For those looking to reduce cellulite, Cellfina may not be a tough “cell.” Targeting the structural issues that cause cellulite, medical spas and practices that offer Cellfina hope to cut the dimpled skin affecting at least 85% of U.S. women off at the source.
The non-invasive option does not require an operating room; instead, patients undergo a 45-minute-long treatment in which a .5 mm blade goes 6 mm under the skin to sever fibrous bands of tissue that can shorten and pull skin down toward the muscle, creating cellulite’s telltale dimples.
Paul M. Parker, MD, FACS, and medical director the Parker Center for Plastic Surgery, recommends patients have the procedure done on a Friday—after skin pops back into position, they are sent home with a recommendation to take the weekend off and return to work without soreness on Monday.
“From a staff standpoint, what’s nice is that it’s a relatively quick, easy, painless procedure. Kind of the perfect plastic surgery operation,” said Parker.
Moving On
Traditional options to treat cellulite include topical products, laser and vacuum treatments, and surgical options that may need maintenance and do not typically provide long-lasting effects. Patients who opted away from surgical procedures could have body peels including lactic, salicylic and citric acid or vitamin A. Parker believes that awareness and education on the procedure will grow the longer it is available and is filtered into industry literature.
Fifty-five patients underwent a single Cellfina treatment in a prospective study before the procedure’s 2015 release; 100% had a noticeable improvement on the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale after two years, along with a 96% satisfaction rating.
“If something in our field, in plastic surgery, is going to hold up for two years, you can bet it’s going to last a long time,” said Parker.
