The battle against the cellulite it can’t be improvised: effective weapons are needed, which give long-lasting results both in terms of reducing centimeters and improving the appearance of the skin. “There are treatments that have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and whose results are guaranteed in the long term,” underlines Ginevra Migliori, a specialist in plastic surgery and an aesthetic doctor in Milan and Forte dei Marmi (Lucca). “The winter season is the best time to set a anti-cellulite therapy program». Here’s how you can intervene.
Carboxytherapy for circulation
Since there is always a circulatory problem at the base of cellulite, the basic treatment must first of all strengthen the microcirculation and favor the disposal of liquids. “There carboxytherapy it’s nothing new, but it’s back in vogue precisely because it has proven effective over the years. It is based on the infiltration of a gas, carbon dioxide», explains the doctor.
«On the one hand the gas reactivates the blood and lymphatic circulation, favoring the disposal of liquids and toxins, on the other it allows the flow of oxygenated blood to the tissues. You need a cycle of 12 sessions (very short, lasting about 10 minutes), one a week, followed by a maintenance session once a month», advises the specialist.
The cost is around €90 per session.
Micro-scalpel for holes
But let’s get to the most hated feature of cellulite: i holes that stitch the leather like a mattress. «They are localized above all at the level of the buttocks and in the back and lateral part of the thighs and are due to the retraction of the fibrous septae», explains the aesthetic doctor.
The decisive treatment is called CellFina and acts selectively and specifically on the fibrous septum: since each little hole corresponds to a fibrous septum, by cutting this septum to a certain depth, the skin is released and the depression disappears. The device is placed in correspondence with the little hole, where it releases a local anesthetic, then the tissue is sucked in with a vacuum pump and at this point a motor-driven micro-scalpel is introduced: moving back and forth, it cuts the septum.
«The advantage compared to a manual intervention is the extreme precision: thanks to the vacuum, the septa are all cut to the same depth and the healthy tissue is spared», assures the doctor. All in one treatment, minimally invasive, under local anesthesia, during which dozens and dozens of “holes” can be eliminated.
It lasts from 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the number of little holes treated, with a cost that can vary from €2,500 to €4,000. After CellFina, a day of rest is sufficient to return to normal activities: just avoid too hot showers, saunas, Turkish baths, sun beds. Also no to sun exposure for 6 months (to avoid spots). CellFina is approved by the FDA, which certifies that the results are stable 3 years after treatment.
Selective radiofrequency for bearings
«In case of localized adiposity, an excellent non-surgical remodeling is the selective radiofrequency for fat», advises the specialist. The machine consists of a handpiece that embraces the area to be treated: abdomen/hips and thighs. The adipose tissue, poorly hydrated, is found between the dermis and the deep muscle, both highly hydrated. A passage of current is created between two poles with different potentials, in the middle there is the fat which overheats, reaching 46 °C. The target is the adipose cells: lipolysis is induced, and the cells release the accumulation of triglycerides, which are then disposed of through the liver and kidneys. By measuring the area before and after the session, the immediate loss of centimeters can be appreciated.
«Not only that: the adipocytes, already affected, in the following hours undergo apoptosis phenomenon, or rather a natural death process that further reduces the volume of adiposities. Another advantage: the heat released in the fat also develops upwards, where at 42°C the production of new collagen and skin firming is triggered», explains Dr. Migliori.
We recommend a cycle of 4-6 sessions, 1 per week. The cost per session varies from 250 to 400 €. The painless sessions last 45 minutes for hip fat deposits and an hour for thighs.
The manifestations of cellulite
1. At the base of cellulite is a microcirculation problem: due to deficiencies in the blood and lymph circulation system, the tissues struggle to dispose of excess toxins and liquids and an inflammatory process is created which becomes chronic and leads to tissue degeneration.
2. The collagen in the dermis is damaged and ages, losing its ability to give tone to the fabric. A further stage of this process are the holes and depressions, a consequence of internal fibrosis. What is the fibrosis? It is the formation of retractions where there are fibrous septae, anatomical structures normally present in the adipose tissue, between the skin and the underlying muscle band. In women, these septa are perpendicular to the skin and when they undergo fibrosis they pull the skin downwards, giving rise to cellulite holes. There is a structural difference between the fibrous septa of the front of the thighs and those of the back and buttocks: the hindquarters are more adherent, the front ones softer and predispose to laxity rather than holes.
3. Parallel to the fibrosis process is the appearance of localized fat deposits, resistant even to diet and movement. In fact, the subcutaneous fat is disorganized, imprisoned in fibrous capsules due to the degeneration of the septa, and therefore more difficult to dispose of.
