Cellulite is one of the more frustrating aesthetic issues for many individuals. While the amount of cellulite a person has typically increases with age, even young and athletic individuals can find themselves frustrated by the dimpled areas. At Perfect Skin Center in Scottsdale, AZ, we offer QWO injections to help minimize the appearance of cellulite. This revolutionary treatment has given hundreds of patients renewed confidence in their looks.
What Is QWO?
Earning the nickname “Botox for cellulite,” QWO is a radical way to smooth cellulite patches and rejuvenate your skin. This treatment works with your body’s own enzymes to recreate certain proteins in the connective tissues around your muscles, filling in the wrinkled, dented exterior that cellulite causes. Fully approved by the Federal Drug Administration, or FDA, this treatment was designed for individuals, usually women, with moderate to severe cellulite.
How Does It Work?
Cellulite
To explain what this treatment does, first, we must explain what cellulite is. Cellulite is the bumpy, dimpled, or wavy patches of skin usually found on areas of the body prone to fat storage. Typically the backs of the legs, buttocks, and sometimes stomach. Your body has thread-like structures called fibrous septae that anchor the skin to tissues farther from the surface, like muscle and fascia.
When fat cells become trapped between the fibrous threads, they create tension, resulting in the dimpled, puckered appearance of cellulite. How these fibrous cords in your body are distributed plays a role in how prominent your cellulite will appear. This distribution is primarily determined by genetics and is why some very slim people have quite a bit of cellulite, and heavier individuals may have very little.
The Treatment
QWO works by destroying the fibrous threads that bind cellulite to the dermis. Once these strands have been sufficiently damaged, the cellulite is erased, and the skin appears smooth again. Removing the threads ensures that the tension is eliminated and nothing is pulling the skin inward to create dimpling.
Treatment sessions will usually last between half an hour to an hour, depending on how much cellulite is being treated. Individuals with very prominent cellulite patches may take longer as well. As every patient is unique, our medical professionals will have a consultation with you to determine what options are best.
Who Is the Ideal Candidate for This Treatment?
QWO treatment was originally designed to help women remedy unwanted cellulite patches, but it works equally well on male and female patients. Individuals of various ages, skin tones, and ethnicities can benefit from this treatment if they have cellulite they wish to remove. Volunteers of all different skin tones participated in the clinical trials with no adverse effects due to skin pigmentation.
Individuals with enzyme allergies are not good candidates for treatment. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should wait until they are finished to seek treatment. If you have any worries about whether you would make a good candidate, reach out to our medical team, and we will help you find the best course of treatment. This treatment is suitable for most individuals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
As each patient has varying levels of cellulite and different goals, it will depend on your body. Most people will have three appointments over two to three months to see optimum results. After they have had the second treatment is when the average patient starts seeing the most results. Occasionally, some people seek a more aggressive treatment plan, which is why it is so important to have a consultation to go over your expectations with the medical team.
Where Can You Get The Treatment?
The FDA has currently cleared this treatment for use on the lower portion of your body, primarily buttocks, and legs. Studies are now running to test the safety and effectiveness of this treatment on hips and love handles. If you have other areas of your body you wish to have treated for cellulite, let our team know, and they can guide you towards treatments that would work for those areas.
When Should I Expect Results?
The enzyme in the injection needs a few months to work on the fibrous strands that contribute to the cellulite, which means most people see the most drastic results after that period. Every patient’s body will metabolize the enzyme differently, though, so you may see results sooner. Individuals with small amounts of cellulite can expect to notice results more quickly than those with larger cellulite areas.
How Long Do the Results Last?
Since the treatment eradicates cellulite on the structural level, the results of the injections can last for years, depending on the individual. If you notice new cellulite patches appearing elsewhere, you can always return for another session.
Why Do Women Have Cellulite More Frequently?
One of the reasons women are more prone to cellulite is that women are predisposed to having larger fat stores than men. Women typically have higher body fat percentages than men, and their bodies want to retain more fat naturally. This feature is a survival mechanism designed to make sure that if a woman were to get pregnant in times of scarcity, her body could draw on fat reserves to keep the baby and herself alive.
The second reason is that the fibrous threads that cause cellulite are perpendicular to the skin. This design allows for fat cells to pile up between the threads and create tension and the dimpled appearance of cellulite. It also allows fat to move closer to the skin, contributing to the uneven texture of cellulite. Men’s bodies have fibrous threads that run criss-cross, making it more difficult for fat cells to pile up and cause pressure to pull on the threads.
Feel Confident and Beautiful
Even though 90% of women will have cellulite at some point in their life, you aren’t stuck with yours. If you find that the appearance of cellulite makes you feel self-conscious, insecure, or hesitant to wear summer clothing, it may be time to seek a solution. You deserve to feel fantastic and confident in your skin. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
