Is Thermage a Viable Cellulite Treatment?

One of the more recent trends in the world of cellulite reduction is the Thermage cellulite treatment. The treatment has been labeled non-invasive because there is no surgical procedure required to undergo this treatment…I’m sure that already appeals to many who have issues with going “under the knife”. The treatment is a product of the company Thermage, Inc., and the flagship product of Thermage is an instrument known as the ThermaTipCL. The instrument basically heats the deeper or subsurface layers of skin (known as the “subcutaneous” layer) using radio frequency (RF) technology. The surface of your skin (the “dermis”) is simultaneously cooled by the instrument, this way keeping the integrity of the outer layer of skin intact. The rationale behind this procedure is that the subcutaneous layer of skin is where skin cells renew, which helps to firm up existing collagen and create new collagen as well. For those who may be unfamiliar with what collagen does, it basically provides tautness and elasticity to the skin. The causes for collagen breakdown include poor diet, over-exposure to the sun, and of course the big one—aging. As a matter of fact, collagen breakdown is one of the root causes of cellulite, because cellulite is basically where fat cells cause strain on the connective tissue in your skin, thus damaging them to the point of creating the dimpled appearance of cellulite. So the claims of thermage have a pretty receptive audience, because it’s something that can be done in one treatment instead of having to go back for repetitive treatments, and it’s also a procedure that does not require any type of injections, surgery, or other invasive means that honestly make most people squeamish.

Of course, with every new purported scientific or medical breakthrough, especially in the arena of cosmetic or beautification procedures, there are those who are skeptical (myself included). Many times a procedure can seem to be the way to go at the time, but then later down the road all of a sudden some ill side effects are discovered that were latent for years. So naturally, people have safety concerns about the Thermage cellulite treatment. One of the major selling points (if you want to call it that) for Thermage is that it has been FDA cleared for a non-invasive treatment of wrinkles, as well as for temporary improvements in reducing the appearance of cellulite. To date, there really isn’t a single procedure or cream or whatever that has been able to totally eliminate cellulite, so it’s unfair to say that the FDA’s approval is unwarranted, because practically any procedure under the sun can claim that they can make some impact on the appearance of cellulite, but not provide a complete riddance of the problem. Another advertised benefit of Thermage is that there is reportedly little to absolutely no recovery time needed once you undergo the procedure, as in contrast to other labor-intensive and body-wracking procedures such as liposuction. Again, this is probably great news to people who have a natural aversion to any type of procedures that call for them to be “under the knife”, or to have any kind of extensive recovery time. Even though there’s a lot more to be mentioned about the thermage cellulite treatment, I have gone on long enough with this hub. I hope that I’ve at least given you a little more insight into what the Thermage cellulite treatment is all about.