Qwo Off-Label for Front and Back Thighs - DON’T DO IT!

When I first heard about Qwo, the first FDA-approved treatment for cellulite, I immediately searched for a provider in my area and found 3. After calling around, I settled on Dr. Mendelson's office, in part because he administers it off-label on the thighs (it's currently technically only approved for the buttock area) and made an appointment. I have cellulite on my butt and back thighs, but the worst of it - and part that bothers me most - is front of thighs.

Unlike Botox, which is administered by units or areas, Qwo is priced by number of injections and this office bundles by 6 and 12-injection packages. I ended up doing 24; 12 on front of thighs, 12 on the back. The injections weren't painless, but they weren't awful either. Certain areas, I felt nearly nothing, but in others, I definitely felt it. Overall, to me, it's much less painful than Botox.

Many of the reviews I read indicate that Qwo results in significant bruising, but not much actual pain. This is not my experience. I was pretty immediately sore, and VERY sore for the rest of the day and evening. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I had thighs treated, both front AND back, and I got 24 injections. Today, the day after, I am still very, very sore. It's not bad when lying down, but it hurts to move around and walk.

I started to bruise just a little last night, about 5-6 hours after treatment, and woke up today to much more significant bruising. It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be, though, and it's significantly worse on the back/sides of the thighs than on the front.

Maybe it's psychosomatic, but I swear that I already see results. I'm excited to see the results over time and have my second round scheduled in 3-weeks, which is the recommended time between treatments. I'll try to provide updates as I go. I know that this is a brand mew treatment (I'm only the 5th person in my area to get it), so there's not much out there by way of reviews from real-life patients.

I’m on my second day after my Qwo injections and the bruising has really settled in. I’m not surprised at all by this, but it HURTS. My thighs are so achy, more in the front than the back. Yesterday was quite painful, although i was still able to fully function throughout my work day, and I woke up this morning VERY sore.

I’m avoiding ibuprofen, which can worsen bruising, and sticking with Aspirin. I’m also using topical arnica gel to help mitigate bruising. My legs feel swollen and lumpy, and some injection sites have nodules, but I’m hopeful that the discomfort starts to subside after today.

For some reason, my day 1 pics didn’t attach to my original post.