CelluazeThe FDA has approved Cellulaze, a cellulite reduction treatment, for commercial use in the United States.

The device, which is manufactured by Cynosure, uses a laser to treat the physiological structure of cellulite. During treatment, a series of tiny incisions are made. Next, the Cellulaze device is inserted through the incisions so the proprietary SideLight 3D side-firing technology reaches the actual causes of cellulite, which lie beneath the skin. The laser targets:

  • Herniated pockets of fat
  • Stiffened septae
  • Thin skin

The treatment works by heating the skin to stimulate collagen production, melting underlying fat, and loosening the fibrous bands that produce skin irregularities.

Since the incisions that are created during the procedure are so small that they do not require stitches, the Cellulaze procedure is considered minimally invasive and results in virtually no scarring. The Cellulaze laser fiber itself is no wider than one millimeter.

Over the next six to eight weeks, cellulite begins to disappear as the skin tightens. During the next year, patients continue to notice an improvement in skin tone.

Cellulaze has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite in just one treatment session. Compare this to cellulite creams, skin tightening, and other cellulite-busting procedures that have to be performed multiple times to obtain visible results. The treatment may be used to complement liposuction, tummy tuck, and other procedures.

Although there are hundreds of other cellulite treatments on the market, Cellulaze is the only one that has been shown to increase skin thickness by 25 percent and skin elasticity by 29 percent one year after treatment, according to clinical data that was submitted to the FDA.

"Based on the scientific data and the patient results we have observed over the past several years of evaluating the device, Cellulaze represents a new and highly effective standard of treatment for cellulite," said Dr. Barry E. DiBernardo, a board certified plastic surgeon and Clinical Associate Professor who was one of five clinical investigators involved in the Cellulaze study.

Cellulaze is currently being marketed in several countries, including the European Union, Australia, Canada, and South Korea.