don’t realize is that, although you can lessen the appearance, you cannot eliminate it like other fats through diet and exercise. Fat isn’t the problem at all; in fact, it’s a structural issue below the skin that only your physician can treat. It’s why men don’t typically get cellulite (because they have a different skin structure) and why some skinny women will get it, and some heavier women won’t.

What Causes Cellulite?

There are three structural problems that can cause cellulite. First of all, the connective tissue bands surrounding fat cells under your skin can harden and become tight and inflexible. Second, pockets of fat trapped by these rigid bands can protrude into the lower layer of the skin and cause a worsening of the dimpling appearance. Thin skin can cause the appearance to worsen. Hormones, heredity features, weight, and aging all play a role in cellulite development. Because of this, cellulite treatments must go beyond the fat and surface of the skin.

How Do We Treat Cellulite?

There are many treatments that address cellulite, such as creams, lotions, and pills. However, you have to use them consistently, and they still do not entirely rid your body of cellulite. They simply reduce the appearance. A healthy diet can help reduce the appearance, and proper underwear can help as well (tight underwear restricts blood flow and speeds up the development of cellulite). 

We offer two treatment options:

The first is with QWO. It is the first and only FDA-approved injection to treat cellulite. QWO is collagenase which is an enzyme that breaks down collagen. It is approved for cellulite treatment on the backside, but in some cases, it can be used “off-label” to treat deep indentations on the thighs. Dissolving the fibrous bands that pull the skin down releases the skin to its normal flat appearance. Most people bruise from the treatment. It can take three treatments given 21 days apart to achieve the desired result.

The other treatment is called Subcision. After numbing a spot adjacent to the depression, a tiny cannula (approximately 1mm wide and 4 inches long) is passed under the depression. The cannula’s back and forth movement breaks up the fibrous bands that pull the skin down. Multiple areas can be treated. This method can also take several sessions to achieve the desired result.

These treatments aim to lessen the appearance of cellulite significantly. Although perfection is the goal, this cannot always be achieved.