New Cellulite Treatment, Cellfina, Gets Approved By The FDA: Will It Actually Work?
Cellulite has plagued many people for years, but women especially: The lumpy-looking skin, which is caused by hormonal changes, affects up to 90 percent of women at some point in their lives, Medical News Today reported. There are many creams and at-home remedies that claim to help the appearance of cellulite, but nothing has been clinically proven to work. Or at least that was the case before the Cellfina System.
Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Cellfina, a non-invasive treatment, that works by attacking the primary, structural cause of cellulite through a combination of advanced technology and a well-established procedure called subcision. According to Cellfina's website, subcision is a surgical technique that involves moving a cutting tool beneath the skin and cutting the bands of connective tissue responsible for the lumpy look of cellulite. The two technologies work together to "treat he connective bands woven throughout the fat that pull down the skin, creating dimpling seen on the skin’s surface."
Since Cellfina is non-invasive, the treatment does not require any anesthesia or an operating room.
“In my practice, Cellfina has become the gold standard for treatment of cellulite on the thighs and buttocks,” Dr. Grant Stevens, a clinical professor of surgery at the University of Southern California’s division of plastic & reconstructive surgery, stated. “I am confident that the FDA’s recent clearance of Cellfina for safe, effective results lasting up to two years will prove critical in helping physicians feel confident in recommending this single, minimally-invasive procedure to their patients.”
Cellfina seems to have staunch supporters, but does the treatment really work?
In one U.S. clinical study, 55 patients underwent a single system treatment that independent physician evaluators later determined improved the appearance of cellulite in 98 percent of patients. What's more is 96 percent of patients reported feeling satisfied with their treatment two years after initially receiving it. That's not to say there weren't any adverse effects: Some patients reported soreness, bruising, and hemosiderosis surrounding injection sites, all of which were usually mild to moderate, and short in duration. No severe reactions requiring additional treatment were reported.
The extremely high rate of patient satisfaction over time is what Dr. Michael Kaminer, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale Medical School, believes is "one of the most remarkable aspects" of this new treatment. "My work in treating my own patients continues to support these results," he said
As Patrick Urban, the vice president and head of the Ulthera Business Unit at Merz North America (where Cellfina was developed), prepares for the U.S. launch of Cellfina, he explained that he remains committed to partnering with physicians in order to deliver the best possible outcomes for interested patients.
Cellfina will be available in the U.S. in the Fall 2015.