August 22, 2008

Reduce cellulite without pain or needles

Medical research shows that cellulite affects 80 to 90 percent of women. According to a recent survey conducted on behalf of No-Needle Mesotherapy, 41 percent of women think getting rid of cellulite will boost their self-confidence, and more than half of the women in the United States have attempted to eliminate it.

For those who have tried to get rid of cellulite, the top three treatments were: exercise (55 percent), weight loss (36 percent), and creams or gels (15 percent). However, being overweight is not necessarily a cause for the appearance of cellulite, since the condition is caused by a variety of factors, including poor circulation and trapped fat cells. Similarly, maintaining an ideal body weight does not prevent cellulite, and liposuction can actually worsen the dimpled appearance of cellulite.

Up until now, mesotherapy had been the most effective way to reduce cellulite. Traditional mesotherapy involves the injection of FDA approved medications. These medications increase blood flow and cellular metabolism to promote the loss of fat and the healing of collagen bands trapping the fat cells in the area. The downside of mesotherapy was that it required numerous injections, often 50–150 injections per site in one sitting. These injections lead to bruising, swelling, pain and possible formation of scars and nodules.

No-Needle Mesotherapy, an FDA cleared medical device with two years worth of safety and effectiveness data, allows physicians to deliver the same prescribed medications evenly without needles. This non-surgical, medically supervised treatment utilizes laser technology and a sequence of electrical waveforms to open naturally-occurring pores within the skin to change it from its normally waterproof state to one in which it temporarily allows medications to penetrate.

Because it is non-invasive, the treatment poses no known health risks for healthy patients. There are also no known side effects and patients require no recovery time. The treatment also eliminates the potential for bruising, swelling and pain.

More than 200 doctors in the United States are trained to offer No-Needle Mesotherapy to their patients as a non-invasive treatment. Patients can choose to receive this treatment in a doctor’s office, with trained professional staff, and expect to see a marked reduction in cellulite within 6-10 sessions. Each session lasts between 30-45 minutes. Patients can return to their normal schedule following the procedure.

Donna Lee, M.D., medical director from Clarity Medical Spa located in Evergreen, is the first in the South Bay to offer No-Needle Mesotherapy. “I was trained in traditional needle mesotherapy first, but after seeing how this device gives similar results without any of the negatives, I don’t think I would ever go back,” says Dr Lee.