What is cellulite?

It’s been called cottage-cheese skin, hail damage, and orange-peel skin (along with many other unflattering names), but cellulite is a skin condition that affects millions, including large percentages of some demographic groups. Cellulite looks like dimpled and or bumpy skin. In severe cases the skin may have numerous deep depressions, like a mattress. Cellulite is as normal as it is unpleasant!

Everyone has a layer of fat under their skin. It’s an important part of our biology! That fat allows a body to insulate itself, cushion deep tissues , and provide emergency energy.

Cellulite is not fat! There’s a relationship between fat and cellulite, but it’s not a direct one. Cellulite is created when fat cells between the skin and muscle begin pushing the skin out while the fibrous cords that hold the skin to the underlying muscle restrains the skin in spots. This gives the peak and valley appearance that we know too well.

Cellulite is the skin dimpling that occurs from the tension of enlarged fat cells pushing against skin that can’t gracefully hold it anymore.

Most commonly, cellulite appears around the mid-thighs and buttocks, but it can also show up in the stomach, upper arms and breasts.

Who gets cellulite?

Around 90% of women will experience cellulite at some point in their lives, while only about 10% of men will. This seems to be due to the way the connective tissue under men’s skin is built. Men have a criss cross pattern to these fibrous bands, while women’s are vertical.

What are the causes of cellulite?

What exactly causes cellulite is unknown. There are numerous factors that appear to determine the risk for individuals.

Genetics: Sad to say, but genes can leave you predisposed to develop cellulite due to numerous factors.

Sex: Cellulite affects women much more than men.

Hormones: While it is believed that hormones play a role in the development of cellulite, exactly how is undetermined. Estrogen is believed to play a particularly important part, as well as the stages of menopause, wherein hormone levels change dramatically. Collagen production may reduce as a result of these changes, and thinner collagen layers lead to cellulite.

Age: Thinner, less elastic skin is a part of aging. It also makes cellulite more likely.

Muscle Tone and Body Fat Percentage: Good muscle tone will lessen the appearance of cellulite by tightening the skin, but it will not eliminate cellulite. Thin individuals can still have cellulite. Excess body fat can increase the appearance of cellulite, and losing body fat can reduce the look of cellulite, but diet and exercise will not eliminate cellulite.

The message here is that cellulite is the product of a combination of factors. While it may be common, there are methods to reduce its appearance.

What are the best treatments for cellulite?

There are many treatments available for Cellulite reduction, however, results vary widely and effectiveness is hard to gauge. Many treatments lack the evidence provided by well-run, independent trials.

There are lasers and suction and supplements and lotions all marketed as treatments for cellulite. An independent study of cellulite treatments from 2015 did not provide clear evidence of positive results for any available treatments for cellulite reduction. While there are some treatments that are considered at least somewhat effective, more study is needed for all of them. In 2018 QWO, a revolutionary new treatment for cellulite, began gaining some notice as a cellulite reduction treatment.

Is QWO Cellulite Treatment FDA approved?

In 2020 people with cellulite received some good news. QWO Cellulite treatments became the first and only FDA-approved, injectable treatment for cellulite. An independent, double-blind study detailed the effects of QWO cellulite treatments. The results were profound. Through this one-of-a-kind, injectable treatment, patients saw major reductions of cellulite in treated areas.

How is QWO Cellulite Treatment performed?

Injections take as little as 10 minutes. QWO treatments involve administering sets of injections 3 weeks apart. In FDA trials around 75% of patients who received the QWO cellulite treatments noticed major reductions in their cellulite.

How do QWO Cellulite Treatments work?

How QWO cellulite treatments work is not precisely understood. QWO is a collagenase. When injected, it’s believed to trigger Enzymatic Subcision and Remodeling. In this process, the fibrous connections between skin and muscle are broken down first, followed by a reorganization of the fat under the skin, and finally a stimulation of collagen production and thickening of the skin. The results are not immediate, but they are long-lasting. Expect to see the full effects in 2-3 months. Patients should achieve dramatic reductions in the appearance of cellulite while, internally, there will be an increase in collagen production resulting in thicker, healthier skin.

How long will QWO treatments last?

Studies on the duration of these effects have shown they last at least between 1-2 years and, some studies suggest permanent reduction or elimination of cellulite from treated areas.

Are there side effects?

Side effects may include allergic reactions, itching, and redness. Nearly all recipients of QWO cellulite treatments have some bruising after the procedure. The side effects generally last less than 3 weeks, and the bruising is usually lessened each successive treatment.

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