Cellulite
Uneven fatty deposits under the skin
Cellulite refers to areas affected by uneven fibro-fatty deposits which usually occur on the buttocks, thighs and legs, especially in women.
The affected areas are usually uneven and dimpled in appearance and may not necessarily be due to excessive weight.
It often occurs as a result of weight gain but can also occur in people who are not overweight at all.
It is due to fat deposits which form superficially, just underneath the surface of the skin and become interspersed with strong bands of inelastic fibrous tissue which are attached to the under surface of the skin and run vertically down into the fatty layer.
It is thought that the female hormones contribute to the formation of cellulite and men are therefore rarely affected.
The fat cells become trapped in inflexible compartments between these fibrous bands or 'septae' and when the fat cells expand due to any weight gain at all, they push the surface of the skin up into bumps as they are unable to easily expand in other directions.
The skin is tethered and anchored down at the points of attachment of the fibrous bands resulting in depressions between the fatty mounds at these sites.
The higher pressure inside the tissue in these inelastic fibrous-fatty compartments leads to a reduction in blood flow through this tissue and fluid may also become trapped within the affected tissue as it is unable to easily enter the circulation.
The lymphatic drainage is also usually poor, further contributing to fluid retention and calcium deposits may form within the layer of uneven fibrous fat.
It can be a difficult condition to treat because of the strong nature of the fibrous bands within the fatty tissue and the inadequate local circulation.
As the blood flow is poor, it does not respond well to weight loss or dieting, and weight loss will not be desirable if the person affected is already at their perfect weight.
Other techniques therefore have to be employed to try to improve the condition.
There is currently an abundance of different treatments promoted for the treatment of cellulite including topical creams, lotions and potions, various forms of massage, micro-injections of a multitude of difference substances (mesotherapy), radio-frequency wave treatments and ultrasound treatments.
It is generally true to say that the more purported treatments and 'cures' there are for any condition, the more resistant that condition is to any form of treatment and this is certainly the case with cellulite: there is currently no one treatment which will offer a miraculous and guaranteed cure.
You should therefore be careful not to be fooled by any claims of such, as they are likely to be highly dubious.
Nevertheless, if your expectations are realistic, treatment can be undertaken, but a combination of approaches is often needed to have a likelihood of substantial improvement of the condition.
Certainly, some treatments are much more effective than others and in our clinics we will only use and recommend treatments that we have found to be the most effective.
A medical consultation is needed initially so that the doctor can evaluate the problem and exclude any medical condition that could be contributing to it.
You weight, body fat percentage and body mass index will be accurately measured and if you are significantly above your ideal weight then this will firstly need to be corrected with our Alizonne therapy® contour shaping weight reduction treatment. As a result of this treatment, your cellulite will often substantially disappear.
If your weight is not the problem, we will usually recommend a programme of specialised mechanical connective tissue massage with lymphatic drainage treatment (LPG) combined with lipolytic ultrasound treatments at weekly intervals.
We may also employ mesotherapy injections of lipolytic and/or fibrolytic substances into the worst affected areas.
Several treatments will be recommended at weekly or twice weekly intervals.
Once substantial improvement has been achieved, it is often wise to have maintenance treatment every 4 to 8 weeks to prevent recurrence.
