» Cellulite Therapy
What is Cellulite?
Cellulite is a condition in which abnormal "nodules," "sheets" and/or "ripples" of fat form cells and fibrous connective tissue under the skin in the mid-section, buttocks and thigh areas of the body. It is more commonly occurs in women than men. This gives the appearance of puckering, ruffling or "orange peeling" of the skin. The condition is caused by abnormal physiology in the skin and subcutaneous fat. It involves a type of insufficiency in the venous and lymphatic system, in addition to abnormal deposits of collagen under the skin and within fat tissue.
What Causes Cellulite?
Although there are several possible explanations, the truth is: we don't know why Cellulite is caused. Being overweight doesn't cause Cellulite - many sufferers are slim, while many severely obese people show no signs of it. Older people have more Cellulite than younger people, although it's also prevalent in adolescents. In addition, hormones are also believed to be a contributory factor. This is why women whose bodies are undergoing hormonal changes (during puberty, menstruation, menopause etc.) often notice the appearance of Cellulite.
The Answer to Cellulite
If you are one of the thousands, if not millions, of women who suffer from Cellulite, your best policy for preventing Cellulite formation is to take the following 5 steps to preventive steps and then consider the possibility of active treatment and aesthetic correction of the existing problem.
- Pay attention to your diet
- Do not allow yourself to get dehydrated. Drink a regular amount of high quality, pure water.
- Avoid excessive consumption of coffee, alcohol, very high fat foods like chocolate/candy.
- Make sure your diet includes enough fiber. (30 grams a day is a good target)
- Eat regular amounts of fresh fruit.
- Avoid excessive carbohydrates if excess body fat is a problem.
- The more natural foods your diet contains, the better.
- Quit or cut down on smoking
- Avoid all unnecessary medication, in particular, avoid diet-pills, pep-pills, sleeping pills, laxatives and diuretic pills.
- Take regular exercises, ideally in the fresh air. Make it part of your daily routine. If outside exercise is impossible, do it inside, to music. Or, do a regular series of breathing exercises. Four to six hours per week is recommended.
- Don't let stress get on top of you. Make relaxation a regular part of your daily routine.
Active Aesthetic Treatment of Cellulite
Active treatments for Cellulite include temporary solutions, such as Massage, application locally of topical products, Sauna and Body Wrapping, and more permanent solutions, such as Life Style/Diet changes and Mesotherapy. Mesotherapy injections are given to not only improve the venous and lymphatic flow, but to also break down the fat nodules. The solutions generally consist of a vasodilator, lymph flow stimulator, enzymes and an anesthetic. Because Cellulite involves an abnormality in fat accumulation, Mesotherapy injections should be done in conjunction with a comprehensive natural medicine program designed to improve overall metabolism. This would have the effect of increasing weight loss and improving overall health. Hormone imbalances are often at the core of the problem and may need to be identified, measured and corrected to have maximum benefits. If the underlying physiology is corrected and maintained, then Mesotherapy can be done as an initial series. If it recurs, then the Mesotherapy process will need to be repeated for ongoing results.
The actual technique of Mesotherapy injections involve extremely small needles that penetrate the body only a very small depth, which is typically four to six millimeters. Many of the needle sticks are not even felt because often times the skin is iced or cooled prior to and during the injections. Extreme care is taken to minimize any discomfort, bruising and bleeding and to make the Mesotherapy experience as painless and as comfortable as is humanly possible. Mesotherapy treatments for Cellulite are typically given twice per week, depending on the severity of the condition being treated. As improvement is seen, the treatments may be given less frequently, such as once every two weeks or once per month until the problem is resolved or minimized to cosmetic satisfaction. Mesotherapy can involve anywhere between 30and 300 shots or more per session, depending on the condition and amount of area covered. Mesotherapy techniques involve very superficial, quick injections, taking less than a couple of minutes to do all of the injections, thereby maximizing the amount of area stimulated. This is necessary for conditions such as cellulite, where a maximum area must be stimulated to produce a good results. The number of Mesotherapy treatments needed depends upon many variables, including the extent, the abnormal physiology causing the condition, as well as the chronicity of the problem. For long term chronic conditions such as cellulite and wrinkles, at least 8 to 15 sessions of Mesotherapy will usually be needed.
Side effect of Mesotherapy for Cellulite are localized temporary swelling, redness, itching, bruising, discomfort and possible allergy. All of these effects except allergy are temporary and usually resolve within a few hours to a week. In addition, because Mesotherapy for Cellulite includes enzymes to reduce the scarring collagen content in the tissue, it is necessary that each patient undergoing therapy have a simple allergy skin test prior to beginning Mesotherapy to ensure that no allergy to the protein-based enzyme Hyaluronidase is present. This helps to minimize the possibility of serious allergic reaction to Cellulite Mesotherapy.
The cost of Cellulite Mesotherapy depends on the extent of the problem and the intensity of therapy. The best approach is to undergo an medical evaluation to determine the extent of the problem before considering exact costs. Individual costs can be discussed with the office manager of Bio Health Center on a personalized basis after initial evaluation.
"No where in today's managed care, third party, media circus does anyone present the the patient and clinical practitioners philosophy... For years I listened to the insurers, managers, experts, professors, news pundits, bureaucrats and opinion makers. But I ultimately realized that I still had to sleep at night. From all third party perspectives any clinical practice is, in essence, 'anecdotal.' So now I listen first and foremost to my conscience. I had good teachers, good mentors and loyal patients as well. Although I think 'science' is important, technology, politics and economics are not science. The professional oath I took upon becoming a physician was to relieve patient suffering, honor those who taught me, teach those willing to learn and reveal no information shared with me in confidence. It didn't have anything to do with third parties. That oath is our philosophy at Bio Health Center..."
- David A. Edwards, MD, HMD
