Has Cellulite Met Its Match?

• Posted on: Feb 14 2022
• By: tess martin

Cellulite is the bane of nearly every woman. It’s estimated that over 80 percent of women have the dimpled thighs and buttocks that are the telltale sign of cellulite. And there’s little you can do about it. The balms and creams you see advertised in beauty magazines don’t have any effect on cellulite because they can’t get under the skin and break down the connective bands that trap the fat and create the dimpling, no matter what they promise.

But there is a new treatment that was approved for treatment of cellulite. It’s called QWO^® and the FDA only approved it in July of 2020. Creative Image is one of the few practices in Texas to offer QWO^® injections.

What is the QWO^® injectable?

QWO^® is the first and only FDA-approved injectable for the treatment of moderate to severe cellulite in the buttocks of adult women. Made from collagenase clostridium histolyticum, QWO^® uses an enzyme reaction to break down the fibrous bands that connect the skin to the lower fat layer and trap fat in pockets, creating the cottage cheese appearance of cellulite.

What causes cellulite?

Many women believe cellulite is a fat problem that can be eliminated through diet and exercise. Truth is, you can lessen the appearance of cellulite somewhat by decreasing the fat cells under your skin, but you can’t get rid of it completely no matter how slim you become.

That’s because fat isn’t the problem; the structural makeup of women’s skin is the cause. Women have connective tissue bands under their skin that are like vertical bars, trapping pockets of fat between them. The fat trapped by these tight bands pushes upward against the skin, creating lumps on the surface, next to depressions where the connective tissue is separating the fat beneath. Yes, it’s the orange peel look of cellulite. And it only gets worse as we age, and our skin thins.

This is the explanation of why skinny people can have cellulite, while heavy people may not. And men? Less than 10% have cellulite because, unlike the vertical connective tissue under women’s skin, men’s connective tissue is in an X pattern. For women, genetics plays a big role — if your mom had cellulite, you have cellulite. Hormones, aging, and weight also play a part.

How does QWO work?

As mentioned above, women develop cellulite due to the connective bands attaching the skin to the structural tissues beneath. Fat is trapped inside the pockets between the bands, and it pushes up against the surface skin, creating the signature cottage cheese appearance of cellulite.

When Dr. Butka injects QWO®, it works in three ways to improve the appearance of cellulite:

• It releases some of those fibrous bands
• It redistributes fat cells when those bands are broken
• It stimulates the production of new amounts of collagen

Interested in showing that cellulite on your buttocks who’s the boss? Call us at Creative Image Laser Solutions, (325) 641-1927, and set up a consultation with Dr. Butka for QWO^® cellulite injections.

Posted in: blog, Cellulite Treatment