No one has to tell you those unwanted dimples on your thighs and buttocks are cellulite. It is very common, and more than 80% of women have some cellulite, while only 10% of men deal with it.
Although you probably don’t like how it looks, it’s important to know that cellulite does not affect your overall health and it does not hurt. So, let’s look at what is cellulite, its causes, and a new treatment option for minimizing its appearance.
What is cellulite
Cellulite forms when fibrous bands connecting your skin to the underlying muscle tighten irregularly. Essentially, cellulite is fat deposits beneath the skin that push against the connective tissue. The result is lumpy, puckered, and dimpled skin, most often on thighs, hips, buttocks, and sometimes abdomen.
Cellulite is the relationship between your skin, connective tissues, and the normal fat cells everyone has, plus the effects of hormones, age, genetics, and lifestyle on those structures.
Factors affecting cellulite
Time, skin structure, hormones, and genetics all affect whether and how much cellulite you’ll develop.
- Time: Throughout adulthood, your outer layer of skin weakens, thins, and loses elasticity. Gravity takes its toll, and the skin begins to sag. The connective tissue bands get tighter and stiffer.
- Skin Structure: The way connective tissue arranges varies and is a key factor why some people get cellulite. In most males, the connective tissues are arranged beneath the skin in a cross-hatched or diagonal manner, in a smooth and continuous pattern. For women, they tend to run vertically and perpendicular to the skin, creating chambers in which fat cells can push up on the skin while the bands pull it downward. These patterns determine cellulite formation.
- Hormones: Hormones are another factor contributing to cellulite and varies by sex. Estrogen, the primary female hormone, plays a role in regulating fat. It causes fat to naturally build up in the breasts, thighs, and buttocks. By contrast, Testosterone, the primary male hormone, burns fat.
- Genetics: Blame your family! Cellulite is believed to have a genetic component and it does run in families. In fact, if your family members have cellulite, you more than likely will, too.
How to minimize cellulite
Weight loss and exercise may help improve the appearance of cellulite. You’ve tried that, right? And, you still have unwanted dimples. Fortunately, we now have QWO® —the first and only FDA-approved injectable for moderate to severe cellulite in adult women’s buttocks. It is a prescription medicine that breaks up collagen and encourages the growth of healthy tissue. QWO was studied on all skin types and ethnicities, making it the right treatment for many of my patients. It’s important to note that QWO is indicated for cellulite – not laxity.
A bit about QWO
QWO is made from enzymes called collagenases that’s believed to target the structural causes under your skin where cellulite starts. It’s thought that QWO works by releasing the fibrous bands, redistributing fat cells, and stimulating the growth of new collagen.
I inject QWO directly into targeted cellulite dimples using a small needle. At each office visit, injections take as little as 10 minutes. Ideally, most patients receive three treatments spaced three weeks apart.
There are a few side effects including injection site bruising, pain, areas of hardness, itching, redness, discoloration, swelling, and warmth in the treatment area. Serious side effects include allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis.
Schedule your cellulite consultation now
Call now to schedule your confidential consultation. Contact my patient coordinators at info@driteld.com or call us at 312.757.4505.