Stubborn cellulite is one of the most common complaints by adult women. This frustration is especially vocalized during spring and summer, as we start to try on new bathing suits and plan upcoming vacations, pool time, and beach trips. Unlike traditional fat, cellulite is uniquely challenging to treat. It’s nearly immune to traditional exercise, diet, and weight loss methods.
Luckily for us, the FDA has just approved the first ever cosmetic technology for combating cellulite. QWO is a prescription injectable used to treat moderate to severe cellulite in the buttocks, helping firm and smooth skin by altering the fibrous bands between the skin and deeper tissues that cause the dimples. Injections are quick, nonsurgical, and painless, and a series of treatments starts to produce results in about 3 weeks, with optimum results showing around the 10-week mark.
PSS is the first and only office in Marin County to offer this exciting new procedure to Bay Area and Northern California patients. Like any treatment, the goal is not perfection, but rather realistic beauty enhancement that compliments your existing physique. Let’s take a look at how it works and what to expect!
WHAT IS CELLULITE?
Although the exact cause of cellulite is unknown, some studies show that the interaction between connective tissue and the fat below it causes cellulite to form. These fat cells form into bands that shorten, causing the overlying skin to dimple. As skin ages and thins with time, these bands become increasingly more visible.
HOW DOES QWO WORK?
QWO works by using enzymes—called collagenases—to target tissue structure under the skin’s surface. It breaks the fat bands that make up cellulite, and redistributes cells to reduce the appearance of cellulite under the skin. It also stimulates the growth of new collagen, further enhancing skin by making it firmer and smoother.
WHAT’S THE PROCEDURE LIKE?
QWO treatment is a series of sessions spaced about 3-4 weeks apart. After meeting with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons or aesthetic specialists, an appropriate treatment plan will be determined and expectations will be discussed. Treatments usually consist of 2-3 sessions spaced over several weeks.
HOW LONG DOES EACH SESSION TAKE?
After determining specific treatment areas, a small needle will be used to inject QWO into the buttocks. Each session will consist of about 12 injections, with the total procedure time taking around 10 minutes or less.
WHEN CAN I EXPECT BEST RESULTS?
We ideally recommend 4-5 months of lead time before your big beach day. The most visible results will start showing in about 10 weeks, after a couple of sessions. In nearly all cases, there will be no required post-treatment downtime, although localized bruising is to be expected. It is advised to plan ahead, and one should not expect to get a treatment and then be poolside in a bikini the following day.
We are excited to be the first doctors in Marin County to offer this revolutionary new cellulite treatment, and we’re eager to help you on your beauty journey.
Give us a call at (415) 925-2880 to schedule your consultation today.