The FDA has approved Cellfina, a nonsurgical treatment for banishing cellulite.
Sure, this is great news for the growing self-improvement crowd who prefer their cosmetic treatments to be non- or minimally invasive. But there's one downside: Some people don't take these treatments seriously enough. These terms provide a false sense of security—when in fact the treatments can have side effects and should be performed by doctors or technicians with proper training and supervision. Contributing to the problem: Rules vary by state about what level of certification and supervision is required for each type of procedure.
Perhaps that's why the FDA made a condition of its new approval for Cellfina, a treatment for cellulite, that only an M.D. who is trained in the system can perform it. In case you've forgotten how Cellfina works (it's hard to keep all these treatments straight), it's an automated form of subcision, a way to sever the individual septa that anchor the skin to deep tissue, much like buttons in a sofa cushion anchor the cloth with a strong thread. Swelling of the fat cells between the septa causes the telltale puckering. Each depression is treated individually, starting with an injection of the pain deadener lidocaine. After the device is properly positioned, it sucks up a pinch of tissue, and then a tiny sharp-edged needle automatically slides under the skin and cuts the thread.
Originally approved for showing results up to one year after treatment, the new approval states that results of a single, minimally invasive treatment can reduce "the appearance of cellulite on the buttocks and thighs with no loss of benefit for up to two years." The approval was based on a two-year, multicenter study involving 55 patients. Independent evaluators concluded that Cellfina improved the appearance of cellulite in 98 percent of patients at the two-year mark, the longest approval for any cellulite treatment. And results can even last longer, says Robert Weiss, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Maryland and the lead investigator on the study. Doctors we've spoken to say it is still not as good for thighs as it is for the buttocks.
Aftereffects can include up to two weeks of bruising and swelling and, rarely, hemosiderosis (a big bruise that can last for a month). "Most patients are really happy—they just have to make it through the first few days of tenderness when sitting," Weiss told us. "But the more you sit after the procedure, the faster you see results. A refreshing change from hearing 'the more you exercise, the more you see results.'"
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