Pain is subjective. Some patients will easily tolerate pain levels that others would faint from -- so suggesting pain is an indicator of effectiveness is very misleading. Velashape provides cumulative results over a period of time and sessions. At our office we see visible response for 90% of patients at 8 sessions. If the pain levels were high, very few patients would endure that many procedures. Velashape results are based on both radio frequency and infrared light - plus suction. The associated pain or discomfort is a result of the combined heat and the suction which assists in exposing more skin to the dual exposure of the RF energy and the infrared heating. Both of these are the catalysts in reforming collagen bundles so they are smoother and tighter. Nothing really eliminates cellulite and Velashape should be viewed as a contouring procedure more than cellulite reducer. Firmer skin provides improved visual appearance so the cellulite appearance is minimized since the surface skin is tighter. Most effective cosmetic procedures involve some level of discomfort but the goal is to provide the most improvement with the most manageable pain levels.