Beverly Hills Cellulite Treatment doctors

Cellulite has two primary causes: fat irregularities in the superficial skin and fat in the deep tissues.

Fat in the deep tissues can be globular, since fat has irregular septations that can be broken with liposculpture techniques. Many patients interpret fat around the thigh and buttock areas as being cellulite, when in fact it is just fat. So some hope there. Exercise and a healthy diet reduce fat, as does liposuction/liposculpture.

Fat in the superficial tissues causing irregularities on the surface is normal to have in the teen years and beyond, and non currently treatable. Some patients have found temporary relief with Endermologie, probably because of the temporary swelling it causes. Some creams may also cause temporary swelling and may minimally reduce the appearance of cellulite. Weight loss and diet also reduce the superficial cellulite.

Lasers, superficial liposuction, radiofrequency treatments have been disappointing because of the damage they may cause to the subdermal plexus, the blood vessels below the skin that nourish the skin. Destroying the subdermal plexus causes the skin to die or change color permanently. It can also cause very significant irregularities that are permanent and sometimes deforming.

One thing patients can do is to keep fit. People who have cellulite are genetically programmed to have it at a certain weight. Some patients who are genetically "gifted" and do not exhibit cellulite despite being heavy and not exercising. However, these patients often have the "apple" configuration with fat depositions in the abdomen, an unhealthier condition compared to their cellulite-suffering cohort. By reducing the body fat percentage through a sustained and effective exercise program with lots of cardio, and by restricting intake of fatty and carbohydrate rich foods, patients may reduce in a meaningful way their cellulite. This is in fact better than any treatment any doctor can offer (and cheaper and healthier as well).

The fact that almost daily a new cellulite treatment comes out shows that nobody has yet come up with a permanent solution. Endermologie seems to help on a temporary basis and if you don't mind the expense and repeat treatments. Many patients are reasonably happy with the temporary results.

We have seen large surface irreguarities, permanent pigmentary changes, and permanently increased cellulite from aggressive superficial liposuction techniques, lasers and radiotherapy devices, so I would avoid them.

There are three primary causes for cellulite:

1. Irregularities in the superficial fat just under the skin. In my opinion you can't treat these yet. The problem is the subdermal plexus, the blood supply to the skin. Techniques which have attempted to eradicate this layer have resulted in ischemic changes of the skin, permanent hyperpigmentation, non-fixable "moguls" in the skin resembling terrible cellulite. I have seem patients literally spend tens of thousands of dollars and look worse than before they had treatments.

2. Irreguarities in the deep fat septae that translate to irregularities in the skin. Here there is room for improvement if deep fat can be sculpted away, reducing the cellulite appearance by breaking deep septae. This is the single biggest area that can be improved surgically.

3. Looseness. If there are loose areas of the skin that can be treated with clever, minimal lifts within anatomic creases, for example a posterior buttock lift, subtle, medial thighlift originating in the groin crease, etc. this helps.

What you can do about cellulite:

1. Be as fit and trim as possible.

2. Avoid yo yo weight gain/loss. Have a healthy lifestyle and stick to it. Exercise regularly and stick to it. You may not have quite the body you want, but if you are an American woman above the age of 18 chances are you will have some cellulite. Yo yo weight gains/losses result in stretching and contraction of the skin, loss of elastic fibers, etc.

3. Avoid the sun. Sun causes destruction of the elastic fibers of the skin and worsening or cellulite.

4. Don't smoke. Causes changes in the skin, reduction in elastic fibers, diminshed blood supply to skin.

Sorry I did not present a cure-all, but we try to be honest. There is some empowerment in knowing what can and can't be done, and with living with those things we can't really change.