Cellulite is a unique form of fat and connective tissue. While we all need a certain number of adipocytes (fat cells) to store fat for energy, cellulite is both an unnecessary and unattractive way to store body fat. Instead of fat cells collecting in smooth layers, cellulite collects in discrete pockets surrounded by tough, fibrous tissue.
These pockets of fat do not grow and shrink exactly like normal fat cells because of their structure and organization. The result is a lumpy, bumpy dimpling of the skin often occurring in women and usually occurring over the buttocks, hips and thighs.
Dermasonic Procedure
Dermosonic was cleared by the FDA as a safe technology for the treatment of cellulite. Dermosonic combines two different technologies to remove cellulite: ultrasound and noninvasive subdermal therapy or NIST. The first energy, ultrasound, is ultra-high frequency sound wave energy. The frequency is so high that humans cannot hear it. It is also the same energy that is used to see fetuses during pregnancy, for example. The second energy, NIST, heats and stimulates the deep layers of skin and fat.
The ultrasound energy of Dermosonic is intended to shake apart the fibrous connections between pockets of cellulite. At the same time, fat cells inside of areas of cellulite are broken apart. While the ultrasound cannot be heard, it is still made up of sound waves. These sound waves penetrate the skin, and strike against fat cells and fibrous tissues like millions of tiny ocean waves. The tissue effectively shaken by these waves, several thousand times a minute, which heats and disrupts the cellulite.
The NIST phase of Dermosonic treatment comes second, mainly because its effect is greatly enhanced by the ultrasound treatment (pre-treatment). NIST employs gentle suction, gentle vibration and gentle rolling. These maneuvers work together to further disrupt these pockets of fat and cellulite. The suction stretches the pocket, elongating it. The suction also improves blood flow to and lymphatic drainage from the treated area. Any liquefied fat released from disrupted cellulite fat cells will be carried away.
The gentle vibration of NIST not only further weakens the fibrous bands between cellulite pockets, but it also makes the treatment feel like a massage. The rolling is also design to push and pull the protein bands between fat pockets.
The fact that these interventions are gentle is a fundamental difference from other, typical cellulite treatments. This means that Dermosonic causes far less discomfort and results less in bruising than other invasive and non-invasive cellulite treatments.
Dermosonic Treatments
Treatment sessions with Dermosonic typically last about an hour. Although some patients report results after the first procedure, a series of treatments is usually required for optimal results. Approximately 8-12 treatments are recommended one to two times per week. Follow-up treatments may be recommended in 6-8 weeks after the initial treatment program. The number of total treatments depends on the amount of cellulite in the treated areas and patient preferences.
Misuse of Dermosonic
Dermosonic is not a weight-loss procedure; rather it is a non-invasive cellulite treatment. It is important to point out that in early 2010 the FDA halted production and sale of Dermosonic units in the United States. This ruling was not necessarily due to safety issues but was because the company that manufactures Dermosonic, Sybaritic, made some claims and provided services that exceeded its original FDA clearance. While these issues are being resolved, new Dermosonic machines are only available outside of the US.