Mesotherapy article

Source: Rochester Democrat
(July 29, 2006) — Contrary to popular belief, cellulite is not caused by excess weight. It’s all in your genes. Cellulite is caused by clumps of fat cells that push up against surrounding fibrous connective tissue. This is what gives you dimples and what appears to be clumps of fat under your skin.
Women typically have cellulite because their adipose tissue is structured differently than men. As women gain weight, the fat cells swell while the connective tissue stays the same, thereby causing that lovely dimpling effect women all love to hate. Cellulite is typically a female problem; it can affect women of all ages irrespective of their weight. In women, fat cells on the lower part of the body store fat six times more readily than those on the upper body. They also release them six times less readily. This makes weight loss from the lower body almost impossible without the upper body suffering unnecessarily. The answer: No Needle Mesotherapy.
Tell me more about No Needle Mesotherapy
A new treatment, called DermaWave No Needle Mesotherapy™, uses specially designed pulses of electrical energy to relieve the congested tissue. This new technique called Aquaphoresis™ is a non-invasive, medically supervised treatment that utilizes laser technology and a sequence of electrical waveforms to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Because it is non-invasive, the treatment poses no known health risks for healthy patients—there are no known side effects and no recovery time.
How does No Needle Mesotherapy work?
DermaWave treatments relieve congested areas of cellulite deposits by using a very low energy laser and a sequence of specialized electrical currents. These electrical currents are used in combination with a smooth, plastic disk that is gently rubbed in a rotary motion over the treatment area, pushing the medication into the mesoderm layer of the skin. The electrical currents are balanced by positive and negative ions, in combination with pulsating energy. The electrical waveforms help increase microcirculation, lymph drainage and enhance blood flow, thus reactivating the specific physiological processes in tissue that contributes to the formation of cellulite. The actual treatment takes approximately 20 minutes and should be done twice a week for optimal results.
What to expect during your first visit?
On the first visit, you will meet with Dr. Tahmtan Hormozdyaran, M.D. to discuss a treatment strategy that best matches your needs. Dr. Hormozdyaran will talk to you about your medical history and lifestyle. During this visit, he will decide the best strategy to meet your goals and produce optimal results. Often, the strategy is a combination of treatments that can enhance results. Our goal is to meet your needs and wishes by customizing a plan.
What can I expect after a treatment? Multiple treatments?
A treatment session lasts about 30 minutes. Most clients will need to complete a series of 8-10 sessions to achieve excellent results. The results depend on the severity of the cellulite condition; however most see a change after 5 or 6 visits. After optimal results are achieved from a series of treatments, follow-up treatments every 2-6 months are suggested to maintain the benefit.
What about pain?
No Needle Mesotherapy is pain free.
Traditional mesotherapy breaks the bands of connective tissues by painfully injecting small amounts of homeopathic medicine immediately beneath the surface of the skin. This needle method also causes unsightly bruising, black and blue spots and is not recommended during warmer times of the year when you would wear a bathing suit or shorts.
The Aquaphoresis™ technique is patient friendly and the intensity is customized to the individual, eliminating any discomfort. This allows for a shorter time between treatments—enhancing the effectiveness. This technique offers great results with no downtime or bruising. Patients can resume normal activities immediately after a treatment.
What are the other uses of No Needle Mesotherapy?
No Needle Mesotherapy can be used as facial treatments to return skin tissue to normal function and appearance. This treatment called, Dermal Aquaphoresis,™ is designed to maximize skin recovery and repair by penetrating the outer protective covering using electrical waveforms and a conductive gel.
Dermal Aquaphoresis™ works by using a combination of three waveforms that push the medication deep into the skin. The initial waveform dilates the tiny openings, hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous glands, which allows the active ingredient to transfer down in the skin. A second waveform stimulates blood flow and microcirculation by targeting muscle tone to increase firmness. Increasing blood flow also helps your skin to produce collagen for more elasticity. The third waveform focuses on lymphatic drainage of toxins and waste products. This treatment is painless and requires no down time.

Searching for the cellulite cure

Source: CBS 4 Denver
Top models have smooth, sleek, sexy legs, free of the dreaded dimpled skin called cellulite. But cellulite affects 90 percent of American women. So what's their secret?
The Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman reports for some, it's a non-invasive massage procedure called endermologie.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Ellenbogen says, "Some of the top models in the United States come to our center. You would look at them and say, 'Gosh, these people can't possibly need this stuff.' But when you're competing with ten other models just as pretty, just as tall and just as shapely, any little bit helps."
While endermologie has been around for a few years, a new machine is the latest weapon in the war against ripples. It uses massage and lasers, and it's called "triactive."
Plastic surgeon, Dr. Gary Motykie, explains how it works. "What the massage does is it breaks up connective tissue or the fatty deposits. The diode or the laser in the triactive stimulates circulation to come and absorb that fatty tissue."
The Food and Drug Administration have just approved Triactive, and a woman who is undergoing treatment says it does not hurt at all.
"It feels wonderful," the 26-year-old woman says. This is Brandy Rostad's sixth "triactive" treatment for cellulite in her thighs. A series of twice weekly visits for eight weeks is recommended for best results.
While diet and exercise are always key to staying in shape, cellulite can be stubborn, even for women in their 20s.
"It's frustrating; it was embarrassing," Rostad says, "You don't want to go out and have people staring at cellulite."
For more serious fat deposits, there's a new development in liposuction as well. It is called lipo-selection. It uses ultrasound to liquify fat cells. A month later, triactive endermologie is added for the knockout punch.
Dr. Motykie expects it will be the way to treat cellulite. He says, "It is a combination of doing the liposuction to get the shape and the contour sculpted that you like, and then, the triactive to get the swelling down so they look good in a bikini for the summer."
Pleased with the lipo-endermologie treatment, Kimberly Stuart, 37, says, "My thighs were heavier at the top and I had more cellulite. Now they're leaner. Before I would call them thunder thigh-ish. I'm more confident now, for sure. I can wear shorter skirts. I walk with my head held high."
Still, there's no magic bullet for permanently eliminating cellulite. But even older women are seeing success.
"It depends on the tightness of the skin," says Ellenbogen, "If there's still elastic fibers to the skin, we work on women in their 60s and 70s and get nice results.
How badly do women want smooth skin? Surgical treatment for cellulite was the No. 1 cosmetic procedure last year.
It is nice to know even those leggy ladies strutting the catwalk also share in the common curse of cellulite.
Treatment with the new triactive machine runs around a $100 per treatment. Remember: it takes about 16 treatments to see results. And here's the kicker: Thin women get better results than those who are extremely overweight.

Watch out everyone!

A Florida company that promised its dietary supplement could erase cellulite agreed Tuesday to repay customers up to $12 million US to settle federal charges of deceptive advertising.
The Federal Trade Commission had accused Rexall Sundown Inc. of Boca Raton of making false and unproven claims in advertising to market Cellasene, a pill containing ginkgo biloba, grape seed extract and other herbal ingredients.
The FTC said sales of Cellasene exceeded $40 million in the United States and a typical eight-week regimen cost about $200.
"Hundreds of thousands of consumers were misled," said Howard Beales, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "This case should alert advertisers to the fact that their chances of getting away with making unsubstantiated claims are slim to none."
A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately return calls seeking comment. By settling, the company does not admit breaking any law.
The FTC will administer a fund to repay consumers, who can call 1-202-326-3793 for information.
The settlement will become final after it is approved by a federal court in Miami and related class action lawsuits in California and Florida are completed, the FTC said.
Cellasene was advertised - in major newspapers, in fashion magazines and on TV, radio and the Internet - as a product that could get rid of the fatty deposits known as cellulite.
The FTC said ads for the product claimed, "You'll notice smoother-feeling legs and a firmer-looking appearance of your skin after just eight weeks." The company also claimed, "Unlike massages and creams, Cellasene works from within, nutritionally, to help eliminate cellulite at its source."
The government sued Rexall in July 2000, accusing the company of making false claims that it had scientific evidence to back up its Cellasene promotions.
The settlement also bans the company from making unproven claims about cellulite-removal or weight-loss products and dietary supplements.

So, there is a lesson to be learned by all of us... think twice before believing everything you hear!

newest technique!

If you're older than a teenager, you've got it.
You also probably want to get rid of it.
What is it? Cellulite.
Look through many women's magazines and you'll see everybody has a sure fire way to help you get rid of it.
The newest technique in cellulite removal is a laser.
Maple Valley Clinic owner Nancy Bremmeyer has the only cellulite laser in Washington State.
"Basically we're seeing it work in everyone after treatment," said Bremmeyer.
Cynosure is the company that makes the laser called Tri-Active. The company claims four out of every five women treated with their device, report their skin looks better.
It works by firming and smoothing skin. The laser heats up tissue under the skin, breaking up cellulite, which the body then flushes. That's the theory.
The device has a suction cup with rollers to massage the skin, a low level laser, and it sends out air bursts to keep the skin cool.
One patient told KOMO 4 News it feels like a massage and there's no pain.
"With this device, it's a very low level of energy. So there's no real danger to the epidermis," said Steve Klein of Cynosure.
In other words, Cynosure says its laser won't burn your skin so it can even be used on the face. Also, it does not require eye protection unlike the lasers used for hair removal.
The FDA just gave the company approval to sell the laser over the counter. That means the federal government doesn't think a doctor has to administer the treatment.
"With anything, you want to make sure you go to a reputable facility, who understand the technology, who've had adequate training," said Dr. Stacy Davies, Aesthetic Imagery's Doctor on staff.
Cynosure says it can't predict how much cellulite each patient might lose because everybody's body is different.
Each treatment takes at least one hour. Bremmeyer says it takes many sessions to see the best results.
"You need to have a series. You need to do ten to twelve treatments. It's not a miracle cure with one," said Bremmeyer.
"This is a health maintenance issue, not a miracle treatment," adds Dr. Davies. It's also not cheap. Each session costs $125.

Endermologie approved by doctors!

Source: KOCO Channel 5 Oklahoma City
Endermologie -- a French invention -- is a type of deep-tissue vacuum for the skin that was originally intended to help burn victims regenerate skin. Now, many people are using it to get rid of unwanted cellulite.
But if you're thinking the procedure is akin to liposuction, then think again. Doctors say endermologie is about as harmful as getting a massage.
Cathy Green is a believer in the firming effects of endermologie. She said she is a full-time aerobics instructor who couldn't get rid of her stubborn cellulite -- until she tried endermologie."It feels wonderful," Green said. "My hourly relaxation ... it's so comfortable and relaxing as I lie here.
"Certified endermologist Jade Siegal said the treatment works because it goes deeper than the traditional toning strategies of exercise and a good diet. She said there's much more to cellulite than people think."Due to changes in hormones, heredity, poor diet ... a lot of different reasons ... what happens is you lose circulation to the skin," Siegal said.
"But because of those reasons, your connective tissue in your skin shrinks and pulls down on your skin, and you have a lot of lymph fluid."It's pushing up on the skin, and fat cells become engorged ... and they're pushing up on the skin."Exercise and a good diet are still the core of any healthy lifestyle, and doctors say nothing is better in the battle against fat. But endermologie claims to go deeper.
Endermologie patients start their sessions by slipping into a silky bodystocking that allows the machine to glide over the body. Siegal said the session lasts about 45 minutes."The machine is actually picking up -- using suction and rollers -- a perfect skin fold," she said. "(It's) treating the body evenly and bringing circulation to the skin, thereby firming and smoothing the skin as the patient loses inches."Siegal said she has hundreds of "before and after" pictures and measurements to back up her claim."I love it," she said. "It makes me feel like I'm helping. It's really nice."However, Siegal said the treatment is not a magic pill. Patients must still eat right, exercise and do at least one session a month to keep the improvements, she said.
Metro-area doctors told Eyewitness News 5 that endermologie patients need at least 10 to 14 sessions to see results. The price is usually about $100 a session, and the doctor should be approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration.

singer shares experience with masotherapy

Source: CBS News
Her velvety voice remains timeless. The legendary Roberta Flack is still singing the songs she’s made famous.
Classically trained, Flack taught music and sang in jazz clubs until her signature song, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," made her a star.
Since then, she has earned eight gold records, won seven Grammy Awards and wowed fans worldwide.
She has a way of mesmerizing her audience. But while her voice has always been her meal ticket, she says her body has been weighing her down.
“I've been overweight all my life. I have been on diets that were supervised by doctors, that were carefully supervised where I lost weight,” says Flack. But the minute she went off the diet, her weight blew up again.
Her personal war with weight was exposed on national television in 1973 on The David Frost Show when Frost asked her if she ever thought about losing weight. This was after Flack had just lost 19 pounds.
And then there was the 1974 Grammy Awards. It was a great memory except, she says, for her weight.
“I had somebody make something for me to wear and it was green,” remembers Flack, who says the dress made her look like an overstuffed frog. “I was green and I was huge.”
Fast-forward 30 years and weight is an even bigger issue. Flack says a good voice just isn’t good enough.
"Our criteria for deciding what's good and what's bad is very fickle, especially in this country," says Flack. "We are living in a day of video and image. Now we want to see what people look like.”
But now, after years of fighting the fat, Flack has found what she says is the perfect way to lose weight. So far, she has lost 35 pounds.
What’s her secret? It’s called mesotherapy, a French weight loss treatment that Europe’s rich and famous have been using for 50 years.
Mesotherapy claims, believe it or not, to melt away fat.
"Try it. You'll like it," says Flack.
Dr. Lionel Bissoon has been treating Flack with mesotherapy, a French weight loss treatment now available in the United States that claims to actually melt away fat under the skin.
"In a lay person's terms, it's the easiest way to say, 'it's melting the fat,' but scientifically, it's a very complex procedure," says Bissoon.
He demonstrated the treatment with one of his patients. He first prepares a concoction of prescription drugs, including aminophylline, commonly used for asthma, and natural plant extracts such as sweet clover, used for high blood pressure.
He then injects the formula into fatty portions of a patient's body. The formula, he contends, chemically melts the fat and shrinks the fat cells.
Some call it liposuction without surgery.
"It's a gentler procedure," says Bissoon, who’s now been treating Flack for seven months. "There's no anesthesia."
"I do a lot of singing while he's sticking me," says Flack.
Flack says she’s probably had about 500 injections, and she’s tolerated them really well.
But is the agony worth the price?
“To be 5 feet 3 and three quarters inches tall, and have to wear a size 18. That’s more agony,” she says.
Because the needles are tiny, Flack says the treatments are practically painless.
Right now, there are only a handful of doctors practicing mesotherapy in the United States. They say the treatment is safe. The only common side effect is bruising.
"Everything we do is based on sound science," says Bissoon. "Our medications are FDA approved."
The drugs are FDA approved for other uses, but not for weight loss.
“I now have a waist line,” says Flack. “I now have a reasonably flat tummy.”
There’s a very good reason why Flack is shedding those extra pounds. “I’m married to a much younger man. He’s 40 - I’m not- and extremely cute.”
Bissoon, however, says mesotherapy is not a crutch for easy weight loss.
“We want to change your lifestyle,” he says. “We want to make you feel great overall.”
But Flack admits that the results would not be as dramatic if she also didn’t exercise and diet. So she’s learning to love sushi, and she’s working out twice a day.
She’s losing weight, but is it the diet and exercise, or the mesotherapy?
Even though French studies show the treatment is effective for weight loss, St. Louis plastic surgeon Dr. Leroy Young says there has not been a definitive study in this country that proves mesotherapy works.
“Part of the problem with these types of therapies is they often get promoted by people without good solid scientific proof that they actually work,” says Young. "I think the only place fat melts is on the grill."
But Bissoon maintains that mesotherapy works. “I think when anything is new, there’s always going to be some skepticism. The results we are having are really fantastic and more doctors are doing it."
Flack started at a size 16; the skirt she has on now is a size 12. And since 48 Hours Investigates last aired this program this past April, she has lost even more weight.
Bissoon typically recommends 15 visits, and each treatment costs $350 to $500. It’s not covered by insurance, but Flack says it’s all worth it.
“I’m going to be way too gorgeous,” she says. “Let me change that. Way too sexy!”
So with renewed confidence and vigor, a slimmer Flack is back in the recording studio, starting a new record label and still belting out ballads with that velvety voice.

What causes cellulite?

What causes cellulite?
The causes of cellulite is a combination of heredity, female hormones and poor circulation, which cause connective tissue fibers under the skin to lose elasticity and harden. The result: skin tightens and can no longer expand normally. This squeezes fat cells through the fibers unevenly, causing a "honey comb" of small lumps and bumps.